SEC- I APICULTURE

UNIT- 4 BEE ECONOMY

Q] Products of Apiculture Industry and its Uses

Beekeeping is an important occupation as it produces many economically important products like
honey, bee wax, propolis, etc.
1) Honey: Honey is a sugar rich compound (levulose, dextrose, maltose, enzymes, pigments, ash
and water). It is used by human beings mainly as food and medicine.
a) Food value: It is estimated that 200gm of honey provide as much nourishment as 11.5l of
milk or 330gm of meat. In illness it is preferred over mil because more than half of the
body energy is produced from burning of dextrose. Honey is rich is dextrose.
b) Medicinal value: Honey is a laxative, antiseptic and sedative. It is generally used Ayurvedic
and Unani systems of medicine. It is quite helpful in formation of hemoglobin, prevention
of cough, cold and fever and ulcers on tongue and alimentary canal.
c) Other uses: Beside food and medicine, it is also sued in the preparation of bread, cake,
biscuit, soap, alcoholic drinks, etc. It is also used in poultry industry and fish farming
industry and in laboratory to stimulate the growth of planktons and bacterial culture
respectively.
2) Bee wax: It is produced by wax glands present in the abdominal segments of worker bees. It is
composed of esters of fatty acids and various long-chain alcohols.
It is use, as a lubricant and waterproofing agent, casting of metals and glass, as a polish for
wood and leather and for making candles, cosmetics, nail polish, etc.
It is also used in microtomy along with common wax for block preparation of tissue.
3) Propolis or bee glue: It is a resinous mixture that honey bees produce by mixing saliva and
beeswax with exudate gathered from tree buds, sap flows, or other botanical sources. It is used
as a sealant for unwanted open spaces in the hive.
It is used by some string instrument makers (violin, viola, cello and bass) as a varnish
ingredient. It is used by some chewing gum manufacturers to make propolis gum. It is also used
to bring about a chemical reaction to convert fats and oils into automobile wax during
application
4) Pollen: It is a ball or pellet of pollens collected and packed by worker. It is used as the primary
food source in the hive. It is composed of simple sugars, protein, minerals and vitamins, fatty
acids, and a small percentage of other components. It is also called bee bread. It is mixed with
saliva and stored in brood cells and sealed with a drop of honey.
Herbal medicines claim that it can be used for the treatment of a variety of medical
conditions. However, FDA did not approve it yet rather warned use of bee pollen products.

Q] Composition of Honey:
From WhatsApp file

Q] What is royal jelly?

It is secreted from the glands found in the hypopharynx of worker bees. It is composed of 67% water,
12.5% protein (MRJPs), 11% simple sugars, 6% fatty acids and 3.5% 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-
HDA). It also contains trace minerals, antibacterial and antibiotic components, vitamin B5, B6 and
trace amounts of vitamin C. It is fed to larvae which are going to develop into queen bees.
It’s widely used as a dietary supplement to treat a variety of physical ailments and chronic
diseases. It reduces inflammation and oxidative stress, lowers cholesterol level. It helps in wound
healing and skin repair.

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