author(s)
Nirupma Sharma, JK Gupta and Harish Sharma

abstract
This experiment was conducted to work out the optimum schedule for supplementary feedings. The experiment was conducted at Katrain, District Kullu situated at an altitude of 1473 m amsl. No systematic studies have been undertaken in Himachal Pradesh on these aspects, hence, the same was conducted with the objective to find the optimum schedule for supplementary feedings. The study revealed that there is no need of giving traditionally practiced supplementary feedings as in the form of pollen and sugar during the prolonged wet months of July to August in Katrain area as sufficient bee flora is available to the colonies during this period in this region. It may thus be possible to start economical bee keeping with Apis cerana on small scale at farmers’/ orchardists ‘level.