Bee Foraging Activity with Indian Honeybee Apiscerenaindica Fab., Apidae: Hymenoptera and Bee Colony Management during Various Seasons

This chapter presents a review on foraging activity including; the regulation of foraging tasks, factors impacting this behaviour, foraging preference, variations between subspecies, monitoring methods as well as the possible methods for controlling this behaviour. In a communal nest or colony, honeybees coexist in a large family and collaborate admirably to ensure their survival. They are dependent on one another to survive. In addition to producing honey for their immediate consumption, their objective is to lay down stores to last them through periods of scarcity, such as the winter. Foraging behaviour is one of the distinctive behaviours of honey bees, honeybee species. This behaviour is the link between the honey bee colony and the ambient environment. Therefore, various in-colony and out-colony factors have an impact on this behaviour, and many studies have been employed to investigate these factors. Foraging behaviour is not advantageous only for the colony and for plant pollination but also has other benefits. In contrast, some disadvantages have also been discovered to be linked with foraging activity. Practically speaking, the control over this behaviour is very important to maximize colony products as well as to increase other agricultural benefits. As concluded from this review, more work needs to be performed in order to elucidate certain aspects of foraging behaviour.