Types of Honey Bees and Their Products.
Do you know where your honey comes from? Correct, they come from bees, honey bees to be precise. Bees are honey-producing insects that belong to the Apis genus.
Other than honey, bees also produce bee pollen, royal jelly, propolis, beeswax, and venom.
There are several types of honey bees; however only a few can be cultivated.
In Indonesia, people traditionally harvest honey from the forest. Only after the 19th century, precisely in 1841, Rijkeus, a Dutch national, introduced honey bee cultivation.
At present, there are at least four types of bees whose honey is often traded, both harvested from the forest and cultivated.
Types of honey bees
On the market, there are various kinds of honey, ranging from forest honey, wild honey, hyacinth honey, and others.
Of the many types of honey, most of them are only produced by a few types of bees.
Honey that are found in Indonesia come from the following types of honey bees:
1. Apis cerana
Apis cerana can be found in Asia, including in Indonesia, Afghanistan, China and Japan. Apis cerana can be cultivated both traditionally and in a modern way inside a portable box. In a single box, we can harvest Apis cerana honeys three times per year, with a total of 2-5 kg per harvest.When compared with other types of cultivated honey bees, such as Apis mellifera, these bees are considered less productive. In addition, Apis cerana is considered to have a slightly destructive nature; therefore the cultivation is relatively more difficult.
2. Apis dorsata
This type of honey bee is only found in the subtropical and tropical forests of Asia, including in Indonesia. Until today, Apis dorsata has not been able to be cultivated. Honey produced by Apis dorsata is still taken from the forest; therefore it is often referred to as forest honey.Apis dorsata body is bigger in size than other types of bees. Its poison sting is also more painful than the other. These bees usually make a single nest, hanging on tree branches or cliffs. It is estimated that in a single colony, they can produce 15-25 kg of honey per year.
There is a concern that the hunting for forest honey will threaten the existence of Apis dorsata. To address this problem, several parties are trying to harvest forest honey sustainably.
We do this by applying partial harvesting techniques. During harvesting process, only some of the honeycomb is harvested, so that the bee colony can develop the hive in the future.
In Indonesia, sustainable harvesting of forest honey is constrained by the level of education of honey hunters. Due to economic pressure, hunters often harvest the whole nest so that the sustainability of the colony is threatened. Therefore we need a collaborative effort between hunters and consumers to solve this problem.
3. Apis florea
Apis florea can be found in Indonesia, Oman, Iran, and India. Apis florea is another type of wild bees that are not normally cultivated. People in Indonesia often refer to them as wasps. Apis florea can live and coexist with Apis dorsata, Apis melleifera and Apis cerana.The honey productivity is relatively small, only around 1-3 kg per colony per year. In the market, products of the Apis florea type are known as hyacinth honey.
4. Apis mellifera
Apis mellifera is the favorite of beekeepers. Their honey production is very high. One colony can produce 35-40 kg of honey per year. Apis mellifera is believed to be originated from Europe, either from Italy, Greece or France. These bees have a good adaptability to various types of climate.Apis mellifera was introduced to Indonesia by the Dutch in 1841 and continues to be cultivated until today.
Currently there are several popular types of Apis mellifera that are cultivated, i.e.:
Apis mellifera melliferaApis mellifera mellifera come from the Netherlands and are considered as a nomandic bees who like to move from place to place. Their body color is dark and they can yield a medium amount of honey.
Apis mellifera lingustica
Apis mellifera lingustica come from Italy. In terms of honey productivity, this bee is the number one producer of honey, both in quantity and quality.
We can identify the male bee from its brighter color and active movements.
Apis mellifera carnica
Apis mellifera carnica is quite famous in the United States. The characteristic of this bee is that it has a dark body color, except for its lightly colored belly. Apis mellifera carnica is a good producer of honey; however it has a habit of moving from places to places.
Apis mellifera caucasia
Apis mellifera caucasia come from the Caucasian region, Russia. The color of the body is dark to yellow and orange.
Apis mellifera lehzeni
These bees are widely cultivated in Northern Europe or the Skandiavia region. Its body color is brownish black.
Honey bee cultivation products:
1. Honey
Honey is a sweet liquid derived from the plant nectar. Honey is collected by worker bees and then processed into honey and finally stored in the hive cells. For bees, honey also functions as a food reserve. Honey contains a high energy source and is rich in nutrients.2. Bee Pollen
Bee pollen comes from flowers taken by bees by sticking it to their feet. For Bees, pollen is the main source of protein . Bee pollen is also beneficial for humans. The protein contained in bee pollen is very useful for repairing body cells that are damaged.Pollen is known to have 10 types of essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, minerals and vitamins. In addition, pollen also contains various types of alkaloids which are useful for cell metabolism and regeneration.
3. Royal jelly
Royal jelly is a thick liquid secreted by worker bees. Royal jelly is normaly used to feed bee larvae. Royal Jelly is very beneficial for humans. Royal jelly is normally consumed as a supplement to maintain body fitness and vitality.4. Propolis
Propolis is a kind of resin in the form of adhesive glue collected by bees from various plants. Bees use propolis to close gaps in nests, patch cracks, and narrow (or close) their inlets.The chemical composition of propolis is known to be quite complex, and it contains fragrances and minerals as well. Propolis is beneficial for humans because it contains antibiotics. Propolis is usually used as a raw material for medicines.
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