Coimbatore residents have been putting their backyards to good use … and no, we are not talking about just kitchen gardens. The braver of the lot are rearing honey bees in their gardens not only as a hobby but also as means to supplement their income.

M R Srinivasan, of the entomology department of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), said while many farmers attended the training programme conducted by them every month on beekeeping, the number of home makers and students taking part was, interestingly, on the rise. “This can be done anywhere as it does not require much investment or time. One needs some practice and should learn the basic nuances. We get entries from people from all walks of life,” he said.

While some women got interested in beekeeping out of curiosity, some wanted to produce honey in their homes. N Krishnaveni, a software engineer, said she found a beehive in her garden and became curious. “I wanted to learn the art of beekeeping. I was told that bees are best at cross pollination so I thought this would help increase the yield in the mango farm maintained by my family,” she said.

Like Krishnaveni, Saranya, an MBA student, wanted to get involved in beekeeping to increase the yield in her farm. But some women said they were aware of the benefits of pure honey and wanted to extract it on their own. “My husband is in the honey business and has a company in Bengaluru. But I want to rear them at home to extract honey for household purposes. I have already started learning the techniques,” said F Shabeena, a homemaker from Ukkadam.

Many women who already have terrace gardens and kitchen gardens are also rearing bees. K Jayanthi, 26, says she comes from an agricultural background and has always loved rearing bees. “I take part in various training camps conducted by TNAU and government to learn the techniques,” she said.

The women said they were not scared of the bees. “Unless we disturb the bees, they do not we disturb the bees, they do not attack. If right techniques are used, there is no danger at all,” said Krishnaveni.

An apiary expert, R Philip Sridhar said beekeeping was be coming popular as one just needs to give some time. “There are no maintenance costs involved. We need to check the chambers once a week at least to ensure the bee count is appropriate. One needs to check for the presence of eggs, honey and pollen storage. Moth attacks need to be prevented. Other techniques if learned, can not only make beekeeping fun but also yield commercial benefits to beekeepers,” said Sridhar.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Coimbatore / Komal Gautham / TNN / April 22nd, 2016