Traditional beekeeping in the Hilly districts of Himachal Pradesh in North Western Himalayas with Apiscerana

Beekeeping is a traditional practice which is being carried out since generations in the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh and it has been a backbone for the people of the state as it supports them socially, economically and ecologically. The objective of this study was to enquire and document about the traditional names, belief and technologies of beekeeping from most of the remote areas of Himachal Pradesh. Thus, participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) technique was used to gather the information regarding traditional practices. Beekeeping with Apiscerana was the common practice among the people, with log hives being predominant in Chamba and Kinnaur district while mud, wall and rectangular hives were predominant in the Shimla, Mandi and Sirmaur districts of Himachal Pradesh. Traditional hives were mostly preferred by the people in all the districts as compared to the modern ones as they are more capable in keeping the colony intact during the harsh winters in the Himalayan region. Although with such benefits in traditional beekeeping it is suffering a lot from the rampant growth which includes development of concrete jungles and lack of scientific know how in this Himalayan region.