Contents

PART ONE GENERAL INFORMATION ON STINGLESS BEES

Introduction 2

Chapter 1: The Biology of Stingless Bees 5

1.1 Ecology 5

1.2 Nesting Sites and Nesting Materials 8

1.3 Life Cycle and Reproduction 9

1.4 Swarming (Colony Reproduction) 12

1.5 Colony Behaviour 13

Chapter 2: Economic Importance of Stingless Bees 18

2.1 Pollination 18

2.2 Hive Products 20

2.3 Aesthetic Value 22

2.4 Research and Training 23

2.5 Tourism 24

Chapter 3: Culturing of Stingless Bees 25

3.1 Equipment for Culturing 25

3.2 Identification of Wild Nests 27

3.3 Collection of Wild Nests 30

3.4 Colony Transfer into Bee hives and nest placement 35

3.5 Colony multiplication 38

3.6 Management 41

3.7 Harvesting of Hive Products 43

Chapter 4: Product Development, Marketing and Value Addition

4.1 Product Processing, Utilisation and Value Addition 48

4.2 Marketing of hive products 49

PART TWO THE PRACTICE OF STINGLESS BEEKEEPING

Chapter 5: Wild Nests of Stingless Bees 52

5.1 Locating wild nests 52

5.2 Characteristics of Nests and Nest entrances 53

5.3 Capturing and Collection of Wild Nests 53

5.4 Transporting 55

5.5 Relocating 55

Chapter 6: Keeping Stingless Bees 56

6.1 Types and designs of hives 56

6.2 Transfer into hives 57

6.3 Establishing Sites for Hives 58

6.4 Taking Care of the Sites 59

Chapter 7: Hive Products of Stingless Bees 60

7.1 Types of products 60

7.2 Product harvesting 61

7.3 Processing, packaging and storage 61

7.4 Marketing 62

7.5 Value addition 63

Chapter 8: Pollination Service by Stingless Bees 64

8.1 Use of Permanent hives for Pollination 64

8.2 Use of Mobile hives for Pollination 65

8.3 Use of Trap Nests for Pollination 66

Chapter 9: Aesthetic Value of Stingless Bees 67

9.1 Aesthetic Value 67

Chapter 10: Conclusion 68

10.1 Conservation of Stingless Bees 68

10.2 Public contribution towards conservation of stingless bees. 68

Index 70