Student Awareness Programme on Meliponiculture Organised

14 July 2025, Bengaluru

ICAR–National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, Bengaluru, organized a awareness programme on meliponiculture (stingless beekeeping) for 60 students from Vishwa Vidyapeeth, Yelahanka.

Dr. S.N. Sushil, Director, ICAR–NBAIR, highlighted the crucial role of bees in pollination and their importance as ecological indicators. He also briefed students on the Bureau’s mandate to conserve beneficial insect fauna for sustainable pest management.

Dr. K. Subaharan, Head, Division of Germplasm Conservation and Utilisation, introduced students to the concept of stingless bee domestication and encouraged setting up meliponaries as a hobby for producing high-value honey.

As part of the hands-on component, students visited the institute’s meliponiary and received practical training in handling stingless bee colonies. To encourage continued engagement, three bee boxes will be installed at the school, with students taking responsibility for their maintenance and care.

(Source: ICAR–National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, Bengaluru)