Question

Define apiculture. Name the products obtained from it.

Answer 1

Hint: A rearing practice of an insect which exhibits the highest level of social interaction and is an important pollinator in the ecosystem. Products obtained from it have a high medicinal value and have been in use since ancient times.

Complete answer:
The art and management of bees for commercial purposes is known as apiculture or bee-keeping. Species of bee-like Apis florea (Little bee), Apis Indica(Indian bee), Apis dorsata(rock bee), and Apis mellifera(European bee) are popularly reared in apiculture. European bee is the best species from a commercial point of view. Honey bees are social and polymorphic organisms. Polymorphism is exhibited by the existence of different forms of its adult population. It includes a queen, drones, and workers. Honey and beeswax are the primary products of any apiculture farming.
Honey is the most popular product and is enjoyed by many for its sweet taste. It has antimicrobial and antifungal properties. Worker bees extract nectar through their long tongues from different flowers. Their thorax gland secretes enzymes to turn the nectar into honey, widely used to cure a cough or sore throat.
Royal jelly is a protein-rich substance fed exclusively to the queen larvae. It is produced by the glands located in the head of bees. It is rich in antioxidants and helps to aid anti-inflammatory reactions in the body.
Propolis majorly contains resin collected by bees from sources ranging from tree sap, buds to twigs. It is known for anti-viral and anti-tumour properties. Bees use it to seal or mend hives.

Note:
- Honey bees are social and polymorphic organisms. Polymorphism is exhibited by the existence of different forms of its adult population. It includes a queen, drones, and workers. A queen is the only fertile female in the whole bee population.
- In each hive, only one queen is found in most cases.
- Drones are the male bees that have developed parthenogenetically i.e unfertilized egg of queen hatches into drone larvae. They are stout with no sting apparatus. They do not collect pollen nor secrete wax. Their sole function is to fertilize the female egg.
- Workers are the smallest, infertile and the most active members in a hive. They collect pollen grains, protect and secrete wax to build the hive.