Apiculture

Apiculture, also known as beekeeping, is the husbandry of honey bees and other bees kept for productive purposes. It encompasses maintaining colonies in artificial hives, harvesting honey and other hive products, and providing pollination services for crops.

Most kept bees belong to Apis mellifera in temperate regions; colonies include a queen, many female workers, and male drones. The queen lays eggs; workers perform tasks inside and outside the hive. The colony stores honey and pollen, raises brood, and defends the hive. Beekeeping aims to balance colony health, forage availability, and productivity.

Common hive designs include the Langstroth hive with movable frames, the top-bar hive, and the Warre hive. Beekeepers use protective gear, a smoker, hive tools, and feeders. Management involves inspecting brood patterns, providing sugar syrup when needed, and managing space and ventilation to reduce swarming and brood diseases.

Health and pest management focus on Varroa destructor mites, Nosema, foulbrood diseases, and small hive beetles. Practices include regular inspections, integrated pest management, queen replacement, and maintaining clean equipment. Pesticide exposure, habitat loss, and climate stress can contribute to colony losses.

Bees support pollination for many crops and wild flora. Apiculture contributes honey, beeswax, propolis, royal jelly, and pollen products. Sustainable beekeeping emphasizes habitat diversity, careful movement of colonies between sites, and avoidance of harmful agrochemicals.