Context: Recent experiments by a team of Australian scientists show that bees can use “less than” and “greater than” to understand that zero means nothing and they placed zero correctly relative to other numbers; in particular, as less than one.

Bees understand the concept of zero

• Scientists demonstrated that bees could extrapolate the concept of ‘less than’ to order zero numerosity.
• In doing this, they showcased an understanding comparable to that of animals such as the African grey parrot, non-human primates, and even preschool children.

Outcomes of the Experiments 

• Training to grasp the concepts of “less” and “greater”:  In this experiment, they could successfully deduce that five was more than two or three. 
  • Moreover, they exhibited an understanding that zero “lies at the lower end of the numerical continuum.” 
• Identifying number zero as less than one: Bees that previously demonstrated an understanding of “less” when presented with numbers two to five were introduced to numbers one and zero, which they had not encountered before. 
  • Remarkably, the bees consistently chose zero as a lower number than one, a decision which is “challenging for some other animals.”
• Impact of Reward on Decision-Making Process: When presented with the choice between two and zero as potential answers to what is “less than” one, they selected zero only around half the time.
  • This indicates that the potential reward for choosing two, a choice consistently rewarded in the experiment, influenced the bees’ decision-making process.
• Assessing the Impact of Numerical Distance on Bee Behavior: The bees proficiently identified that zero was less than the other available numbers. 
  • However, their decision-making accuracy improved as the numerical gap widened. 
  • This observation indicates a significant impact of numerical distance on their ability to make accurate choices. 

About Bees and Beekeeping

• Bees are an important part of biodiversity, providing high-quality food—honey, royal jelly and pollen — and other products such as beeswax, propolis and honey bee venom.
• Beekeeping:  The rearing of honey bees for the synthesis of honey and bees wax by humans is called apiculture.

Significance of Beekeeping

• Pollination: Bees are crucial in pollinating around 85 per cent of all cultivated crops globally. 
• Tackling Climate Change: Through pollination, bees ensure continuous multiplication of the plants, which are responsible for the purification of the atmosphere by taking in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and releasing oxygen to it.
• Increasing Crop Productivity: Bee pollination leads to an increase in yields of various crops, for example, the productivity of mustard increased from 128.1% to 159.8%.

Statistics Related to Beekeeping in India

• About 12,699 Beekeepers and 19.34 lakh honey bee colonies are registered with the National Bee Board.
• Production: India produces about 1,33,200 Metric tonnes of Honey (2021-22  2nd advance estimate). 
• Export: India is one of the major honey exporting countries in the World and has exported 74,413 MT of Honey worth Rs. 1221.17 Crores during 2021-22. 
• The major markets for Indian honey are the USA, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, Canada, etc.  
• Major Honey-producing states in India: Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Bihar
• Honey Varieties: Mustard honey, eucalyptus honey, lychee honey, sunflower honey, Pongamia honey, multi-flora Himalayan honey, acacia honey and wild flora honey are some of the major varieties of honey exported from India. 
• Sweet Revolution: It focuses on the holistic development of beekeeping.
• National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM): It is a Central Sector Scheme for the overall promotion & development of scientific beekeeping and the production of quality honey & other beehive products.
  • It is implemented through the National Bee Board.

News Source: Live Mint