Apiculture: Case Study 1, Ri Bhoi
Apiculture: Case Study 1, Ri Bhoi
| Main Info | ML/RB/AGRI/001: Apiculture, Ri Bhoi District, Meghalaya |
| Name of the Technique | Traditional Apiculture Technique |
| Source Publisher | Primary Survey, Ri Bhoi, Meghalaya |
| Source Year | 2023 |
| History Of The Technique | The Traditional Knowledge Holder has been practicing apiculture using modern boxes for keeping bees which contains small chambers inside. He has not been using any traditional bee keeping boxes since there is low quantity of honey produce from using these boxes. Up to date he has Three honey boxes which he used for rearing bees. He rears only one type of bee locally called ‘Ngaptung’. |
| Manufacturing technique | Collection of colonies: Collection of bee colonies is done from the forest. When a bee colony is found, first the colonies are separated from the queen by blowing smoke into the bee hive. When the queen is found, it is taken and keep in a new honey box. The box is then leave in the area for some time so that the drones and worker bees will enter the new box, after that the box is then carries to the designated area. |
| Method of Preparation | Setting of the box: The box should always be kept above ground on top of a stone so as to avoid any predators like ants, hornet etc. Feed: During winter season there is scarcity of food for the bees, so sugar syrup is usually put in a plate outside the honey box which served as a supplement. Diseases: There are cases where there is large death of the bees in colonies, however the causes is unknown but he suspects that it may be because of the feed that they fed, as there is a use of chemical pesticide and insecticide by the farmers in the nearby field. There is no treatment so far for these diseases. |
| Material Composition | Wooden Box, Sugar Syrup as Food Supplement as and when needed. |
| How to implement | (Harvesting): Harvesting is done twice a year during the month of December to June. For harvesting, smoke is used as a mean to disperse the bees. The honey comb is then taken out from the box for extraction of honey. (Maintenance): The surrounding of honey box should be kept clean. The box also should be clean at least twice a year |
| Theme | Traditional Animal Husbandry |
| Sub Theme | Beekeeping |
| Source Publisher | Primary Survey, Ri Bhoi, Meghalaya |
| Source Year | 2023 |