Unlike the USA, limited to only one honeybee species, Nepal has extraordinary concentrations of honeybee diversity on Earth. Apis cerana was the only managed honeybee until 1990 and later in 1994, A. mellifera was imported. From cliff-hanging giant honey bees to tiny dwarf honey bees roaming in the wild, these versatile pollinators are the backbone of crop production and forests occupying half of Nepal’s area.

Five Species of Honeybees Found in Nepal

Different Species of Honeybees Found in Nepal

Only two species are domesticated in Nepal: Apis cerana and A. mellifera. A. cerana is native to Nepal since the beginning but its population had to face challenges like infestation by the Thai Sacbrood Virus (TSBV) and this is when solution was applied. A. mellifera was introduced from Europe to boost commercial production in the upcoming years.

The remaining three native wild honey bee species of Nepal: A. florea, A. dorsata, A. laboriosa are found across Nepal's varied terrain- from the scorching Terai plains at just 60 metres elevation to the roof of the world at over 8,000 metres. These five species occupy completely different ecological niches.

The upcoming sections of the blog comprehensively cover all the aspects related to these bees, including their distinct developed behavioral patterns and the unique adaptations they have acquired through evolution. Let’s have a look at each species:

1. Apis cerana

A. cerana is commonly known by the name Eastern honey bee. It is the native honey bees, endemic to Asia and can survive in a range of climates from the tropical regions to northern Himalayan areas. It needs the least management and has been a common choice of farmers here in Nepal. On average, it produces 4.5 kgs of honey annually per hive which is harvested twice in general.

Mainly, three subspecies have been recorded from Nepal:

A cerana cerana
A cerana himalaya
A cerana indica

Special Characteristics of Apis cerana

Type: Domesticated honey bees.
Colony size: 10,000 to 30,000 bees per hive.
Preferred habitat: They prefer to live in complex terrain naturally.
Hive Type: Traditional log or wall hives, modern setups, builds multiple parallel combs inside hives.
Hygienic traits: Hygienic traits are highly developed against mites, especially Varroa. They actively remove Varroa-infested broods.
Disease resistance: They have higher disease resistance than A. mellifera.
Absconding behavior: Stays in the hive till living conditions are favorable.
Special behavior: Forages in diverse climates, valued for its adaptability and resilience.
Other names: Asiatic honey bee or Asian honey bee

2. Apis mellifera

A. mellifera is an exotic honey bee species introduced in Nepal in the early 1990s as Apis cerana was being hugely destroyed by Thai Sacbrood Virus (TSBV). Its honey production is comparatively higher than A. cerana, 25 to 60 kg of honey is harvested annually from a single hive. This difference is mainly due to thousands more worker bees in a colony. If compared with A. cerana, intensive management and large investment are needed for these species making rural beekeepers adopt it in limited extent.

Special Characteristics of Apis mellifera

Type: Domesticated honey bees
Colony Size: 20,000 to 80,000 bees per hive
Preferred habitat: Known for highly developed adaptations in all tropical, temperate and arid climates.
Hive Type: Mostly, modern movable-frame hives are used such as Langstroth hives.
Hygienic traits: Their hygienic behaviors are super-developed. They can detect chemical odor signals generated from diseased, parasitized, or dead broods, which once spread in the colony, all the affected broods are cleared out.
Disease resistance: They are known to be more prone to diseases than Apis cerana, Varroa-sensitive but shows better resistance to Sacbrood virus.
Absconding behavior: Less chances of abandoning/ absconding the hive.
Special behavior: Stores large amounts of honey, waggle dance is the main form of communication.
Other names: European honey bee or Western honey bee.

3. Apis laboriosa

A. laboriosa is the largest honey bee in the world. It has been found in altitudes from 850 to up to 3500 metres. The honey produced by Himalayan giant honey bees is popularly known among natives as cliff honey and globally as mad honey. Made from the nectar of alpine and subalpine flowers, this honey is exclusive in itself. One hive has almost hundreds of litres of cliff honey in it.

Special Characteristics of Apis laboriosa

Type: Wild honey bees
Colony size: 60,000 to 100,000 bees per hive
Preferred habitat: Mountainous region
Hive Type: Single-comb hive
Hygienic traits: Isolates and permanently seals the compromised cells
Disease resistance: High baseline resistance to environmental adversity, pests and diseases due to wild lifestyle and genetic adaptation.
Absconding behavior: A survival strategy in adverse weather conditions, returns back to the high cliffs when temperature gets favorable.
Special behavior: Defensive behavior, Vertical migration.
Other names: Himalayan giant honey bee, cliff honey bee, Nepali name: Bhir Mauri

4. Apis dorsata

Apis dorsata is closely related to A. laboriosa in that both honey bee species live in the wild. A. dorsata lives can survive in a wide terrain, from the Southern lowlands to the Terai belts. They build open nests and bear similar defensive characteristics to survive in the exposed locations. They also produce significant amounts of honey, around 36 kg per hive per year.

Special Characteristics of Apis dorsata

Type: Wild honey bees
Colony size: 35,000 to 100,000 bees per hive
Preferred habitat: Dense forests, steep cliffs
Hive Type: Open, single-comb nests
Hygienic traits: Active grooming, does not uncap damaged or dead cells rather leaves heavily infested comb
Disease resistance: Highly developed to survive infestations in the exposed hives
Absconding behavior: Cyclic absconding between Terai and hills for foraging and which is typically stress-induced.
Special behavior: Aggressive defense mechanisms like mass attacks
Other names: Giant honey bee, Tropical giant honeybee, King bees, Nepali name: Khad Mauri/ Singkushe

5. Apis florea

Apis florea lives in the lower lowlands of Nepal, from 10m up to 1000m. It is a wild bee species building small combs on the tree branches or dense bushes. They build small combs but the population that shelter in carries an important role of pollinators of the local vegetation and agricultural crops in lowland ecosystems. One colony yields <1 kg of honey per year which is used by indigenous communities for medicinal purposes.

Special Characteristics of Apis florea

Type: Wild honey bees
Colony size: 3,000 to 10,000 bees per hive
Preferred habitat: Tropical and subtropical zones
Hive Type: Single, exposed vertical comb.
Hygienic traits: Dead brood removal, regular cleaning of nest surfaces.
Disease resistance: Resistant against Varroa mites.
Absconding behavior: Stays in the hive until resources are available.
Special behavior: Frequently migrates in search of food, collects propolis in large amounts to make an antiseptic barrier that protects hive from infestations.
Other names: Dwarf honeybee, Nepali name: Katheuri Mauri

Quick Overview of Honeybee Species in Nepal

Species	Common Name	Native/Exotic	Altitude Range	Beekeeping Use
Apis cerana	Asian Honeybee	Native	70–3,500 m	Traditional & Modern
Apis mellifera	European Honeybee	Exotic	Mid Hills	Commercial
Apis laboriosa	Himalayan Cliff Honeybee	Native	2,000–4,200 m	Wild/Honey Hunting
Apis dorsata	Giant Honeybee	Native	Terai–Mid Hills	Wild/Honey Hunting
Apis florea	Dwarf Honeybee	Native	10–1,000 m	Limited

Importance of Honey Bee Species in the Context of Nepal

Nepal's honeybees are foundational to the country's ecology, agriculture, and rural economy. Their importance extends far beyond honey production.

1. Pollinators: Crop Pollination and Forest Ecology

Nepal relies heavily on insect pollinators, honey bees playing the role of the most important insect pollinator. The pollination of the crops heavily depends on them. In low regions, A. cerana is the major pollinator in subsistence as well as commercial farming systems.

Wild honeybee species are equally important as the main pollinators of both crops and forest ecosystems. Apis dorsata and A. laboriosa are the two species determining pollination of high-altitude alpine and subalpine vegetation systems. Thus, bees here in the country help maintain biodiversity and support natural forest regeneration.

Ecological & Agricultural Roles of Different Honeybees

Species	Key Crops/ Plants Pollinated	Pollination Value	Other Ecological Role
A. cerana	Fruits, vegetables, crops	Very High	Core agricultural pollinator
A. mellifera	Wide range of crops	Very High (commercial)	Commercial agriculture support
A. laboriosa	Alpine wildflowers, rhododendron	High (mountain ecosystems)	Maintains Himalayan biodiversity
A. dorsata	Forests, wild flora	Very High	Forest regeneration
A. florea	Mango (Mangifera indica), lychee (Litchi chinensis)	High in Terai	Lowland crop pollinator

2. Rural Livelihoods: Food Source and Exports

For rural indigenous communities, honey produced by wild honeybee species like cliff honey has been an inseparable food source for generations. On the other hand, beekeeping has been an established income source for rural households in Nepal as it serves as a vital livelihood option for landless families and marginalised communities.

The reported data over the years speaks strongly about this. More than 50,000 Nepali households from the country actively do beekeeping and about 125,000 beehives are managed. Honey from these many numbers of hives is obviously massive, somewhere around 1100 tonnes is produced annually. This potential source of income is now government-supported, many beekeeping programmes have been brought especially to uplift and empower all marginalised communities.

3. World-Renowned Signature Honey Types of Nepal

Nepal's rich altitude, vegetation, and climate across the country produce honey variations. Each altitude shapes the taste and composition of the honey in the region. The ones that stand out are forest honey from wild bees mainly for its organic quality and seasonal, limited floral sources. Chiuri honey, rudilo honey and mad honey are examples of commercially valued ones on the list.

“Mad honey”, locally known as cliff honey produced by Apis laboriosa from exclusive rhododendron flowers and wild herbs is one special unique honey that is hugely praised even on the international markets. Even its harvesting technique, centuries-old cliff-hanging technique practiced by the mountain communities is being increasingly recognized by the world, attracting tourists and documentary attention.

In conclusion, different honey types of different regions have been central to trade, culture and livelihood that too for hundreds of years.

Habitat of Honeybees Found in Nepal

1. Traditional Vs Modern Beekeeping Methods

Log hives and wall hives are common traditional hives used for bee domestication. Slowly, modern beekeeping methods have been expanding even in rural areas. Movable- frame box hive is one such modern beekeeping tool used for Apis cerana and A. mellifera. Modern hive preference has increased over the years mainly because it improves:

Honey production
Colony management
Disease control
Harvesting efficiency

2. Wild Habitat

The three honey bee species found in Nepal naturally live in the wild. They choose to build large exposed combs on tall trees, rocky cliffs and forest edges in their preferred altitudes where there is an abundance of flowering plants, forest covers and water resources.

Honeybees Habitat

Species	Manageable in Hive?	Hive Type Used	Primary Use
A. cerana	Yes	Log, wall, modern box hive	Subsistence & semi-commercial
A. mellifera	Yes	Modern Langstroth hive	Commercial production
A. laboriosa	No	Wild cliff combs	Honey hunting, mad honey
A. dorsata	No	Wild combs	Honey hunting
A. florea	Rarely	Wild comb	Medicinal honey, local use

Conclusion

Apis cerana and A. mellifera are two domesticated honey bee species in Nepal which are widely managed commercially. Beekeeping centered on these species is a major source of income, especially for farmers in rural areas.

A. dorsata, A. laboriosa and A. florea are wild honeybee types, pollinator species extending from low altitude flat lands to upper mountains. Altogether, Nepal has a rich diversity of honeybee species and all of them have perfectly adapted survival behaviors.

FAQs

1. Does Nepal have bees?
A: Yes. Nepal's topography has mountains, hills, valleys and plains which are the perfect ecological requirements of various bee species.

2. What kind of bee is found in Nepal?
A: Landscapes in Nepal have favored honeybee diversity. Wild honey bees, bumblebees and managed honey bees all perfectly adapt to the environmental variations across different altitudinal and ecological zones here.

3. What species of honey bee is found in Nepal?
A: Apis cerana, A. florea, A. dorsata, and A. laboriosa are four honeybee species native to Nepal. Only one exotic honey bee species found here is Apis mellifera.

4. What is the famous honey in Nepal?
A: Cliff honey, commonly known by the name of “mad honey’ is the famous honey in Nepal.

5. What is wild honey from Nepal?
A: Wild honey from Nepal, popular as cliff honey/ mad honey, is a honey type from the high Himalayas produced by the world's largest honey bee species- the Himalayan giant honey bees.

6. What is the largest bee in Nepal?
A: Apis laboriosa, the Himalayan giant honey bee, is the largest honey bee in Nepal as well as in the world.

The Complete Guide to Honeybee Biodiversity in Nepal