Question:
An Italian bee variety A melliftra has been introduced in India for honey production. Write about its merits over other varieties.
Solution:
There are three common species of honey bees in our country used for commercial production of honey.
These are
1. Apis cerana indica - Indian Bee
2. Apis dorsata - Rock Bee
3. Apis florae (A. florea) - Little Bee
To produce honey at commercial level, the Italian variety of honey bee \{Apis mellifera) is commonly used. This variety is domesticated in our country. It is preferred because
1. It is gentle in nature
2. It has good honey collection capacity
3. It has the ability to protect itself from enemies and
4. Less swarming.