What is Bee - Keeping? Write any four points for a successful Bee - Keeping?

Explanation

Mainternance of hives of honeybees for the production of honey and beewax is called apiculture .
* Honey is used : (i) Food of high nutritive value and (ii) Medicine in Ayurveda .
* Beewax is used in industry for the preparation of cosmetics and poishes .
* The most common species of honeybee is Apis indica .
* Bee - keeping can be practised in any area where there are sufficient bee pastures 9some wild shrubs , cultivated crops , fruit - orchards , etc )
* Beehives can be kept in any place like courtyard , verandha or on the roof of the house .
* Bee- keeping is relatively easy and requires the following considerations:
(i) Knowledge of the nature and habits of bee .
(ii) Selection of suitable location of keeping beehives .
(iii) Catching and hiving of swamis .
(iv) Management of beehives duirng different seasons .
(v) Handling and collection of honey and beewax .
Bees are the pollinators of tpany crop plants (apple , pear, sunflower , Brassica , etc.) and hence keeping beehives in crop fields during flowering seasons increases pollination efficency and thereby improves the yieild .