HONEY PRODUCTION-TECHNOLOGY FOR SMALL HOLDERS

摘要

Honey bees play a vital role in the environment by pollinating both wild flowers and many agricultural crops as they forage for nectar and pollen, in addition to producing honey and beeswax. The apiculture industry plays an important role in generating employment and in increasing family income in the rural areas of the world. Honey production is the foremost purpose of beekeeping and it brings the greatest profit to this industry. The essential and valuable activities of bees depend upon beekeepersmaintaining a healthy population of honey bees, because like other insects and livestock, honey bees are subject to many diseases and pests. Many developing countries are trying to improve the quality of their honey products but they frequently encounterthe main obstacle in apiculture; control of diseases and pests of honey bees. The use of pesticides has become inevitable in the present day agriculture. These chemicals used on the crops for the pest control have some side effects, one of which is their toxicity to honey bees. Honey bees are susceptible to many pesticides, especially insecticides. The pesticidal poisoning of honey bees invariably causes a heavy mortality of bees which results in the loss to both the beekeeper and the farmer.