Honey Bees, Beekeeping and Bee Products

Honeybees are social insects, as they live together in large, well-organized family groups and comprise of three castes: queen (fertile female), workers (sterile females) and drones (males). During honey flow season there is considerable increase in the foraging activity of the workers and in the rate of egg laying by the queen. Sex determination in honeybees involves a multi-allelic locus, such that homozygotes develop as males and heterozygotes as females whereas diet quality influences the caste determination in honeybees. Like all living organisms, honeybees can be infested with diseases and pests. Some of these are more deleterious to bee colonies than others, but it is important for the beekeeper to be able to recognize conditions which might be disease or pest related and respond accordingly so as to improve the quality of honey and honeybee by-products. The best-known primary products of beekeeping are honey and wax, but pollen, propolis, royal jelly, venom, queens, bees, and their larvae are also marketable primary bee products. The purpose of this proposed book is to make available information on the bee biology & bee keeping as well as to provide comprehensive information on manufacturing, processing, and marketing of value-added bee products. This book has been designed as a useful tool for the many diverse professionals who characterize and market honeybee products including beekeepers, non-beekeepers, small entrepreneurs, extension officers and those involved in small business development. This edited book will be the first of its kind which will contain the comprehensive information on both bee and bee products. Key Features: Contains comprehensive information on beekeeping. Discusses the recent advances in beekeeping. Sheds light on bee colony integration and organization. Contain brief information on honeybee products.