Bee Kingdom. Part Two

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

So, we continue to learn beekeeping. This is the second part of the article. It will contain a lot of interesting, and, most importantly, useful for a novice beekeeper

Choosing hives

A hive is an artificial, man-made home for a bee family, the main equipment of an apiary and an object of work for the beekeeper. The function of the hive is to protect the nest from cold, sudden temperature changes, high humidity. Their volumes are important for the development of the bee colony. To make it easier for a person to work with such houses, they must understand this issue. It would be nice if you find houses made from dry, aged wood, best of all from fir, spruce, linden or pine.

Actually, there are a lot of species, more than five hundred, but we will consider some of them, those that are common in Russia and Ukraine. This is a hive-lounger, single-hull, double-hull and multi-hull.

Beehive - a lounger has an elongated body that can accommodate up to thirty frames. It has no removable parts, it is divided into two halves, one part for brood, the other for collecting honey. The bottom of this hive is deaf. Has a corresponding number of frames, for example 16, with dimensions 435x300 mm and the same number of store frames - 435x134 mm. The cover of the hive is made of separate planks. It can be replaced with ventilation frames.

Single-hive hive - this type of bee "houses" is often used in a home apiary. The hive has a removable bottom, consisting of a frame and slats, there is also a place for layering and a place for collecting honey, the so-called shops. Each compartment holds 12 frames. This hive has two letkov; one is from the bottom in front, the second is slit-like in the upper wall. Has a metal edging.

Double hive hive - each hive has 12 frames. The bottom of the hive is removed. Otherwise, it is similar to a single-hive hive.

Multi-body hive - has 4 bodies with 10 frames each, measuring 435x230 mm. The bottom is not nailed down, removable, consisting of three boards, edged on all sides with strapping. In the front wall of the hive, at each body, a notch is cut out, which should be closed. The roof consists of planks fastened with planks.

For a beginner beekeeper, a beehive will go - a lounger. It is quite easy to operate, of high quality and not expensive. When buying and installing hives, paint them in light colors, the dark color of the home will irritate insects. Painting should be done annually!

But hives are not only important for this work, large and strong colonies are also needed. A large and strong family better tolerates frequently changing weather conditions, wintering, and is also more resistant to diseases.

Bee keeping

You have chosen and installed houses on your site. It's time to attend to the bees. It is best to purchase a bee package from a familiar beekeeper who will not deceive you by selling a weak or sick bee colony. In order for you to have strong families in the future, you need to provide them with high-quality protein and carbohydrate reserves of feed, so apiaries are placed where there is a good honey base. The uterus you bought should not be old, no more than two years old. Without a productive womb, there will be no productive family. Well-built honeycombs play an important role, poorly arranged honeycomb curves lead to weakness and soreness of the whole family. They buy a bag of bees in early spring and place them in the hive. If the family hibernated in comfortable conditions for her, then special supervision is not required. In the spring, your "houses" should be insulated, since it is still cool enough, the place (as we said in the first part) should not be blown by winds. When growing cuttings, the temperature background is maintained in the region of 36-37 degrees. The heat is provided by the bees themselves, which raise the brood, which is why they need a supply of food. In a large, strong and strong family, bees are much stronger and more resilient, they have more developed wings, muscles and proboscis. And all because for growing bees, the best nutritional and thermal conditions are created inside the hive. This is why you need to have strong confidence in the person selling you bees. Keep in mind that with the observance of all the necessary skilled work, you will receive a high honey yield. The timing of the work depends on the climate in which you live. Study the conditions in your area, consult with experienced beekeepers in your area and adapt the method of keeping bees taking into account the peculiarities of your area.