Apiculture or Bee-keeping is the rearing of honey bees for the production of honey. It has been an age-old cottage industry. Honey is a food of high nutritive value and also finds use in the indigenous systems of medicine. Honeybee also produces beewax, which finds many uses in industry, such as in the Preparation of cosmetics and polishes of various kinds. The increases demand of honey has led to large scale bee-keeping practices. It has become an established income generating industry, whether practiced on a small or on a large scale.

Bee-keeping can be practiced in any area where there are sufficient bee postures of some wild shrubs, fruits orchards and cultivated crops. Apis indica is the most common species which is domesticated easily.

The following points are important for successful bee-keeping:

(a) Knowledge of the nature and habits of bees

(b) Selection of suitable location for keeping the beehives

(c) Catching and hiving of swarms (group of bees)

(d) Management of beehives during different seasons and

(e) Handling and collection of honey & beewax