Syllabus
Theory: Marks - 75, Credit - 3, Hours - 35
Practical: Marks - 25, Credit - 1, Hours - 15
THEORY SYLLABUS
| Module | TOPICS | HOURS | TOTAL HOURS |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | Module -1: Introduction to Honey Bees and Apiculture Major types of economically important Honey Bees, • Identification (1) • General morphology (1) • Behavior - Colony life and social organization – Queen, Drone, worker (1) Bee keeping - Worldwide and in India • Traditional bee keeping, Modern beekeeping - Urban or backyard beekeeping (1) • Prospects of bee keeping in India as well as West Bengal • Apiculture development in India: institutions involved, role of Central Honey bee Research & Training Institute (1) |
5 | 5 |
| II | Module - 2: Bee Colony Management • Setting up an apiary site, Selecting and acquiring bee colonies, Installation of bee colonies in hives (2) • Seasonal management of bee colonies, Annual biological cycle of the bee colony (2) • Swarming and its control, Queen rearing and replacement, Feeding and watering techniques, Record keeping and colony inspection (2) |
6 | 6 |
| III | Module-3: Methods of Bee Keeping • Types of beehives (Langstroth, Newton, Top-bar) (2) • Hive tools and their uses, Smokers and handling smoke properly, Bee suits, gloves, and veils, Honey extractors and filters, Queen excluders and drone traps, Frame wiring and embedding tools, Tools for wax processing (2) • Equipment maintenance and hygiene (1) |
5 | 5 |
| IV | Module-4: Diseases, enemies and threats of Bee; their control and prevention • Honey Bee Diseases- Bacterial, viral, fungal and protozoan diseases; Mites attacking honeybees (2) • Enemies - Wax Moth, Ants, Wasps, Microbes, Pests; Diagnosis and identification (2) • Threats- agricultural practices and habitat modifications (2) • Integrated pest management (IPM) in apiculture (1) |
7 | 7 |
| V | Module-5: Bee flora and floral calendar • Qualities of Good Bee Flora, understanding floral sources and nectar plants by region, seasonal floral availability and mapping, cultivated crops and wild flora for beekeeping (2) • Bee foraging behavior and distances (1) • Migratory beekeeping practices, Honey flow periods and site shifting, designing floral Calendar (2) • Congenial conditions for setting up of apiculture –flora planning, intercropping to enhance bee forage; Managing bee colonies during dearth periods (2) |
7 | 7 |
| VI | Module - 6: Bee pollination and Crop yield • Bee as pollinators (1) • Crop improvement: Quality and yield through honeybee pollination, Role of bee in global food security (1) |
2 | 2 |
| VII | Module -7: Economics of Bee Keeping • Economic value of commercial bee keeping, Products of Apiculture industry and its uses (1) • Types of value added honey products (1) • Funding sources for beekeeping projects (1) |
3 | 3 |
| TOTAL HOURS FOR THEORY | 35 | ||
PRACTICAL SYLLABUS
| Topic | No Topics | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Study and Identification of different life stages of Honey bees | 1 | 2 |
| Identification of different castes of Honey bees | 1 | 1 |
| Identification of different species of Honey bees and non-hive forming bees | 1 | 1 |
| Demonstration of handling of bee hives | 1 | 1 |
| Identification of queen cells, drone cells & brood cells of bee hive | 1 | 1 |
| Demonstration of different equipments used in bee keeping | 1 | 3 |
| Demonstration of different parts of modern bee hive (Langstroth & Newton box) | 1 | 2 |
| Demonstration of sugar feeding of colonies during floral dearth period | 1 | 1 |
| Demonstration of steps for strengthening of colonies – Requeening technique | 1 | 2 |
| Demonstration of steps needed for Apiculture initiation in West Bengal | 1 | 1 |
| TOTAL HOURS FOR PRACTICAL | 15 |
Mode of Teaching – Hybrid (Inclusive of online and offline classes)
Full Marks of Evaluation = 100