Traditional beekeeping of stingless bee (<i style="">Trigona</i> sp) by <i style="">Kani</i> tribes of Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

In India honey bees like <i style="">Apis cerana </i>and <i style="">Apis mellifera</i> are reared for commercial purpose. The other bees like rock bee (<i style="">Apis dorsata</i>), little bee (<i style="">Apis florea</i>) and dammer bee (<i style="">Trigona sp</i>) are not domesticated because of their ecophysiology. However, the <i style="">kani</i> tribes living in Karayar area of Kalakad- Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve area (KMTR) of Western Ghats have developed a novel method of rearing the dammer bees. The objective of the study is to understand the traditional skill of <i style="">Kani </i>tribes to rear the stingless bee (<i style="">Trigona</i> sp.) which was not used for regular bee keeping. The present study also gives importance to evolve commercial strategies to get honey (medicinal honey) from <i style="">Trigona </i>sp. The findings of the present study will help to preserve the art of rearing stingless bees and to introduce modern techniques to harvest pure, clean and uncontaminated honey by suitable modifications in the indigenous practice of stingless bee rearing. The honey produced by dammer bees is a panacea for much human illness. The <i style="">Kani</i> tribes have developed a bamboo pole bee hive to keep this stingless bee belonged to the species <i style="">Trigona irredipensis</i>. The dammer bees build an interesting type of comb made of propolis, mud and about 600-700gm honey is collected per year per hive. Because of rich medicinal value the honey collected from this beehive is sold at a rate of Rs.1000/Kg.