Beekeeping is an applied science of rearing honey bees for man's economic benefits, is also the mother source of honey production. The common African honeybee live throughout the year in colonies consisting of a queen or mother bee, which is a fertile egg-laying female 10,000 to 200,000 worker bees called drones that may be present in the colony only during the reproductive season. Honey bees naturally build .their nests in a hole of a tree, inside a cave and under the roof of buildings, but traditionally, people also keep bee colonies, beekeeping has been in practice in many part of the world.
The main reason for keeping bees by farmers is to extract the honey they produce. The honey has been used for dressing the wounds, as anti-diarrhea drug, in alcoholic drink, tobacco curing, bakery and confectionery and in manufacturing of cosmetics. In additcombs other honey products like bee wax, propolis, bee venom, and royal jelly are foreign exchange earning commodities for some countries while the crop pollination role of the bees is of tremendous important. Honey, the natural food of the honey bee, is describes as man's sweetest food .
Honey is a sweet, thick, supersaturated sugar solution manufactured by bees to feed their larvae and for subsistence in dry season. Bee honey is composed of fructose, glucose, and water, in varying proportions; it also contains several enzymes and oils. Honey as a natural invert sugar, in fact a sugar invertase (B-Fructosidase) trapped in the pouch of bees and thus transforms the excess of sucrose in the necter and its P.H (4.0) is a little higher than that of industrial invert sugar. The process of honey cultivation and harvesting has increased in Nigeria and there is the need to rise to the challenges of the ever expanding honey demands by designing machines that will help the local fanners in solving this problem.
The recent increase in the demand of honey is as a result of its great economic importance which ranged from numerous uses as food to medical relevance. To meet this demand, requires finding a way of extracting honey from the honey comb and should be different and more efficient from the obsolete and traditional methods in existence by the local beekeepers. To remove the honey from the combs efficiently, there is need for an extractor. A mechanical device for the removal of honey from the honey combs without destroying the combs
The recent increase in the demand of honey is as a result of its great economic importance which ranged from numerous uses as food to medical relevance. To meet this demand, requires finding a way of extracting honey from the honey comb and should be different and more efficient from the obsolete and traditional methods in existence by the local beekeepers. To remove the honey from the combs efficiently, there is need for an extractor. A mechanical device for the removal of honey from the honey combs without destroying the combs
Bee Species Description
Bees kept by beekeepers are essentially wild animals and are not domesticated in the way of other livestock species. In some areas, for example, Europe and Africa, the bees used in beekeeping are indigenous species, and beekeepers are helping to maintain biodiversity by keeping healthy stocks of these bees. Until recently, it was true to say that any honeybees kept inside a hive by a beekeeper would be able to survive just as well living on their own in the wild.
However, in recent years, man has spread honeybee pests and predators around the world, and this means that in some regions, the indigenous populations of honeybees have been killed and the only bees now surviving are those managed by beekeepers. For example, in Europehoneybee colonies can only survive when beekeepers control levels of the (introduced from Asia) parasitic mite Varroa destructor.
Bees kept by beekeepers are essentially wild animals and are not domesticated in the way of other livestock species. In some areas, for example, Europe and Africa, the bees used in beekeeping are indigenous species, and beekeepers are helping to maintain biodiversity by keeping healthy stocks of these bees. Until recently, it was true to say that any honeybees kept inside a hive by a beekeeper would be able to survive just as well living on their own in the wild.
However, in recent years, man has spread honeybee pests and predators around the world, and this means that in some regions, the indigenous populations of honeybees have been killed and the only bees now surviving are those managed by beekeepers. For example, in Europehoneybee colonies can only survive when beekeepers control levels of the (introduced from Asia) parasitic mite Varroa destructor.
Honey hunting, the plundering of wild nests of honeybees to obtain crops of honey and beeswax, is practised throughout the world, wherever wild nesting honeybee colonies are still abundant. However, for thousands of years it has been known that obtaining honey is made much easier and more convenient if bees are encouraged to nest inside a hive. Apiculture covers this whole, broad range of activities from the total plundering of wild bee nests for harvests of honey and beeswax, through to ‘conventional’ beekeeping, i.e. the keeping and management of a colony of bees inside a human-made beehive.
Bee Species
In 1988, a bee preserved in amber from New Jersey was identified by US entomologists. It was a worker, stingless bee of the species Trigona prisca, identical to bees of this species today. The amber dates from 80 million years ago, and we therefore know that bees of today were already evolved at that time. There are maybe around 30,000 bee species: about half have so far been recorded by entomologists. Most bees are solitary, which means that each female bee makes her own nest, lays a single egg and provides food for the single larva that develops. A few species show a high level of social development and live together in a permanent, large colony, headed by a single egg laying queen.
Although many species of bees collect nectar that they convert to honey and store as a food source, it is only these large colonies formed by social species that store appreciable quantities of honey. Only a very few species – maybe 30 or so – are exploited by humans for honey production. These are the honeybees and stingless bees that have been, or are still, exploited by man to varying extents for their honey stores. Man has exploited them for thousands of years: until recent centuries, honey was the most common sweetening commodity. There are also a few, very rare instances of bumblebees being plundered for honey. Of course, the rest of the 30 000 bee species are also plant pollinators that are vital for the maintenance of biodiversity, and a few of these species are managed commercially for this purpose.
In 1988, a bee preserved in amber from New Jersey was identified by US entomologists. It was a worker, stingless bee of the species Trigona prisca, identical to bees of this species today. The amber dates from 80 million years ago, and we therefore know that bees of today were already evolved at that time. There are maybe around 30,000 bee species: about half have so far been recorded by entomologists. Most bees are solitary, which means that each female bee makes her own nest, lays a single egg and provides food for the single larva that develops. A few species show a high level of social development and live together in a permanent, large colony, headed by a single egg laying queen.
Although many species of bees collect nectar that they convert to honey and store as a food source, it is only these large colonies formed by social species that store appreciable quantities of honey. Only a very few species – maybe 30 or so – are exploited by humans for honey production. These are the honeybees and stingless bees that have been, or are still, exploited by man to varying extents for their honey stores. Man has exploited them for thousands of years: until recent centuries, honey was the most common sweetening commodity. There are also a few, very rare instances of bumblebees being plundered for honey. Of course, the rest of the 30 000 bee species are also plant pollinators that are vital for the maintenance of biodiversity, and a few of these species are managed commercially for this purpose.
Bee Taxonomy
All bee species are classified within seven main families, and one of these is the family Apidae. Apidae has three subfamilies: Xylocopinae, Nomadinae and Apinae. The subfamily Apinae has nineteen tribes including Apini (honeybees), Meliponini (includes stingless bees), and Bombini (includes bumblebees). The tribe Meliponini are the stingless bees found in tropical and southern subtropical areas throughout the world. The tribe Apini contains just one genus, Apis and these are the true honeybees. Like the Meliponini, they are social bees that establish permanent colonies. It is these bees’ social behaviour, storing significant quantities of honey for the colony to survive dearth periods, which means they have been, and are still today exploited by human societies for their honey for the colony to survive dearth periods, which means they have been, and are still today exploited by human societies for their honey stores.
All bee species are classified within seven main families, and one of these is the family Apidae. Apidae has three subfamilies: Xylocopinae, Nomadinae and Apinae. The subfamily Apinae has nineteen tribes including Apini (honeybees), Meliponini (includes stingless bees), and Bombini (includes bumblebees). The tribe Meliponini are the stingless bees found in tropical and southern subtropical areas throughout the world. The tribe Apini contains just one genus, Apis and these are the true honeybees. Like the Meliponini, they are social bees that establish permanent colonies. It is these bees’ social behaviour, storing significant quantities of honey for the colony to survive dearth periods, which means they have been, and are still today exploited by human societies for their honey for the colony to survive dearth periods, which means they have been, and are still today exploited by human societies for their honey stores.
Bee Species Used For Apiculture
The honeybees most widely used for beekeeping are European races of Apis mellifera, the species of honeybee also indigenous to Africa and the Middle East. No species of honeybee occurs naturally in the Americas, Australia, New Zealand or Pacific islands: European bees have been introduced to these regions during the last four centuries. Over the last 30 years, European bees have been also introduced to most countries of Asia. In industrialized countries, all beekeeping technology has been developed for use with European honeybees, and most beekeeping and research literature relate only to this bee.
The honeybees most widely used for beekeeping are European races of Apis mellifera, the species of honeybee also indigenous to Africa and the Middle East. No species of honeybee occurs naturally in the Americas, Australia, New Zealand or Pacific islands: European bees have been introduced to these regions during the last four centuries. Over the last 30 years, European bees have been also introduced to most countries of Asia. In industrialized countries, all beekeeping technology has been developed for use with European honeybees, and most beekeeping and research literature relate only to this bee.
Other honeybee species are also exploited by humans for their honey. Although the cavity nesting species can be kept in hives, and managed according to beekeeping practices, in some countries, wild nesting colonies of these bees are still sought by honey hunters. The single-comb nesting species cannot be kept inside hives, so it is only wild-nesting colonies that are exploited by honey hunting. There are of course exceptions: Apis florea is managed by beekeepers in Oman and in several countries in Asia, Apis dorsata is managed to some extent, for example in India and Vietnam.
Apis mellifera honeybees are indigenous to Africa. There are many different races of African bees. In South Africa bees are of the race Apis mellifera capensis, a race of bee with unique biology and behaviour. Tropical races of Apis mellifera are slightly smaller than the European races of Apis mellifera and they have different biology and behaviour: they are readily alerted to fly off the comb and to defend themselves. In many African countries, local beekeeping methods are used, with log, bark, basket or clay hives placed in trees. Where the behaviour of bees is to swarm and migrate, it can be a good beekeeping strategy to use a large number of low cost hives.
This means that the beekeeper can afford to have a large number of hives and accept that some of them will be unoccupied at some periods. Throughout Africa honey hunting from wild nests is carried out wherever sufficient natural resources remain. Stingless bees are also present throughout tropical and southern sub-tropical Africa.
This means that the beekeeper can afford to have a large number of hives and accept that some of them will be unoccupied at some periods. Throughout Africa honey hunting from wild nests is carried out wherever sufficient natural resources remain. Stingless bees are also present throughout tropical and southern sub-tropical Africa.
The Importance Of Bees In Nature
- Bees As Part Of Ecosystems
In rain forests, especially in high mountain forests where it is too cold for most bees, other pollinators like bats and birds play a greater role in plant pollination. In farmed areas, bees are needed for the pollination of many cultivated crops and for maintaining biodiversity in ‘islands’ of non-cultivated areas. The main role of bees in the different ecosystems is their pollination work. Other animal species are connected with bees: either because they eat the brood or honey, pollen or wax, because they are parasitic to the bees, or simply because they live within the bees nest.
- Bees Help In Pollination of Flowers
Many plants can be pollinated both ways. Plants can be pollinated by wind or animals. Some plants have only one method for pollination, others use a combination. The knowledge of pollination by animal pollination (Zoophily) in the tropics is still little known, and much work and research have to be done in this area. Some general rules can be used to detect whether a plant is pollinated by bees, flies, beetles, wasps, butterflies, moths, thrips, birds, bats, marsupials, slugs or rodents. Flowers pollinated by bees most often bloom in daytime, they can have different colours, but seldom red.
The scent of daytime bee pollinated flowers tends to be less strong than that of night pollinated flowers, often pollinated by bats or moths. Honeybee pollinated flowers have nectar tubes not more than 2 cm long. They have nectar guides (patterns to direct the bee towards the nectary) and often a landing place for bees. Bees are especially attracted to white, blue and yellow flowers. Plants pollinated by insects are called “entomophilous”, and insects are generally the most important pollinators.
If we look at the many colourful and different looking flowers, we should not forget that they have developed as an adaptation for the bees and other pollinators, and not to please humans! Bees and most flowering plants have developed a complex interdependence during millions of years. An estimated 80 percent of flowering plants are entomophilous i.e. depending more or less on insect pollination to be able to reproduce, and it is estimated that half of the pollinators of tropical plants are bees. The efficiency of honeybees is due to their great numbers, their physique and their behaviour of foraging on only one plant species at one time.
The bees have to find their food in flowers. The food can be nectar or pollen. Nectar is produced to attract the bees. Pollen is also attracting the bees, but it has another function too: it is produced to ensure the next generation of plants. Bee pollinated flowers have evolved in such a way that a visiting bee has to brush against the flower’s anthers bearing pollen, or there may be a special mechanism to release the anthers to spring up or down to cover the bee with pollen. Compared with other insects, bees are extremely hairy. Each hair has a branched structure that makes it highly effective at catching pollen.
- Bees And Biodiversity
Without bees there would be no flowering plants, and without flowering plants there would be no bees. Without bees biodiversity would not be so great. Biodiversity is measured as the number of different plant and animal species found in a certain unit area. Biodiversity is highest in tropical forest areas and lowest in the Arctic. High biodiversity is related to the high age of the ecosystem, and a stable environment.
A stable environment creates the possibility of development of specialization and use of narrow ecological niches. The explanation of the high biodiversity in tropical forests can be as the species’ efforts to avoid attack by diseases and pests. Both can be much more serious in a tropical forest biome with a constant supply of water, and a hot and stable temperature. The high diversity with its high specialization in pollination relationships can also be a danger for the forest.
The specialist pollinator must have access to food all year round. Many of the smaller trees flower all year round or nearly all year, but the larger trees have blooming seasons. Some flower every year, others every third or fifth year, where all trees from the same species bloom at the same period and maybe even at the same hours. If the specialized bees loose their stable resources by tree cutting, they will not be there when the bigger trees require their pollination service.
The reproduction of plants is simplest as vegetative reproduction – a new tree could just come from a root shoot. The new tree would then be genetically identical with the mother tree. Vegetative reproduction alone would be no problem if the environment were stable, but most environments are not stable over time, they change. It can be climatic changes, new diseases or pests. To be able to adapt to environmental changes there need to be genetically different plants. In that way there will always be some plants, which are better adapted than others because of special genetic constitutions.
The only way to constantly mix the genes for the plants is by cross-pollination, where pollen from one plant is transported by bees to another so that the offspring become genetically different. In that way, there is a greater chance for at least some of the offspring to survive in the competition of life. In this we find the bees as one of the most important factors.
A stable environment creates the possibility of development of specialization and use of narrow ecological niches. The explanation of the high biodiversity in tropical forests can be as the species’ efforts to avoid attack by diseases and pests. Both can be much more serious in a tropical forest biome with a constant supply of water, and a hot and stable temperature. The high diversity with its high specialization in pollination relationships can also be a danger for the forest.
The specialist pollinator must have access to food all year round. Many of the smaller trees flower all year round or nearly all year, but the larger trees have blooming seasons. Some flower every year, others every third or fifth year, where all trees from the same species bloom at the same period and maybe even at the same hours. If the specialized bees loose their stable resources by tree cutting, they will not be there when the bigger trees require their pollination service.
The reproduction of plants is simplest as vegetative reproduction – a new tree could just come from a root shoot. The new tree would then be genetically identical with the mother tree. Vegetative reproduction alone would be no problem if the environment were stable, but most environments are not stable over time, they change. It can be climatic changes, new diseases or pests. To be able to adapt to environmental changes there need to be genetically different plants. In that way there will always be some plants, which are better adapted than others because of special genetic constitutions.
The only way to constantly mix the genes for the plants is by cross-pollination, where pollen from one plant is transported by bees to another so that the offspring become genetically different. In that way, there is a greater chance for at least some of the offspring to survive in the competition of life. In this we find the bees as one of the most important factors.
- Bees Are Good For Trees And Trees Are Good For Bees
In savannah areas with bushfires in the dry season, a high nesting place is an advantage. When beekeeping is present in a forest, the beekeepers will be interested in protection of the forests and especially the tall trees preferred by the bees. When enough bees are present in a forest, they provide a better pollination that leads to improved regeneration of trees and conservation of the forest’s biodiversity.
