Abstract

Honey bees (Apis spp.) are essential to ecosystems as pollinators of one-third of the world’s crops and producers of valuable products like honey, beeswax, and royal jelly. In India, beekeeping thrives due to diverse agro-climatic conditions, with Uttar Pradesh as a leading producer. Key honeybee species include Apis dorsata, Apis cerana indica, Apis florea, Apis mellifera, and stingless Melipona irridipennis. Honey bee products hold nutritional, medicinal, and industrial significance, but their populations are threatened by pests, pathogens, and environmental stressors. Common threats include wax moths, ants, mites, and viral, bacterial, and fungal diseases. Effective beekeeping management practices such as pest monitoring, hive hygiene, controlled breeding, and maintaining proper nutrition are essential to sustaining colonies and enabling bees to fulfill their ecological and economic roles. Promoting colony health and resilience is vital for ongoing honey production and agricultural pollination services.

Keywords:Pollination; Apiculture; Honey bee products; Pest management; Colony health