Commercial bee species reared in India
Beekeepers select honeybee species based on honey yield, temperament, and regional climate.
- Apis mellifera (European Honeybee): Highly domesticated, gentle temperament, and high honey yield (25 to 40 kg per hive annually); dominant commercial choice in North and Central India.
- Apis cerana indica (Indian Hive Bee): Native domesticated honeybee; hardy, disease resistant, yielding 8 to 12 kg per hive; ideal for hilly, southern, and coastal tracts.
- Apis dorsata (Rock Bee): Large wild honeybee building huge single combs in cliffs and tall trees; harvested by forest honey collectors; cannot be domesticated in hives.
- Apis florea (Little Bee) & Stingless Bees (Trigona): Small bees producing small quantities of medicinal honey valued in Ayurveda.
Essential equipment, hive inspection, and seasonal care
Standard modern beekeeping uses movable frame wooden Langstroth or Newton hives.
- Beehive Components: Floor board, brood chamber with movable wooden frames, queen excluder screen, super chamber (for honey storage), inner cover, and roof.
- Protective Gear: Bee veil / hat, white bee suit, leather gloves, and a smoker to calm bees during hive inspections.
- Floral Flora (Bee Pasture): Maintain hives near mustard, sunflower, eucalyptus, litchi, clover, or fruit orchards with abundant nectar and pollen.
- Seasonal Migration: Move bee colonies seasonally across floral flushes (e.g., to mustard fields in winter and litchi/sunflower orchards in spring).
- Monsoon Care: Provide artificial sugar syrup feeding (1:1 sugar-water ratio) during monsoon months when natural flowers are scarce.
Crop pollination benefits and NBHM government subsidies
Bees play a vital ecological role as primary insect pollinators across agricultural crops.
- Pollination Yield Boost: Placing 2 to 3 bee colonies per acre increases yields of mustard, sunflower, apple, litchi, and cucurbits by 15% to 35%.
- National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM): Central scheme providing capital subsidies for bee boxes, colonies, honey extractors, and processing units.
- National Bee Board (NBB): Coordinates scientific training and online beekeeper registration through the Madhukranti portal (madhukranti.in).
- Apply through the National Bee Board portal or your state horticulture department.
Official source
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National Bee Board (National Beekeeping & Honey Mission) ↗Related on KisanPe
Common questions
What is the correct term for honeybee farming?
The scientific term is Apiculture (often misspelled as epiculture), meaning the maintenance and rearing of honeybee colonies in hives.
How does beekeeping help increase farm crop yields?
Honeybees provide cross-pollination when collecting nectar, leading to higher fruit set, better seed filling, and increased yields in mustard, sunflower, and fruits.
What government subsidy is available for starting beekeeping in India?
Under the National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM), subsidies up to 40% to 50% are provided for purchasing bee colonies, wooden hives, and honey extraction gear.
General guidance, not personal advice. For your farm, ask your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra or agriculture officer.
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