Role of Agroforestry in Apiculture

Abstract

Honey bees, especially Apis dorsata Fab. and A. florea F., are broadly found associated with forests. Whereas, A. cerana indica F., is found both in wild and in domesticated state. Flowers of forest trees provide subsistence for honey bees and the trees physically provide shelter for a swarm or bee colony. Forest management and beekeeping have each had a long history both in India and globally, but have seldom been integrated or studied in a systematic fashion. Purposeful plantings of trees, as in agroforestry systems, could be designed to favor bee forage sources for successful management of bees. Tree growing and beekeeping can easily be combined for several reasons. Both are sustainable on land that is hilly or otherwise less desirable for other agricultural purposes (Brown, 2001; Crane & Walker, 1985; Hill & Webster, 1995). Both can be sustained while the grower/beekeeper is busy with other farming occupations. Beehives require very little space, while the bees themselves can forage in a radius of 4 to 5 km. Hives may be located within or near a tree plantation, and utilize both the trees and surrounding other flowering plants for forage. Combining forestry and beekeeping provides annual honey bee products (e.g., honey, beeswax) to supplement income from a landowner’s long term forest managements. Combining bees and trees is one way of accomplishing this goal. This paper addresses several important known bee-tree interactions which need more systematic study.