Beekeeping is part of animal husbandry under PGS-India, with bee-specific rules on top. This episode covers hive materials, where the apiary may stand, the conversion period, feeding and health care, and harvesting honey.
The short version
- Apiaries within 3 km of the organic farms, and at least 5 m from a public path.
- Reared colonies: 1 year of conversion; wild bees: none.
- No artificial feeding, except organic honey or sugar in dearth.
- No veterinary medicines or antibiotics; smoke only, never excessive.
Hive Construction and Materials
Untreated wood, natural materials, organic wax, and queens from organic apiaries.
- Apiary boxes must be made from untreated wood and not exposed to prohibited substances.
- Hives must be made of natural material, so they don't contaminate the environment or the apiculture products.
- Bee wax for new foundations must come from organic production units.
- Only natural products — propolis, wax and plant oils — may be used in the hives.
- Queen bees are to be sourced from organic apiaries.
Where the Apiary May Stand
Within 3 km of the organic farms, near water and flora, at least 5 m from a public path.
Apiaries must be placed within a radius of 3 km from the organic farms. That condition does not apply when the farms are not in flowering stage, or when the hives are dormant — the rule exists to control what the bees actually forage on.
Beyond the radius, the siting rules are practical: as close as possible to clean water and bee flora; protected from wind, direct sun, severe heat and cold, rain, wild animals, ants and termites, and from pollution such as insecticides, toxic fumes or poisonous chemicals. An apiary must not be in an unclean area or where bees would cause public nuisance, and must be at least 5 m from a public path or highway.
Colony numbers are capped by forage, not by a fixed figure: the number of colonies in an apiary must be limited to what the forage within the same flight range can support, to avoid overstocking.
The Conversion Period
One year for reared colonies, kept isolated on organic wax comb; none for wild bees.
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During conversion, the colonies must be kept in isolation and the foundation comb made from organic wax.
Feeding and Health Care
Organic honey or sugar only in dearth; no veterinary medicines; a short list of permitted treatments.
Artificial feeding is not allowed. The exception is narrow: in dearth or adverse climatic conditions, bees may be fed organic honey or organic sugar for a limited period.
Veterinary medicines and antibiotics must not be used in beekeeping at all, and no repellents made of prohibited substances may be used when working the bees. For pest and disease control and hive disinfection the standard permits a specific list: caustic soda, lactic, oxalic, acetic and formic acids, sulphur, etheric oils, and Bacillus thuringiensis.
Harvesting the Honey
Extract only sealed combs, never brood combs; smoke is the only repellent allowed.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| When to extract | Only when the combs are sealed by the bees |
| Never extract from | Brood combs |
| After the flow | Clear empty combs of bees; store in supers in a cool, dry, rat-proof enclosure with suitable preservatives against wax moth and other pests |
| Repellents at harvest | Chemical synthetic repellents prohibited — smoke is the only exception |
| Smoke | Never excessive — it taints the flavour of honey or otherwise spoils it |
Migration is allowed: where forage runs out, colonies may be moved to the nearest organic forage from farms or forests, individually or collectively. What matters for certification is that the destination forage is organic — moving hives onto conventional crops defeats the 3 km rule.
Feed and veterinary rules for other livestock are in the 85%/80% feed episode.
Check yourself
Tap an answer to see whether you are right, and why.
How far may an organic apiary be from the organic farms it serves?
- Within 3 km
- Within 10 km
- Any distance
The rule controls what the bees forage on.
Can bees be given antibiotics?
- Yes
- No
- Only in winter
Veterinary medicines and antibiotics are not allowed in beekeeping.
Remember these things
- Natural hive materials.
- 3 km radius; 5 m from paths.
- 1 year conversion for reared colonies.
- No antibiotics; smoke only.
An apiary set up to these rules produces honey that can be certified. KrushiFlow validates these fields and submits farmer records to the portal in bulk.