Species File: Exploring India’s biodiversity, one species at a time.
Found across forests, grasslands, agricultural fields and urban areas, honey bees (Apis spp.) are insects known for producing honey and beeswax. They collect the nectar of flowers and store it in wax combs as a food source to feed immature larvae and adults during winter.
In India, domesticated honey bee species include the Indian hive bee (Apis cerana indica) and the European bee (Apis mellifera). Wild species include the rock bee (Apis dorsata) and little bees (Apis florea). As key pollinators, honey bees play a crucial role in fertilising flowering plants, supporting biodiversity, and enhancing horticulture and agricultural yields. Data from 2023, shows that honeybees alone contribute to approximately 20% of total crop yield in India.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), while not all species of honey bees have been assessed, pollinators globally are in decline due to environmental threats. In India, honey bees are not listed under a specific schedule of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, but are recognised for their ecological and economic importance.
Globally, various studies have linked climate change to potential population decline in bees. One study describes how a mismatch between flowering time due to global warming and bees’ activity led to fitness losses in the insect. In addition, bees are also facing the consequences of urbanisation, including pesticide exposure and habitat loss.
In an earlier story that Mongabay-India published in 2020, K Lakshmi Rao, assistant director, Central Bee Research and Training Institute, Pune, said, “Habitat loss and the lack of flowering trees in cities are huge issues. Sound, air, and light pollution also stress the bees.”
To reduce ecological stress faced by honey bees, and support pollination, India is building bee corridors along highways. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced a first-of-its-kind initiative to develop pollinator or bee corridors along its stretches, comprising flowering trees and plants to ensure availability of nectar and pollen throughout the year.
Curious to learn more about honey bees? Explore our stories on migratory beekeeping in Assam and the role of stingless bees in pollination.
Banner image: Apis dorsata. Image by Arpit K. Gaur via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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