Nesting attributes of dwarf bee, Apis florea Fabricius in Himachal Pradesh

Honeybees are known to pollinate almost all crops of agricultural importance. Different species of honeybees are available throughout the world. Apis florea is among one of them which is found wild in nature and pollinates both wild and cultivated flora. In India other species viz A mellifera and A cerana are widely studied and distributed while in case of A florea very little knowledge is available. Hence present studies were conducted for locating nesting places of this pollinator. Four districts  viz Solan, Sirmour, Kangra and Una of Himachal Pradesh were selected to search for the nesting sites. A florea colonies were found in Nalagarh and Paonta areas while no A florea activity was recorded in Una and Kangra. Most of the nests of A florea were located at a minimum distance of 30 m apart from each other. They were found in bushes of duranta, cariosa, lantana and in the piles of firewood. The biggest nest was 27.0 x 17.0 cm with 23.0 cm base while smallest was 14.0 x 10.0 cm with 13.0 cm base. The nests were 40-100 cm above the ground. The colonies were found throughout the year in this region and swarming was recorded during February-March. Farmer awareness camps were also arranged for the conservation of this pollinator.