Bee Pasturage
Introduction and Importance
Bee pasture, or forage area, is the area containing the wild and cultivated plants, bushes, and trees that are the source of the nectar, pollen, propolis, and water needed to fulfil the daily needs of honeybees. Pasture is a primary requisite for beekeeping. Beekeeping can only be successful where there is abundant forage as both brood rearing and honey production require food in the form of honey and pollen. Honeybee colonies will abscond during times of dearth if they don't have food. The honey production potential of a colony is effectively a measure of the food storage capacity, which depends on the availability of nectar and pollen. Colony development is directly dependent on the year round availability of forage. When forage isn't available, the colony won't increase or produce honey, and supplementary feeding must be provided simply to maintain numbers.
- training and experience,
- study of books, statistics, articles, published by botanists,
- study of a herbarium or plant collection and preserved plants,
- collection and identification of flowers in a lab by technicians,
- observation of flowers being visited by bees,
- study of foraging potential of the area, and,
- laboratory analysis of the pollen contained in honey to identify the floral source (melissopalynology).
Identification of Bee Flora
Beekeepers need to be able to identify what bee flora are available (both wild and agricultural) before establishing an apiary. A beekeeper has various possibilities for learning to identify which plants can serve as bee flora in general, and which are available close to the (planned) apiary, including.
Preparation and Use of a Floral Calendar
A floral calendar should be prepared to record the availability of bee flora around the year in a specific area. The calendar describes the sources of nectar and pollen, the strength of the sources, the flowering time, and the duration of nectar and pollen availability. It shows the availability of bee flora as well as the dearth period, when pasture and feeding management can be carried out. Table --------shows an example of a simple calendar. When using the calendar to assess resources for a colony, note that Apis cerana bees can fly up to 2 km from the hive to forage, and Apis mellifera bees up to 3 km.
Bee flora availability in Higher hills (whole of Kashmir and higher reaches of Doda, Ramban, Banihal, Kishtwar Poonch and Rajouri districts)