Good question Dr Malhotra. I think , it will be more prudent to look at  the role of honey bees in pollination in different annual and perennial crops , in addition to ways and means to domesticate apiculture as Good Management Practice in better crop output..

If pollination is more important than honey production from an economic point of view, why removing the honey from the bees?

Thats clash of interests , Marcel. Serving to environment is always  a welcome step than commercialising the same environment ....

I agree Anoop. Perhaps bee colonies are sometimes overexploited by humans, and therefore get physiologically exhausted also having consequenes for the health status of bees? 

Sincere thanks to Dr. Barbara, Dr. Marcel and Dr. Anoop for opening the discussion on this new question related to bee keeping. Appearance of pollutants in the family affects the overall productivity and viability of bees, their disease resistance, the ability to winter safely. it is worth noting that the bees are influenced by environmental pollution, they first face the problems of survival in adverse conditions. People are the second ones, and it is the time to understand it. The crisis of ecology is constantly approaching. Question is open for discussion.

In Brazil it appeared a plague of beehives The "Small hive beetle" as it is popularly known beetle Aethina tumida species is native to sub-Saharan Africa and over the years has been identified in several countries around the world. However, its first notification in Brazil was made on 12.23.2015 the Agricultural Defense Coordination of São Paulo (CDA) and reported the presence of beetles in a beehive in Piracicaba, which had been captured in the wild in mid March 2015.

More scope to be given for Apiculture in Govt Projects. Everyone should cultivate flower plants to increase beauty and food for honey. It is really important livelihood activity in addition to its great contribution in pollination.

Very interesting Abhishek. List has reading material on all important topics. It is interesting to learn that a forager survive for 8-12 days whereas queen survives for 5 years. 

As a result of disease, pesticides, and climate changes, the honeybee population get decimated, but since the demand for the bees’ honey and other products remains high, these tiny animals are factory-farmed, what should be the strategy to safeguard bee population.

Let me take your discussion to anothe rdirection..what is quality honey..as an end product of beekeeping..?

Honey: Chemical composition, stability and authenticity by Priscila Missio da Silva ⇑, Cony Gauche, Luciano Valdemiro Gonzaga, Ana Carolina Oliveira Costa,

Roseane Fett,Food Chemistry 196 (2016) 309–323..I liked this excellent review , worth reading fro all of us..friends

The aim of this review is to describe the chemical characteristics of compounds present in honey, theirstability when heated or stored for long periods of time and the parameters of identity and quality.Therefore, the chemical characteristics of these compounds were examined, such as sugars, proteins,amino acids, enzymes, organic acids, vitamins, minerals, phenolic and volatile compounds present in honey. The stability of these compounds in relation to the chemical reactions that occur by heating orprolonged storage were also discussed, with increased understanding of the behavior regarding the commonprocessing of honey that may compromise its quality. In addition, the identity and quality standardswere described, such as sugars, moisture, acidity, ash and electrical conductivity, color, 5-HMF and diastase activity, along with the minimum and maximum limits established by the Codex Alimentarius. ...PDF enclosed for further reading  

Let us have another very good piece of work....

Economics of beekeeping as pollination management practices adopted by farmers in Chitwan district of Nepal by Kedar Devkota et al.,  

Agriculture & Food Security20165:6

DOI: 10.1186/s40066-016-0053-9

Background : When the natural pollinator’s declines, beekeeping can contribute to the pollination services, assuring crop yields, and can also be used to strengthen the livelihoods through commercialization to increase economic revenue.

Methods : A farmers’ survey and field experiment were conducted on 2011 to assess the economics of beekeeping as pollination management practices adopted by the farmers of Chitwan district, Nepal. Samples of 75 respondents from the list of beekeeper farmers of Chitwan district were selected randomly. Information was obtained from individual respondents through a pretested questionnaire and group discussion. Furthermore, to assess the benefit of bee pollination 15 experimental plots were selected to see the effect of bee pollination on mustard crop yield.

Results: From the study, the gross income (rupees/hives), productivity (rupees/man-day), average cost (rupees/hives), and gross benefit (rupees/hives) as a result of keeping bees were found to be 4475.23, 1506.30, 2526.66, and 1948.57, respectively. The benefit–cost ratio of beekeeping was found to be significantly higher, at 1.8. The contribution of the bee pollination on the mustard crop production was found significantly higher than that on the mustard production without the insect pollination.

Conclusions :This research finding will provide the new ways of thinking on the relationship between beekeeping and their importance on the crop production. The pollination shortage due to pollinator declines can be mitigated through the beekeeping which helps to uplift the sustainable livelihoods of the farmers through income generation.

Here is another very piece of work. abstract is highlighted below: 

Honeybees Increase Fruit Set in Native Plant Species Important for Wildlife Conservation

Honeybee colonies are declining in some parts of the world. This may have important consequences for the pollination of crops and native plant species. In Spain, as in other parts of Europe, land abandonment has led to a decrease in the number of non professional beekeepers, which aggravates the problem of honeybee decline as a result of bee diseases In this study, we investigated the effects of honeybees on the pollination of three native plant species in northern Spain, namely wildcherry Prunus avium L., hawthorn Crataegus monogyna Jacq., and bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus L. We quantified fruit set of individuals from the target species along transects established from an apiary outwards. Half the samples were bagged in a nylon mesh to avoid insect pollination. Mixed-effects models were used to test the effect of distance to the apiary on fruit set in non-bagged samples. The results showed a negative significant effect of distance from the apiary on fruit set for hawthorn and bilberry, but no significant effects were detected for wildcherry. This suggests that the use of honeybees under traditional farming practices might be a good instrument to increase fruit production of some native plants. This may have important consequences for wildlife conservation, since fruits, and bilberries in particular, constitute an important feeding resource for endangered species, such as the brown bear Ursus arctos L. or the capercaillie Tetrao urogallus cantabricus L.Source : Cayuela, L., Ruiz-Arriaga, S. & Ozers, C.P. Environmental Management (2011) 48: 910. doi:10.1007/s00267-011-9677-5

Altogether , a different  issue to debate ...

Diseases, pesticides, and climate changes are threat to honeybee population There are  constraints, threats and the future prospects on apiculture development. The challenges are many but can be overcome while the opportunities are very encouraging. The question before us is what should be the strategy to safeguard bee population and further improvement of quality and quantity of honey and beehive products. I am happy for good response from colleagues.

Here is another very useful input about behaviour  of honeybees...

The behavior of humans and honey bees are remarkably similar to, and thus are actually a good model for, human alcohol consumption: A unique aspect of honey bees as a model system is that they are social, which allowed us to test for emergent effects of alcohol in a social setting: 'effects that would not be observed when studying isolated individuals. In one of the more intriguing experiments we went to Brazil to study the effect of alcohol on hive defensive

behavior in Africanized honey bees. Although we failed to find any change

in occurrence of sting extension in harnessed Africanized honey bees

following alcohol consumption, we observed a marked increase in aggression

of Africanized bee colonies. Alcohol fed hives became so aggressive

over such an extended period of time when exposed to a leather patch that the experiment had to be terminated. So the effect of alcohol is manifested when looking at a society but not when studying individuals!The success of the behavior experiments suggested that it was also worthwhile to look at the physiology of the honey bee with respect to alcohol metabolism for similarities with humans. 

"The honey bee offers researchers new possibilities to study drugs designed to

ameliorate drinking behavior."

PDF enclosed fro further reading...

Interesting response...

Honey primarily contains sugar and water. Sugar accounts for 95–99% of honey dry matter. Majority of these are simple sugars, fructose (38.2%) and glucose (31.3%), which represents 85–95% of total sugars. These are “simple” sugars, 6-carbon sugars that are readily absorbed by the body10. Other sugars include disaccharides such as maltose, sucrose, and isomaltose. Few oligosaccharides are also present.Water is the second most important component of honey. Its content is critical, since it affects the storage of honey. The final water content depends on numerous environmental factors during production such as weather and humidity inside the hives, but also on nectar conditions and treatment of honey during extraction and storage. Organic acids constitute 0.57% of honey and include gluconic acid which is a bye product of enzymatic digestion of glucose. The organic acids are responsible for the acidity of honey and contribute largely to its characteristic taste.Minerals are present in honey in very small quantities (0.17%) with potassium as the most abundant. Others are calcium, copper, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. Nitrogenous compounds among which the enzymes originate from salivary secretion of the worker honeybees are also present. They have important role in the formation of honey. The main enzymes in honey are invertase (saccharase), diastase (amylase) and glucose oxidase.Vitamins C, B (thiamine) and B2 complex like riboflavin, nicotinic acid and B6 panthothenic acid are also found.

Bacillus spps are most prevalent followed by Gram -variable pleomorphic bacteria. Mould, Actinomycetes, Gram-negative rods (probably of Enterobacteriaceae) and yeast have also been isolated while Streptomycesspp were recovered from one larva. This microbial load compares favourably with the intestinal microflora of adult honeybees, which is dominated by Gram variable pleomorphic bacteria of uncertain taxonomic status, Bacillus spp, Enterobacteriaceae, Penicillium spp., Aspergillus spp., and sometimes frequentlyTorulopsis spp. Pollen may be the original source of microbes in the intestines of honeybees. It has been suggested that flowers and hives are more important sources of microbes than the soil24. Aerobic spore forming Bacillus were the most frequently encountered microbes on the external surface, crop and intestine of the honey bees.

The intestine of bees has been found to contain 1% yeast, 27% Gram-positive bacteria including Bacillus, Bacteridium, Streptococcus and Clostridium spp; 70% Gram negative or Gram variable bacteria includingAchromobacter, Citrobacter, Enterobacter, Erwinia, Escherichia coli, Flavobacterium, Klebsiella, Proteus,and Pseudomonas26. The primary sources of sugar tolerant yeast are flowers and soil.

Secondary sources of microbial contamination in honey are human, equipments, containers, wind, dust e.t.c. Yeasts have been recovered from equipments in honey houses; contaminated equipments can introduce yeast into clean honey. Possible routes of transmission into extracted honey would include air (in the house or while the honey was packed), food handlers (from skin infections, sneezing or faecal contamination). Microorganisms found in honey have been identified) . They include bacteria, yeasts and moulds (table 1). Most bacteria and other microbes cannot grow or reproduce in honey i.e. they are dormant and this is due to antibacterial activity of honey. Various bacteria have been inoculated into aseptically collected honey held at 20°C. The result showed loss of bacterial viability within 8–24 days 27. It is only the spore forming microorganisms that can survive in honey at low temperature. The spore count remained the same 4 months after. Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringes and Clostridium botulinium spores were inoculated into honey and stored at 25°C. The Clostridium botulinum population did not change over a year at 4°C. At 65°C however, no spore were found after 5 days of storage. It has been observed that if honey is diluted with water, it supports the growth of non-pathogenic bacterial strains and killing of dangerous strains22. Solution of less than 50% honey in water sustained bacterial life for longer periods but never exceeding 40days. It has therefore been concluded that the probability of honey acting as a carrier of typhoid fever, dysentery and various diarrhoea infections is very slight.

Source ;Honey: a reservoir for microorganisms and an inhibitory agent for microbes Peter B Olaitan, Olufemi E Adeleke, and Iyabo O Ola ,Afr Health Sci. 2007 Sep; 7(3): 159–165.

Thank you for detailed reply. Interesting facts revealed here. The intestine of bees has been found to contain 1% yeast, 27% Gram-positive bacteria including Bacillus, Bacteridium, Streptococcus and Clostridium spp; 70% Gram negative or Gram variable bacteria including Achromobacter, Citrobacter, Enterobacter, Erwinia, Escherichia coli, Flavobacterium, Klebsiella, Proteus,and Pseudomonas26. The primary sources of sugar tolerant yeast are flowers and soil.

I wanted to mention of an interesting innovation here, which allows to extract honey on a need basis, without destroying the hive. See here-

https://www.honeyflow.com/

Thank you Dr. Mishra. Interesting paper you attached. No doubt there has to be better way. Stresse is needed on the introduction of a strict monitoring system and validation of acceptable minimal concentrations of pollutants or identifying maximum residue limits for bee products, in particular, honey.

 What infrastructure is needed for producing genetically superior queen bee for supply to beekeepers? What is methodology for nucleous and breeder stock production in honey bees?

Dear Abhishek, thank you for information attached here, i am administrator of National Bee Board of the country. Let me update you, you have given old data.

1. Country production is 89000 metric ton, per hive productivity is 20 kg/hive. Even many of our beekeepers are harvesting 40-50kg honey per hive

2. Country has started production of bee pollen and propolis. But we have yet to start royal jelly production.

3. Last year I proposed to Govt for establishment of Integrated Bee Development Centers, my proposal was accepted and 4 IBDC commissioned and 8 are in final stage of approval, lying with me for review.

4. I have proposed Government of India for launching National Bee Mission, my plan has been approved in principle. NBM complete program I shall submit on 10 Nov, with budget provision of 1500 crores for 5 years for promotion of bee keeping in the country.

I appreciate you for good input which you have given here.

Yes honeybees are important indicators of radio nuclide and USA is effectively using this technique. The primary concerns involve determining which methods are best to monitor these contaminants and how to analyze the influences these contaminants have on biological systems. How might we integrate sampling of both biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem?

Propolis a high value compound possesses antimicrobial activity. But high collection procedure is needed to be standardized for high recovery of propolis.

World database for production of honey and other beehive products and countries is lacking.

Good points abhishek, you have also raised a right question that what can we do to create sustainable conditions for agriculture and apiculture to coexist and to benefit from each other?

Valuable response from Vaibhvi, but I clarify here that in addition to forests, now planned bee keeping is also happening. In the total production of 90000 metric ton of honey in India, 10-15% contribution is from forests.  The only plus point is that honey from forests will be organic.

Dr Malhotra and other learned colleagues, beekeeping is an art of science . There are certain misconceptions about beekeeping , which could be easily elaborated as : natural environment for beekeeping is necessary, colonies survive in blissful state in nature, bees prefer chemical free environment , how to identify most effective hive where bees have to be preferably kept, natural beekeeping is new, can we take natural beekeeping as one form of husbandry..?

I invite your views about misconceptions concerning beekeeping, however , there could be many more ..?

Rightly mentioned by Dr. Anoop we need to have efficient bees. But it has not been thought for nucleus and breeder stock production of efficient colonies for high pollination and collection of pollens and nector. Just like breeder seed in crops, we need to produce breeder stock of most efficient colonies.

Interesting response Dr Malhotra. If we need to identify efficient bees , we need to have a good insect taxonomist to have such studies exercised through sound database on these issues..

Good information and suggestions regarding quality. We really need fool proof system.

Interesting discussion still on...

Plant–pollinator interactions are typically very general, with many pollinators being rewarded with pollen, nectar, or other resources from several plant species , and with most angiosperms being pollinated by multiple insect species . Humans benefit from this generalized nature of pollination systems, as exotic crops brought far from their ancestral ranges can find effective pollinators within native insect assemblages . Accordingly, a synthesis of 600 fields from 41 crop systems showed that only two of the 68 most frequent pollinators globally were specialist species: the weevil Elaeidobius kamerunicus pollinating oil palm and the squash-bee Peponapis pruinosa pollinating pumpkin

Recent evidence highlights the value of wild-insect species richness and abundance for crop pollination worldwide. Yet, deliberate physical importation of single species (eg European honey bees) into crop fields for pollination

remains the mainstream management approach, and implementation of  practices to enhance crop yield (production per area) through wild insects is only just beginning. With few exceptions, studies measuring the impacts of pollinator-supporting practices on wild-insect richness and pollination service success – particularly in relation to long-term crop yield and economic profit – are rare. Here, we provide a general framework and examples of approaches for enhancing pollinator richness and abundance, quantity and quality of pollen on stigmas, crop yield, and farmers’ profit, including some benefits detected only through long-term monitoring. Integrating the promotion of wild-insect species richness with single-species management to benefit farmers and society will be more prudent . Source : Front Ecol Environ 2014; 12(8): 439–447, doi:10.1890/130330  

PDF enclosed for further reading...

Wild insects are more efficient for pollination rather than honey bees.

Why dont we stress on using wild insects as crop pollinators instead of relying so heavily on honeybees, is it the income gained through  honey that lures the farmers towards beekeeping..?

We really need to intensify bee keeping for pollination purpose for enhancement of crop yield. Custom hiring centers for “renting” honeybee hives for the crop flowering season to maintain productivity is the need of the time.

We also need to explore those kinds of pollinators which have wide host range , which would be better for sustainance of their diversity . Good point Abhishek has raised , what could be the minimum population level of bees , we need to maintain in a given cropping system , or in perennial orchards , where pollinators are more important..?

Some interesting facts Abhishek . It will be more interesting to look at the potential threats that we incur inadvertantly  to the population as well diversity of the honey bees due to indiscriminate use of herbicides/insecticides/fungicides/chemical fertlizers ..? While other side of the coin is , you cant stay away from these uses , so to strike  a balance in such a way that pollinators find their safe heaven amidst all these modern cultural practices.Unfortunately , very little is available to flash on these issues...

Abhishek, thanks for most valuable attachment file with inside task force recommendation. I have downloaded the report. For few of suggestions, i have already initiated action such as we have worked out economics of bee keeping. Now I have planned for survey of bee colonies and beekeepers. Many more things are to be done. But it is amazing to learn that pollinator conservation is a shared national responsibility

Interesting lieterature to read...

Being with Bees: An Anthropological Study on Human-Animal Relations in Southern Beekeeping

Publication you attached is a unique study on human insect relationship and communication. This all is based on a survey study involving beekeepers as respondents. 

Interesting question Vaibhvi...here goes my response...

Honey: a reservoir for microorganisms and an inhibitory agent for microbes

Microorganisms that survive in honey are those that withstand the concentrated sugar, acidity and other antimicrobial characters of honey. The primary sources of microbial contamination are likely to include pollen, the digestive tracts of honeybees, dirt, dust, air and flowers.

Microbes found in honeycomb are principally bacteria and yeast and come from the bees, the raw materials (nectar) or from external sources. Larvae may be sterile initially but they are fed nectar and pollen by workers and therefore subject to inoculation by the nectar, pollen and workers flora before pupation. It  has observed that Bacillus, Micrococcus and Saccharomyces species could be readily isolated from honeycombs and adult bees. A number of microbial species have been isolated from the faeces of bee larvae.

Bacillus spps are most prevalent followed by Gram -variable pleomorphic bacteria. Mould, Actinomycetes, Gram-negative rods (probably of Enterobacteriaceae) and yeast have also been isolated while Streptomyces spp were recovered from one larva. This microbial load compares favourably with the intestinal microflora of adult honeybees, which is dominated by Gram variable pleomorphic bacteria of uncertain taxonomic status, Bacillus spp, Enterobacteriaceae, Penicillium spp., Aspergillus spp., and sometimes frequently Torulopsis spp23. Pollen may be the original source of microbes in the intestines of honeybees. It has been suggested that flowers and hives are more important sources of microbes than the soil. Aerobic spore forming Bacillus were the most frequently encountered microbes on the external surface, crop and intestine of the honey bees.

The intestine of bees has been found to contain 1% yeast, 27% Gram-positive bacteria including Bacillus, Bacteridium, Streptococcus and Clostridium spp; 70% Gram negative or Gram variable bacteria including Achromobacter, Citrobacter, Enterobacter, Erwinia, Escherichia coli, Flavobacterium, Klebsiella, Proteus, and Pseudomonas26. The primary sources of sugar tolerant yeast are flowers and soil.Source : Olaitan et al ,Afr Health Sci. 2007 Sep; 7(3): 159–165.

Interesting information on honey.

Please find  my(our)  papers on nectar chemistry for more info.

I may add you refer my BOOk on Nectary Biology:Structure,Function and  Utilization.Edited by me1998 published by Dattson Publishers,Nagpur,India.The book contains 16  well writen athorities from  all over the world.1998. ISBN 81-7117-151-6

Farmers have started complaining about the ill effect of GM crops on bee keeping. Farmers feed back is that most of GM varieties and hybrids of mustard, rapeseed, sunflower, cotton, etc. produce less nectar and pollen. There is no scientific evidence with me at this time, we need to observe minutely. 

Good points abhishek, climate change from ever increasing carbon dioxide emissions and other gasses, unsustainable agricultural practices, monocultures, heavily sprayed with pesticides, and bee diseases and plagues are the issues. It is also true that large part of honey comes from developing countries. India exports about 52000 MT honey every year. But focus is needed on other beehive products also.

Happy to join such a wonderful discussion ..some really interesting responses emerged from our learned colleagues...

Pollination is the transfer of pollen grains, the male sex cells of a flower, from the anther where they are produced to the receptive surface, or stigma, of the female organ of a flower. Since the honey bee is the most important insect that transfers pollen between flowers and between plants, the word "pollination" is often used to describe the service of providing bees to pollinate crop plants. This service is now more important than ever in the Midwest because the acreage of insectpollinated crops is large as compared with the number of all kinds of bees (honey bees, humble bees, and solitary bees) that are available to provide pollination. In many states the estimated number of colonies (hives) of bees has dropped drastically in recent years. For example, in Illinois the estimated number of hives dropped from 101,000 in 1964 to 46,000 in 1984. These two figures are probably much more accurate than some of the older, larger estimates that may have reflected state pride more than reality. Because of the reduction in numbers of bees, growers in any state can no longer assume that there are sufficient numbers of bees nearby to produce the best possible crop from insectpollinated plants.Honey bees are good pollinators for many reasons. Their hairy bodies trap pollen and carry it between flowers. The bees require large quantities of nectar and pollen to rear their young, and they visit flowers regularly in large numbers to obtain these foods. In doing so, they concentrate on one species of plant at a time and serve as good pollinators for this reason. Their body size enables them to pollinate flowers of many different shapes and sizes. The pollination potential of the bees is increased because they can be managed to develop high populations. The number of colonies can also be increased as needed and the colonies can be moved to the most desirable location for pollination purposes.

Honey bees are most active at temperatures between 60 degrees F. (16 degrees C.) and 105 degrees F. (41 degrees C.). Winds above 15 miles per hour reduce their activity and stop it completely at about 25 miles per hour. When conditions for flight are not ideal, honey bees work close to their colonies. Although they may fly as far as 5 miles in search of food, they usually go no farther than 1 to 1-1/2 miles in good weather. In unfavorable weather, bees may visit only those plants nearest the hive. They also tend to work closer to the hive in areas where there are large numbers of attractive plants in bloom.

The number of standard colonies that are needed per acre of crop plants varies in relation to the attractiveness of the crop, the competition from surrounding sources of nectar and pollen, and the percentage of flowers that must produce fruit or seed to provide an economic return. Most crops are adequately pollinated by one strong hive of bees per acre. However, red clover grown for seed should have two or more colonies per acre moved to the field as soon as it begins to bloom. Alfalfa requires three to five colonies per acre. Hybrid cumumbers grown at plant populations of 40,000 to 70,000 or more plants per acre for machine harvest may require up to four hives per acre. The higher number of hives may be needed where other cultivated plants or weeds compete strongly for the attention of the bees....

find a very good study..Dr Malhotra..

BEING WITH BEES: AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL STUDY OF HUMAN-ANIMAL

RELATIONS IN SOUTHERN BEEKEEPING

The interrelationship between communication and interaction, as well as diverse ways in which messages and cues manifest in the bee yard are explored through olfactory, optical, touch, and mechanical modalities. Variables, including attire, smoke, movement, veils, and gloves. This magnifies the ways that these factors may impact the delivery of messages central to the delivery of successful interspecies communication. Literature that helps elucidate the communication and interactions between beekeepers and honey bees is currently limited; however the importance of probing into these issues cannot be denied. If beekeepers can successfully learn to understand the messages of honey bee “language,” they can improve the management and the overall well-being of their beehives...

PDF enclosed for further reading....

Managing living insects needs due care at all fronts. Correct Dr. Anoop, bu virtue of experience if we could read the language of bees and use information in efficient management will ease many things

The amazing organisation of their colonies, the differentiation & co-ordination of their activities, their capacity for reacting collectively to unforeseen circumstances, lead us to suppose that they are capable of exchanging real messages. The attention of observers has been drawn particularly to the way in which the bees are informed when one of them has discovered a source of food. Bees are the best and efficient communicators.

Excellent response from Abhishek  reminds me that we have a lot learn from such a deep rooted social fabrics of honeybees , so disciplined and  organised in their day-to-day functioning . Waggle Dance is one classical example..well said Abhishek..