59-05-032 Proceeding

386 Proceedings of the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Congress 4. Literature indicates that Apis cerana exhibits a great deal of ‘plasticity’ in its biology and ecology across its geographical range (Carr 2011). 5. Apis cerana can tolerate the local disease and mites quite well. 6. Apis cerana shows greater hygienic behaviormaking itmore disease resistant and enable it to coexist with the Varroa mites (Anderson and Trueman 2000). 7. Apis cerana can naturally live in humanmad structures where available to thempossibly due to their smaller sizes and small hives. 8. Apis cerana has been described as docile, mild, tolerant and timid with a gentle temperament and relatively low stinging tendency. However, it does sting when cornered or disturbed. 9. It is a cavity-nesting honeybee that nests in all habitats (including rainforest as well as highly disturbed areas such as human settlements) except where it co-occurs with another cavity- nesting honeybee species. In those areas it prefers disturbed habitats. 10. Apis cerana forages mostly within one or two kilometres of the hive. 11. Apis cerana builds multiple parallel combs in a wide variety of available cavities, including, for example, tree or palm hollows, rock crevices, and house wall cavities. 12. Apis cerana does not invade and can cohabit with other species, though at times it was reported that they might steal honey from other species but it was found they even feed other species like Apis mellifera who came into their hives. 13. Considered excellent crop pollinator in Asia whether it is of the wild, native flora, lowland, rainforest or any other kinds of plants and flowers (Agrawal 2014). 14. Can be very profitable as in the case of Fujio Hasashi in Japan (BDJ 2012). 15. Bees are friendly, can be domesticated and do not sting friends (Koetz 2013).Theymake friends with humans and want to communicate. 16. It is said Apis cerana has a language that one can learn if you live with them for a time. Fujio Hashashi of Japan mentions he understands around 20 expressions of Apis cerana ’s. He also states that Apis mellifera also has a language, but he understands only 10 expressions in their vocabulary. This understanding makes it a safe operation and he never has got a bee sting. (op. cit. 2012) 17. Asian bees are quiet. They fly in and out without disturbing anyone. If a bee has a problem it will make some buzzing noises for the beekeeper or come around the shoulders and make the buzzing for the keeper and its sisters to hear. The Disadvantages 1. Not producing as much honey as Apis mellifera (Somerville 2011). 2. More swarming. The Asian Honey Bees spread through swarming and absconding. They can produce up to 10 swarms per year and might travel up to 10 kilometers from the original colony. Tropical Apis cerana absconds and swarms more readily, due to the year-round favorable