Beginner beekeeper how to care for bees in spring. Work clothes set

Many beekeepers believe that with the advent of winter colds, care for striped insects stops. This opinion is especially widespread among those whose wards spend the winter on the street. But is it really so? What kind of care do insects require in December, January, and especially bees in February - we will consider video, photos and a detailed description of the work later in the article.

Some interesting facts about wintering

Where do insects hibernate?

To begin with, let's answer the question - where do bees winter? Everything is simple here and there can be only two options. The first is the wintering of bees in winter quarters. The second is the wintering of bees under the open sky, that is, on the street. The second method can also include wintering on the roof of the house, in the basement or under a canopy. Then, for any of the wintering methods, insects should be prepared from the fall. For this, autumn work and revision of the apiary are intended.

How do bees spend winter?

And now a little about how bees hibernate? It is well known that with the onset of cold weather, insects huddle together inside the hive. In this way, the bees keep themselves warm in winter and this helps them survive the most severe frosts. Then, in the middle or end of winter, the queens begin to lay eggs. Then, little by little, the whole family begins to move. After some time, the family will need a cleaning flyby, but it already belongs to the spring work.

Is there any work to be done?

Many beginners are interested in one question: is it necessary to carry out any work in the apiary in winter? The answer of most beekeepers will be negative, but in reality they are far from the truth. Beekeeping requires constant care and control of insects, even in winter. Experienced and responsible beekeepers are well aware of this. After all, it is the correct wintering of bees that determines the strength and rapid development of colonies in the spring. And now, in more detail about what, how and when to do in the apiary in winter with various types of wintering.

What kind of care do bees need in winter?

As already mentioned, it does not matter where the bees spend the winter, in the winter hut or on the street. Work in the apiary during this cold season is mandatory. By doing everything right and on time, you can save yourself from a significant loss of insects and save the lion's share of families for the spring. At the same time, all insects will be healthy and will please the rapid development of the family.

care requirements

For an optimally comfortable wintering, insects do not need so much. All care consists in observing three simple rules in beekeeping:

Maintaining the optimum temperature. Both excessive hypothermia and heat are harmful. But we must remember that the heat hurts more than the cold.
As little noise and light as possible. Insects are very sensitive to noise during the cold season. Excessive noise, vibrations, light, etc. will surely induce insects to crawl out, where they will quickly die.
If any family has become restless, then you need to quickly take action to calm her down. Otherwise, in the middle of winter, she will disturb the others and then there will be no problems.

As you can see, there is nothing complicated. It is quite easy to follow these three rules, the main thing is to know how to act in each situation and the wintering of bees will not cause you much trouble.

When wintering in a winter hut

Caring for bees that winter in a winter hut is almost the same as caring for those that are brought to the attic, basement or under a shed for the winter. The only thing to consider is, if necessary, additional insulation of the hives in the latest versions. After all, the winter house itself should be perfectly insulated and it should have good sound insulation. But, for example, an attic or a canopy is not always insulated and there are constantly low temperatures. That's when you should take care of additional insulation of the hive.

Maintaining the correct temperature

Let's say right away that the optimal temperature for insects during wintering in a winter hut is different for different hive designs. So, for open-type structures, it will be + 4-6 degrees Celsius. For closed-type structures, the temperature range can be reduced from 0 to +3 degrees. It should be remembered that the water supplied to the bees should not freeze.

Also, experts in beekeeping recommend that when using closed hives, keep the temperature in the winter house slightly below 0, namely -5-6 degrees Celsius. Such a temperature will not harm the insects, but, on the contrary, will contribute to the formation of dew inside the hives. Thus, it will no longer be necessary to additionally water the bees.

The best indicator of a good condition of insects will be their buzzing. If it is monotonous and almost inaudible, then everything is in order. With a strong buzzing, you should start to worry. It indicates overheating of striped insects. The only sure method of dealing with overheating is cooling. Next, we suggest watching a video and finding out how bees behave in winter and how to conduct their winter inspection.

Light, noise, vibrations, etc.

Factors such as noise, bright light, vibrations can serve as another factor for the early departure of bees from the hives, with their subsequent death. Therefore, it should be as quiet as possible in the winter hut and near it. To do this, sand must be poured around the winter hut so that the steps of the beekeeper are not heard. It is also necessary to enter the winter hut quietly and at the same time do not use bright lights. It is recommended to smoke the glass of the flashlight so that the outgoing light is not very bright.

The best option would be to use red lamps, because the bees do not see red light. Further, it is necessary to carry out measures to combat rodents.

Calming down angry families

A loudly noisy family is an indicator that something has disturbed it. The best and fastest option is to cool the hive and the winter house itself. In the first option, you should carefully enter the room, close all the entrances without noise and excessive bright light. Next, we take the noisy family out into the street and open the entrances. When the bees calm down, you can bring the hive back.

And so that the rest of the families do not make noise, we ventilate and cool the room itself. In this case, you need to open the doors and all the vents. It is advisable not to make too much noise. It is strictly not recommended to allow daylight inside the room. The bees must hibernate in absolute darkness. To do this, it is recommended to cool the winter hut in the evening or at night. At the same time of day, the room should be cooled during a thaw.

Very important! A slightly lower temperature will not harm strong and average families and, in addition, will provide them with a constant source of water in the form of condensate drops. Excessive heat will harm all the bees. As a result, an early departure, illness and a large case. So the conclusions on the face!

Wintering outdoors

Wintering bees on the street provides for good insulation of the hives, as well as their protection from the wind. Letki in such hives are always ajar. In warm weather, the bees fly freely for a cleansing flight. In frost, when the entrance freezes, you do not need to touch it until the thaw, and when it comes, you should clean it. If the hives are covered with snow, then do not rush to sweep away the snow. It will not harm the bees, and it must also be cleaned off during warming.

If the family inside the hive has become restless, then you need to cool it. To do this, the notch is completely opened and several additional holes are cleaned. When the bees calm down, we return everything to its place. As for noise, pests, etc., the requirements here are the same as for wintering in a winter hut.

How many times can you visit the bees in winter?

You can visit insects in winter from several times a month to several times a day. The only thing to consider is the basic requirements for proper wintering. That is, as little noise and light as possible. On our own behalf, we add that the more often you visit your wards, the sooner you will identify and correct the created undesirable factors.

Work calendar

December

At the end of November or in the first days of December, or when frosts come, we carry out warming of the hives, which will winter on the street. Also at this time, houses for bees are transferred to the winter hut.

January

In the early days, the condition of the bees is checked for the presence of deadness. Mid-end of January - disease prevention and top dressing are carried out.

February

The beginning of February is the time to feed the Kandi insects. Then the submoral is checked and, if present, it is sent for laboratory tests.

Video "Feeding Kandy bees"

In this video, we offer to see in detail how an experienced beekeeper will feed his striped workers with medicinal candy. How is the wintering of bees, how to make top dressing - learn about everything with us.

The apiary requires the attention of a beekeeper throughout the year. Caring for bees in spring, summer and autumn is aimed not only at obtaining a sufficient amount of production, but also at maintaining the health and vitality of colonies. Each season has its own means, methods and features of care, which will be described in this article.

You will learn what care rules beginner beekeepers should follow and what activities should be carried out before and after wintering.

How to care for bees for beginners

In summer, the main work is aimed at using the honey collection and the formation of new families. In order for all individuals to develop normally, they are not recommended to be examined frequently. It will be enough to assess the condition of the hive twice a month.

To obtain new families, artificial breeding or natural swarming is used. For more efficient honey collection, families are periodically relocated closer to plants that bloom in a certain period.

Note: You need to be very careful when transporting hives with frames so that they do not shake along the road. The frames are additionally fixed with wooden bars.

If the number of frames is incomplete, they are shifted to one side, the diaphragm is inserted inside and fixed with nails;
From above, the frames are covered with ceiling strips so that there are no gaps between them;
In one of the ceiling strips, a mesh hole is made for ventilation. This condition is especially important if the transportation is long, since without the supply of fresh air, insects may die;
The hives are installed only back-to-back.

Figure 1. Bars and fasteners for transporting beehives

Figure 1 shows drawings that will help you properly fix the hive for transportation. Transportation is best done at night or early in the morning, before the sun begins to heat up strongly. After a few days, an inspection is carried out. The rest of the summer worries come down to controlling the honey flow and replacing the frames filled with honey with new ones. The procedure is carried out mainly in the evening. It is possible to pump out marketable honey only after replenishment of fodder honey stocks.

Peculiarities

With the arrival of autumn, preparations for winter begin. To do this, insulate the nests and leave the right amount of food in them. It is important to control that wintering does not take place on honeydew honey or its mixture with flower honey. It is best to use honeycombs containing at least 2 kg of honey.

For food in winter, bees need protein and carbohydrate food.:

Frames with bee bread are placed second from the sides of the nest. It is impossible to put in the center, as this can lead to a rupture of the ball and the death of insects;
The amount of honey needed for wintering varies depending on the climate. In the southern apiaries, 18-20 kg of products are enough, and 20-25 kg of honey is left for bees from the northern regions. Experienced beekeepers also advise increasing this amount by about 20%, since a larger amount of honey guarantees safety after wintering and the hatching of productive young.
If there is a sufficient amount of fodder honey in the apiary, sugar supplements are not given out, since in general they negatively affect the health of families. But for the prevention of nosematosis, 2-3 kg of sugar syrup is prepared.

For top dressing use only pure white sugar without third-party impurities. To make syrup, take one part water and two parts sugar, mix and heat. In no case should you boil, because after that the syrup will become poisonous. Top dressing is poured into a jar, the neck is tied with gauze and the container is turned over.

Figure 2. Preparing families for wintering

In mid-autumn, after the main part of the brood has been removed, the families begin to prepare for winter (Figure 2). The hives are inspected and frames filled with honey at least half are left in them.

Care rules

Since the work in the apiary differs by season, we will give a detailed calendar of work in the apiary for individual months. Below you will find a photo of the bee work calendar for the whole year.

April

The hives begin to be taken out to the apiary, and after the first flight, a superficial examination of the families is carried out. After inspection, queenless colonies are planted with queens and, if necessary, replenish food supplies. Individuals from contaminated hives are transplanted into clean and insulated nests.

Also in April, they process defective combs for wax, they begin to wax frames and prepare inventory.

Start expanding nests in hives with strong colonies. To stimulate the detuning of cells, frames with artificial honeycomb are placed and the nuclei are reinforced with spare queens. In May, you can carry out the withdrawal of queens and the formation of new families.

They start culling old combs and installing new frames in the hives. This month, the formation of new families and the installation of additional buildings are being completed. In June, it may be necessary to move the apiary to another place due to a change in the flowering period of honey plants.

Start replacing old queens with young ones. New combs are installed and frames with fodder honey are selected for wintering. Every three or four days they inspect the second buildings and collect frames with honey for pumping. Begin preparations for the winter camp.

August

When the second bribe ends, the second buildings are removed, and the families are examined. The weak build up before wintering, exposing additional empty combs for laying eggs. They inspect fodder reserves, replacing honeydew honey with flower honey. The winter hut is whitewashed with lime and fumigated with sulfuric smoke.

September

Continue building families before wintering. At the end of September, the nests are insulated, the entrances are reduced, and the nests are collected for the winter. Defective honeycombs are selected and melted down for wax.

October

If it is warm and sunny during the day, the entrances are expanded so that the bees can make the final flight. Continue preparing the winter hut.

November-March

After the temperature drops, the bees are transferred to the winter hut. You need to regularly monitor the temperature and humidity in the room.

Figure 3. Calendar of work in the apiary

Until March, it is recommended to enter the winter hut only twice a month, and then - up to 3-4 times. If in the process of observing insects too much dead bees are found, several dozen dead bees are selected and sent for laboratory analysis. In winter, they also prepare for the new honey collection season. Even more practical tips for year-round care of bees are given in the video.

What you need to pay special attention to

In order for the care of bees in the spring and throughout the year to be successful, you need to follow the recommendations of experienced beekeepers.

First, you need to choose the right breed of bees. You should be guided not only by the productivity and nature of insects, but also by their resistance to diseases and the climatic conditions of your region. For example, Central Russian bees are more suitable for the northern regions, and Italian bees are more suitable for the southern ones.

Secondly, you need to choose the right site for the apiary. It should be dry, even and well lit by the sun. In addition, it is desirable that the apiary has a noticeable landmark: a tall tree, a building or a fence.

In addition, during the growing process, bee colonies are regularly examined for the presence of diseases and, if necessary, take measures to eliminate and prevent diseases.

Video: how to care for bees

If you are just starting out in beekeeping, a video that tells you how to care for bees will help you properly set up work in the apiary and provide insects with suitable living conditions.

The main task is to grow strong bee colonies before the start of the honey harvest. When the air warms up to + 10-12 degrees, the hives can be put out of the winter hut to the apiary. During the day, when it gets warmer, the notch is opened so that the bees can make their first cleansing flight (Figure 4).

Note: During the first flyby, the behavior of insects should be carefully observed, since this can be used to judge general health after wintering. If the bees fly out together and return to the hive in the same way, then the insects are absolutely healthy (Figure 5). Bees from weak colonies fly out sluggishly, and some do not rise into the air at all, remaining on the arrival board.

After the first flight of the family, it is necessary to inspect:

First of all, the presence of a queen in the hive is determined and the amount of food reserves is estimated. You can find out if there is a uterus by the noise of the bees. If there is a uterus, the insects buzz evenly and quietly. The assessment of food reserves is carried out very carefully, slightly pushing the extreme honeycomb frames. For a full-fledged family, 8 kg of honey after wintering is enough. If there is not enough food in the hive, they install additional frames with honey or feed insects with honey-sugar dough;
Next, you need to analyze the general health of the family and the hygienic condition of the nest. The nest cannot be disassembled;
Inspection should be done quickly, but carefully so as not to disturb the bees and not to chill the brood.

Figure 4. Removal of hives to the apiary in spring

If the bees have little food, after stable warm weather is established, they can be fed with sugar syrup (1 part sugar and water each). You can also determine the health of the family by the state of the streets between the frames. To do this, open the extreme ceilings and count the number of streets with bees. Normally, they should be 7-8 or more. If the number is less, the family is considered weakened.

After the first flight, the bees immediately start cleaning the hive. Strong families remove dead wood, debris and wax residues on their own in a few days, but the owner of the apiary can help them with this. First of all, you need to remove and disinfect the removable parts of the hive, or replace them if necessary.

Note: Particular attention is paid to the condition of the landing board. Very often it is clogged with deadness and wax dust. All debris must be carefully removed by sliding the wire.

If you find a weak family, you need to do the following:

The nest is shortened by dividing the bees into two parts;
In one part, 4 frames with brood are left, and in the second - all the rest;
This will prevent the brood from freezing;
Additionally, the nest can be insulated with a special mattress or pillow. It is important that the insulating materials must be hygroscopic. For these purposes, dry moss, tow or straw mat is excellent.

When stable warm weather is established, families are re-examined. This is the so-called spring revision, during which the nests are sanitized and bad combs are culled, replacing them with new frames. Factors influencing the determination of the health of bee colonies during the spring revision are shown in Figure 6.

Note: During wintering, the bees sometimes develop diarrhea and the inside of the hive becomes contaminated with feces. Families from such hives need to be relocated to new and clean ones. Old hives need to be cleaned and disinfected.

Be sure to determine the suitability of frames with honeycombs, examining them in the light. If most of the cells are dark, the comb is discarded. Families without queens are replenished with nuclei (small families with queens) or combined with another strong family that has a queen.

Figure 5. Behavior of healthy bees during the first flight

A week after the spring revision, they inspect the extreme frames of the hives:

If an offspring has appeared between the extreme frame and the insert board, ready-made combs with a small amount of bee bread and honey are placed in the nest.
Each new comb is set with the last frame of brood formed.
After the onset of the honey collection period, frames with artificial foundation are additionally inserted into the hive.

After the first body is completely filled with frames and honeycombs, a second one is attached to the hive, setting it on top. Two frames with brood and one with food are transferred from the lower part, and the vacated space is filled with empty frames with foundation. The procedure is repeated until the second body is completely filled.

Note: Before starting the honey collection, you need to prepare a sufficient number of spare combs. As a rule, in sites with average productivity, 14 nesting combs are required for single-hull hives, 24 for double-hull hives and 40 for multi-hull hives. For areas with higher productivity of honey collection, the norms are increased by about a third.

To store spare cells, special cell storage facilities are used. It is necessary to ensure that they are not covered with wax dust. If this happens, the combs are fumigated with sulfur dioxide three times with an interval of 10-15 days.

During honey collection, artificial honeycombs must be placed in the hives (the average rate is 0.5 kg per family). To strengthen the foundation on the frame, use a thin tinned wire.

The last inspection of families is carried out approximately one and a half months after the spring revision to assess the general condition of the apiary.

Site preparation for apiary

Spring care for bees primarily includes the proper preparation of the site for the apiary. While the families are in the winter hut, you need to inspect the hives, paint them and place them in the apiary.

Note: To accommodate bees, it is better to choose dry sites located near the place where honey plants grow. It is desirable that power lines do not pass nearby, since bees are very sensitive to such radiation.

Before the transfer of families to the hive, you need to carefully examine them. Most attention should be paid to the uterus. She should endure the winter well, but if the uterus is dead or sick, it should be replaced with a new one. Experienced beekeepers advise replacing queens every one and a half to two years.

You also need to evaluate the amount of food. If there is less than 8 kilograms of honey, several unopened frames with honey are placed in the hive.

Technique for caring for bees after wintering

The bee care technique in March includes preparing new hives for transplanting colonies. A new one is put in place of the old hive and a printed frame with honey and bee bread is placed in it. At the same time, the old hive cannot be carried far: it must be at arm's length from the new house so that the bees can quickly move into it.

In the old house, the frames are carefully examined. If the frame shows signs of diarrhea, it is left in the old hive, and only clean frames are transferred to the new one. In total, an unopened frame with honey, one unopened frame and a frame with brood are transferred to the new hive, after which they begin to transfer the bees themselves and their queen. Any empty or moldy combs from the old hive should be disposed of.

Figure 6. Factors determining family health during the spring audit

In the future, it is necessary to ensure that the bees have enough honey for food. If the apiary is located in a place with active flowering of spring plants, insects will get food on their own. But, if there are no opportunities for a spring bribe, they will have to be fed.

Caring for bees in January

In winter, the main work in the apiary is not directly related to the maintenance of the bees themselves. After the families are transferred to the wintering house, they start sorting the combs, culling the frames and repairing the hives.

However, one should not forget to maintain an optimal microclimate in the winter hut. The temperature should not be higher than +8 degrees, and humidity - 70-90%. To determine whether the bees have enough food, one of the hives with a strong family is put on the scales in advance and weighed at each visit to the winter hut. An example of the arrangement of a winter hut is shown in Figure 7.

Note: In order not to disturb the bees, the winter hut is visited no more than twice a month, and only at the end of winter can one enter it every week.

It should be absolutely dark in the winter hut, and a special flashlight with a red lamp should be used to inspect the hives. The fact is that the bees do not distinguish red, and such lighting will not irritate them. You can judge the condition of families by the noise. In a healthy family, it should be uniform and weak. Stronger noise occurs when the microclimate is disturbed. For example, a winter hut can be insulated or ventilated to raise or lower the temperature, and to adjust the humidity level, wet sacking is hung around the winter hut or water containers are placed.

Sometimes the bees begin to make more noise if the feed honey is candied and the insects cannot digest it. For clarification, they examine the floor of the hive: if particles of candied honey are visible on the floor, liquid sugar syrup is given to insects as additional feeding (one liter every 20 days). The neck of the jar is tied with gauze, and the container itself is hung on a bee ball.

When visiting the winter hut, they must inspect the notch, and if there is a selection on it, it is removed and burned.

Peculiarities

The basis of bee care for beginners in winter is to provide comfortable wintering conditions. A comfortable temperature is from 0 to 4 degrees. The room should be dark, but when the temperature rises in the wintering house, windows and doors are opened for cooling and ventilation.

It is also necessary to monitor the level of humidity. It should not exceed 80%, since at elevated rates the honey will start to turn sour, and the bees will get sick and die. With reduced humidity, honey in the hives quickly crystallizes and the bees become very thirsty. Ventilation will help reduce the level of humidity, and you can increase it with damp rags or containers of water.

Rules

Wintering is an important stage in the care of bees, because how the insects endure the cold season will depend on their productivity in the next season.

For wintering to be successful, you must follow these rules:

Provide bees complete peace and darkness. It should always be quiet and dark in the winter hut, as any harsh sound or light can prematurely lure insects out of the hive.
There should be no rodents in the room, which can damage the hives or disturb the bees.
The entrances are cleaned monthly so that a sufficient amount of air enters the hive.

In addition, you need to constantly listen to the noise in the hives. It should not be too loud and uniform. If the colony does not make noise, then the bees are starving, and if the noise is too strong, it is possible that honey has begun to crystallize in the hive and the humidity level in the winter hut needs to be increased.

Ways

There are several ways to hibernate bees: indoors and outdoors. If the hives are transferred indoors for the winter, it is enough to follow the rules described above.

Figure 7. Internal arrangement and microclimate of the winter hut

If the hives remain in the apiary for the winter, they must be covered with a half-meter layer of snow, which will help maintain the temperature inside the hive. With the onset of a thaw, the ice crust is carefully removed from the surface, and the snow is loosened, while trying not to make noise.

With the advent of spring, the snow is completely removed from the surface of the house, the entrance is cleaned of dust and dirt, and a layer of clean straw is laid out next to it.

Spring bee care: video for beginner beekeepers

Caring for bees is considered quite a difficult task, so novice beekeepers need to take the advice of more experienced colleagues. Beginner beekeepers will be able to find information on the proper care of bees in the spring in the video below.

Caring for bees is a rather exciting, but rather laborious process that requires the performer to strictly follow a number of rules.

The beekeeper, being a beginner, is faced with a large number of questions, the success of the event as a whole largely depends on finding the right answer to which. He does not even know the basics: where to start, how many families to buy, how best to scare the bear away from the apiary, and how to take care of the bees. The answers to some of these questions are formulated in the following rules:

Breeding honey insects requires a significant time investment. When spring and summer come, you need to take care of bee colonies for at least six hours a week. On average, it takes at least an hour to serve one family. Further time costs depend on the number of families available in the hive.
Due to the complexity of the process, beginner beekeepers are advised to purchase no more than 5-6 families to start. This amount will be enough to hone skills. Focus on the basics first. Only having firmly mastered the care of bees for beginners, you can begin to expand your existing knowledge.
The place for the installation of hives must be chosen taking into account the conditions in which bee swarms live in nature. Experts recommend placing the apiary in close proximity to the hills.
In this case, it is imperative to take into account which wind is prevailing in the selected area, and choose a place protected from it by natural barriers.
When choosing a place for an apiary, you should make sure that there are a sufficient number of honey plants within a radius of two kilometers.
The hives themselves should be installed at a well-defined distance from one another. Within one row, the distance between the houses should be 3-4 meters, the rows themselves are separated from one another - by 5-6 m.

Cebro method

bee care

The Cebro method in beekeeping at one time made a lot of noise. Its creator has developed a whole system, which is a clear algorithm of sequentially performed actions, which allows you to spend time as rationally as possible for caring for bees and increase the productivity of the apiary as a whole.

The essence of the method is as follows:

Insects are kept in spacious three-hull hives.
In the spring, during the growth of families, it is not allowed to occupy the top of the houses with store extensions. A new building should be built.
Only healthy and strong families are left in the apiary. The rest should be discarded.
In the second week of the development of the mother liquor, several branches should be organized and a new bee colony should be made.
After a bribe of layering, the family is introduced, and the uterus changes.
For wintering, double-hued hives are used - a store is sent to the lower one, the upper one is used for nesting frames.

Apiary according to the Cebro method

As part of the application of this method, the bees need to provide a particularly comfortable place for wintering. All hives must be well ventilated and the insects must have complete food available.

Getting the bees out of the swarm

Swarming is the natural process of reproduction of bees. So that families do not weaken, it must be kept under control. But no matter what method of prevention is used, you should be prepared for the swarming of bees. In this regard, the question of how to quickly bring bees out of the swarm state is very relevant.
The first thing you need is to catch a swarm. To do this, you should always have an empty hive in stock for such cases, set up traps before swarming begins and buy special baits: Alimil or Apiroy.

There is a way to get bees out of the swarm state without using traps. In this case, the lower body of the dadan hive (or sunbed) is used for catching. It is placed about 15 meters from the apiary. 8 frames with sushi are placed in it, which are preliminarily rubbed with aromas that are attractive to bees.

Important! Capturing swarming bees without the use of traps is attractive in that after catching the bees no further relocation is required. The new family develops directly in the hive.

How to get bees out of a hollow

Sometimes the uterus chooses hollows in trees as a home for its family. In such a situation, the beekeeper has a completely reasonable question, how to pull the bees out of the hollow without harm.

Getting the bees out of the hole

A wire cone will help solve the problem. The beekeeper moves the nucleus with the queen cell into a small box or light hive, which can be easily delivered to the hollow in which wild bees nest. For work, among other things, you will need a hammer, saw, nails and several boards for the construction of a temporary platform.

First of all, the bees in the hollow need to be smoked. Fumigation is carried out as follows: first, smoke is blown into the hole to drive away the bees, then a remover is attached to it. As a result, it turns out that the bees can get out of the hollow, but do not have the opportunity to return to it.

The hive with the brought bees should be placed at a minimum distance from the remover. A scaffold is used to support it.

The bees expelled from the hollow are moved one by one to the new hive. After about a month, a minimum number of bees and a very insignificant amount of brood will remain near the uterus. It is at this moment that the remover is removed from the hollow and the bees are smoked again. The purpose of this process is to kill the uterus and the remaining family members.

Since the remover is removed, all the bees that are in it (including the newly caught ones) bring honey there. As soon as they get used to it, the hive is removed, the platform is dismantled. At the same time, it is recommended to hammer the hollow so that the situation does not happen again.

Close distance transportation

Bee care for beginners involves gaining a certain amount of knowledge and how to transport bees over short distances.

Transportation of bees

Practice shows that the transportation of honey insects is a rather difficult task to perform. Flight bees love to return to their original place. But there is one simple way to solve the problem.

The day before transportation, the ceilings and canvases are removed from the nest, the nest itself is covered with a race with a fine metal mesh. At the same time, the frame is nailed to the body of the house, a heater is placed on top.

The next morning, before the beginning of summer, the entrance closes as tightly as possible, the insulation is removed from the frames. The bees are left in this state for some time (approximately 5-10 hours).

Important! The shorter the distance to be transported, the longer the house should be left closed.

It is very important that the hives get direct sunlight. In especially hot weather, it is worth putting tampons moistened with water on the mesh. Transportation to a new location is carried out on the same day. Frames can be removed the very next day and returned to the place of the cover.

The described recipe has been tested in practice by many beekeepers, everyone is usually satisfied with the result - insects do not try to return to their old place. At the same time, they note that the method works exclusively in sunny weather - there will be no result on a non-flying or rainy day.

Labeling of queen bees

Queen marking is another process that anyone who wants to learn the art of how to care for bees for beginners should familiarize themselves with.

Marking is understood as giving the queen bee distinctive features of the exterior. For this purpose, various special tools and devices can be used.

There is no single answer to the question of how much it is necessary to mark the uterus. Some beekeepers are sure that marking individuals greatly facilitates the work, others are convinced that the procedure is harmful to insects.

Marking queen bees with a marker

However, most beekeepers prefer to tag the queen bee. This is done in order to reduce the time spent on searching for the queen and to understand when it should be replaced (over time, the productivity of queen bees begins to decline).

Labeling can be done in one of the following ways:

cut wings;
using a special marker or paint;
by sticking labels.

humpback brood

Even a novice beekeeper should know what to do if humpbacked brood appears in bees. Humpbacked, or as it is also called drone, brood can be identified by a number of signs. If the queen falls ill or dies, the bees feed on her food. As a result, their reproductive function is activated, and they begin to lay unfertilized eggs, from which only drones are obtained.

Humpback bee brood

For such brood, bees begin to build large combs located along the edges of the frame or in its lower part. Since the drone queen does not differentiate between normal and drone combs during oviposition, when their sealing begins, the lids are high. According to them, the presence of humpbacked brood of bees is determined.

The problem can be solved in the following ways:

Small families are easier to dissolve.
If the presence of a problem manifested itself in the fall, such a family should be moved to a stronger one.
If there is a humpbacked brood in a large family, it should be transplanted to a new fertile queen. To do this, a few weeks before the end of the summer season, the frames and canvas are removed, all the bees are shaken from them into the hive. As a result, the drone queen is deprived of her nest.
The holes of the notch are tightened with a fine mesh, the hive itself is cleaned in a cool place for several days. Then, in the evening, the house is returned to its original place, fresh frames are installed and a new queen is added.

The most effective way to deal with humpback brood is to prevent its formation. For experienced beekeepers, it will not be difficult to stop the problem at the root of its occurrence.

Kandy for bees

Learning the science of how to take care of bees, it is important to master a lot of knowledge. So, for example, it is no less important than knowing how to attract bees to the greenhouse for pollination, to be able to cook candi.

Kandy is a special top dressing made from honey, powdered sugar and some additives.

The classic candy recipe for the family of bees will perfectly support insects in the cool season. Preparing food is pretty easy.

Kandy contains the following ingredients:

powdered sugar - 74%;
water - 0.18%;
vinegar - 0.02%
liquid honey - 26.8%.

The composition is prepared as follows:

Honey and sugar are placed in a bowl and heated to 55 degrees. The resulting heated mixture should not contain any crystals or lumps.
The product is cooled to about 40 degrees and powdered sugar is poured. The amount required is such that it can be absorbed by the sweet mass.
The mixture is thoroughly mixed until a dough-like consistency is obtained.
The mass is spread on the board and kneaded (about half an hour). As a result, the composition should keep its shape, be thick, but not sticky.

Then the candy is divided into portions of about 1 kg and put away for storage.

Smoking bees

Not a single beekeeper can do without the procedure of smoking bees. The fact is that periodically the bees begin to get sick, die, or a replacement of the queen is required, and it is impossible to approach them because of their aggressiveness. Actually, the answer to the question of why you need to smoke bees, in this context, becomes quite obvious.

Without the use of a smoker, they will simply not be approached - the bees will defend their home and their queen to the last.

Before proceeding with the procedure, you should understand how and with what bees are fumigated.

Usually, specialized drugs are used that do not pose a danger to either the bees or the beekeeper.

Smoking bees

For fumigation, charcoal is placed in the smoker and allowed to flare up normally. The tablet with the drug is placed on the grid of the smoker. As soon as the bright and acrid smoke changes to gray, you can begin the process.

Prepare for the event:

Close up all the places in the house where smoke can come out.
Smoke should be applied evenly and dosed.
It is unacceptable to start fumigation immediately after igniting the mixture - this will kill insects.
After fumigation, you can not immediately open the house. You need to wait until the bees calm down, and the medicine begins to act.

Summarizing everything described above, we can conclude that caring for bees is not the easiest job, requiring a certain package of knowledge, skills and abilities. But, if you approach the process thoroughly, the result of the effort expended will exceed all expectations.

Each person, engaged in beekeeping, should be aware of the responsibility that falls on him. He will have to constantly look after the bee colonies. Honey collection directly depends on the quality of life of bees. It is especially important how they endure the cold season. It is necessary to try to ensure high-quality wintering for all insects available in the apiary so that they can resume your life with the advent of spring, they began to create high-quality and vitamin-rich honey.

Growing is an important stage in the life of a bee swarm. It is important because the fecal load will be about half as low, which means that the bees will be able to safely live until spring. Flying bees in winter is not carried out, because of this, individuals get sick less and better adapt to difficult situations.

For working insects that collect and produce honey workers, there are mandatory procedures that must be completed before the onset of frost:

First. Immediately after the last pumping of honey, it is necessary to prepare the bees for wintering. First need to inspect the bees, in winter there will be no time for this, and to understand what exactly the apiary should receive. It is best to start fertilizing. Because of them, it will become easier for many insects to adapt to new conditions, since the place where the bees winter is different from their usual apiary. Tired from long work, they need to receive different nutrients and vitamins. In nature, usually at the end of summer, special food - bribes - ends. This is what they need for normal life and reproduction of offspring.

The beekeeper needs to continue feeding, as only in this case the uterus will continue to actively lay eggs. But it is worth understanding that deadlines must also be met. proper nutrition. Many people know how to care for bees and how insects hibernate. But to carry out the correct feeding in beekeeping is one of the most important actions. It must be carried out in August and be sure to stop in September. At the first frost, insects should not be overfed, as this will only harm them.

Second. Simultaneously with the stimulating feeding, which is necessary for building up, the treatment should also be carried out. The bees need to be periodically given a certain amount of medication, which can cure in some cases. For example, preparations for nosematosis must be obtained before wintering. It is very important to take care that insects are not affected by mites because of them there can be many problems and the apiary will suffer greatly in winter. This fact can significantly undermine their health and affect their performance in the future. There are a lot of drugs that can cope with this problem, and they have different ways of using, for example:

vapor sublimation;
elevated temperature;
stripes;
healing herbs.

Stripes have proved to be the best. They can be bought at specialized veterinary pharmacies. These are thin wooden plates that are impregnated with some kind of potent substance. They are placed in a hive for several weeks. When the overflight of the territories begins, the insects will fly out of their houses, the strips will need to be removed.

Third. Care must be taken to ensure that the frames on which the food is applied are light brown, as this is very important. This will ensure that they are not infected with anything and will be able to provide bee colonies with a quality wintering. The main condition is that it is necessary to take care of changing the queens annually, since the previous have already exhausted their resources and for the recovery of offspring, their replacement is necessary.

Ways to organize wintering

After the bees are fed and treated, you need to start preparing for the winter. To do this, it is necessary to equip a suitable place where they can wait out the frost. There are several ways to keep insects in winter - this can be done in ground, underground or semi-underground buildings. All of them can perform the main function - to prevent the bees from freezing from frost or strong wind. In regions with different possible winter temperatures, it is worth choosing the most suitable option.

Many people are interested in the question of what bees do in winter, special literature on beekeeping can answer it, which every breeder should read from time to time.

It is best to keep bees in the winter, if possible, in the basement, as this is where they will be most comfortable. Having chosen a place where the beehives of the families will be located, it is necessary fulfill some requirements:

If all the conditions for proper wintering are met, then insects are not afraid of any natural disasters. The main thing is that their hives always remain clean and properly ventilated, then no harmful to bees in the form of mold or something else.

You can not feed the bees in winter, it is harmful to their health, as they need to have a good rest before the new spring, and with a full stomach they will not be able to do this.

Winter bees outdoors

In order not to suffer with the transfer of bee houses to the premises in the fall and from the premises in the spring, you can try to spend the winter in nature. It is convenient to do this if there are not very many bees yet or it is not physically possible to transfer the hives.

going to organize wintering bees outdoors, the main thing to remember is that caring for bees in winter is different from anything else. It is important to make sure that the place is not blown from all sides. You can build a canopy for bees or leave the hive to winter without an additional roof. If you organize small barriers from strong winds, for example, cover a couple of sides of the hive with straw or plywood, the insects will be quite comfortable and cozy.

Required temperature regime in wintering

In the northern regions, where it is simply necessary to create winter houses for the bees to wait out the frost, it is necessary to observe the temperature level in them from 1 to 3 degrees below zero. This is very important, because at a higher temperature the bees may not be comfortable, and at a lower temperature they can simply freeze. If the air temperature drops too much, the bees will have to consume more amount of feed, which can adversely affect their general condition and lead to various disorders and diseases. Crowded intestines in bees is always a sign that it will be difficult for them to tune in to the correct wintering, they may have increased activity and will not gain strength before the new warm season.

Desired humidity level

In the winter hut, in addition to the air temperature, it is also necessary to take care of the humidity, since in a too dry room it becomes difficult for the bees to breathe. But too much humidity may also play a role. If it is too high, various harmful deposits may form, which will serve as a breeding ground for all kinds of bacteria.

Proper ventilation of the room does a good job of preventing the increase in humidity. This is especially true in the second half of washing the bees, since right now it is worth taking care of them as diligently as possible. At this time, the bees show offspring, which should get stronger by spring.

spring care

When warming begins, insects require increased attention. Their wintering period is coming to an end, which means that soon they will be able to leave their hives and go looking for food for themselves.

First of all, when there is a warming outside, beekeepers should start preparing as actively as possible for the awakening of bees. After the exhibition, the bees are released from the winter hut. Insects fly around territories is very important. Most importantly, while the bees are busy, beekeepers should try to clean their houses as deep as possible from the plaque accumulated over the winter. Only a clean hive is able to continue to be a habitat for a bee colony. It is also necessary to check the walls of the structure for strength and, if necessary, carry out their quick repair.

Today, many beekeepers involved in breeding and keeping bees are trying to use new technologies in their business. And also much attention is paid to scientific literature. On the pages of thematic magazines or books, you can always find answers to the question of how best to organize the wintering of bees and provide them with maximum comfort..

Attention, only TODAY!

Breeding bees at home is very profitable, useful, but very troublesome. Where to begin? First of all, get yourself a land plot that is convenient for an apiary, located not far from a large number of honey plants. In order for the business to be profitable, it is imperative to adhere to all the rules of beekeeping. If the apiary is installed correctly, you can get a strong working family. It is very important to take into account the factors influencing the full development of the apiary.

Breeding bees at home: features

The apiary is located in a calm place, there should be a large number of trees around it.
It is recommended to place the hives with a slope to the south, this will allow the apiary to always be under the influence of sunlight.
The apiary, located in the backyard garden, is desirable to protect. To do this, use a hedge or fence, the optimal height of which is 2 meters.
The hive should be located as far as possible from the road. People and animals near the apiary should not constantly walk.
The apiary should not be located in low and damp places, near factories. This can lead to serious diseases of the bees.

The arrangement of the hives

The distance between the hives in the apiary should be 4-6 m, and between the rows 5-6 m. But this is not always possible in personal plots, so the hives are placed more densely (under trees, buildings, along the fence, in stationary and mobile pavilions). With the onset of a steady cold, the hives with bees are transferred to a specially built winter hut or to premises adapted for this: a dry shed, a makeshift hut, a country house, a basement with low humidity, etc.

Breeding

Methods of breeding bees can be different. The choice takes into account:

families wintering;
the possibility of honey collection;
construction and type of hives;
breed characteristics of bees.

One of the methods of breeding bees is the use of layering. This is done in the following way. In early spring, the uterus is removed from one hive and moved to another. The bees that remained in the first hive, not finding a queen, begin to lay fistulous queen cells. After about 2 weeks, mature queen cells can be cut out and moved to layering. They consist of frames that are taken from other hives. On the 16th day, queen cells appear from the queen cells.

Breeding bees for beginners is a rather difficult task, so it is recommended to choose the “Half-summer” method. It consists in the following: one of the strongest bee families is chosen and divided equally. The combs, together with the brood, are placed in different hives, which are placed at some distance from each other. The first half of the insects should be kept in one hive, and the second in another.

If there is no uterus, care should be taken to purchase a new one. It is better when the bees grow it themselves. Then after the flight, she will lay a lot of eggs.

The breeding and maintenance of bees largely depends on climatic conditions. In some regions, building a family may take 40 days, in others - about 100, on average, the building period lasts 70 days.

The beekeeper must ensure that the bees have enough food and pollen.

Bees: breeding and keeping for beginners in pavilions

Honey plants, as a rule, quickly fade, and bees cannot be left idle. They are transferred to another place. Breeding bees for beginners is not an easy task. To facilitate the work, they came up with a special pavilion with wheels where the hives are placed. In order for the bees to have a free flight, it is necessary to provide entrances. The front wall of the pavilion is painted in different colors so that each family can find their way around exactly where their home is.

A little space should be left in the pavilion so that the beekeeper can work. The construction is insulated with glass wool, this gives the family of bees the opportunity to persist and develop for a long time.

The costs for the pavilion will be the same as for the apiary itself. If bee breeding for beginners is chosen as a business, then you will face the question of profitability. So, the costs will be able to pay off in two years. Each pavilion can accommodate up to 30 families.

What to buy

To begin with, you, as a businessman, need to make a list of what you will need to spend money on:

For the purchase of hives.
On thoroughbred bees.
For special equipment, tools, costumes.

If everything goes right, after the first honey collection, the apiary will be able to fully pay off, since 30 families can produce at least 1000 kg of honey, and it is an expensive product.

Breeding queen bees

As you know, the main aspiration of the beekeeper is the rapid breeding of bees in his amateur apiary.

Almost everyone who decides to get into beekeeping asks the question: where do they need to start? Experienced beekeepers recommend starting with breeding queens, which will allow families to be strong and complete. Queens should be bred to increase the strength of the bees and in order to prevent them from dying in the winter. To start breeding queens, adhere to the following rules:

Prepare special cells in which eggs will be laid in the future.
If necessary, when there is no nectar, use a special top dressing.

Queens should be bred only from high-quality parents so that genetic qualities are transmitted to them. If you pay attention, you can see that each family of bees brings its own amount of honey. This is due to the fact that each of them has its own breed.

Beekeepers are confident that a colony that actively works on the main bribe and brings a lot of nectar survives the winter. In this case, the queens do not need to be specially fed. Before breeding queens, you must first select the strongest colonies of bees.

hives

Breeding bees, as a rule, begins with the preparation of a hive for them. It is the main equipment of the apiary. There are two options. The first is to purchase a ready-made hive, the second is to make it on your own. Whichever option you choose, you need to research the types of hives and their designs to find the right one for your conditions.

Hives of different types differ primarily in the number of frames placed in them and the size of the latter. Still hives are divided into single-walled and double-walled, with a detachable or integral bottom.

Breeding bees in multi-hull hives

A strong family is placed in two buildings. With the onset of spring, the queens are transferred upwards, as it is warmer there. After filling with brood and increasing the family, the bodies should be swapped.

To the families that have already overwintered in one housing, it is necessary to add other bees and one more housing, in which there is a sufficient number of combs with food.

Families that have been in multi-hull hives in the winter are checking and starting to replace foundation frames. Further, after rearranging the cases in some places, a grating for separation is installed, which is mandatory in multi-hull hives. It allows you to distract the bees from swarming.

Experienced beekeepers have proven that the presence of bees in multi-hull hives allows you to significantly raise the brood, resulting in much more.

Breeding bees in winter and spring

In winter and spring, the bees need careful care in order to grow up strong families that can please you with a lot of wonderful nectar. Care during this period provides for constant monitoring of the temperature in the omshannik, hives, the state of the brood, and the amount of death. It is important enough that the insects in their home were comfortable and had enough food.

Rapid breeding of bees for an early spring bribe can only be done with proper care.

Breeding bees in beds

It is quite convenient and easy to breed insects in loungers. The advantages of this bee keeping are as follows:

convenient transportation;
there is no need to constantly raise the case;
the presence of a heat-intensive type of device;
in addition to the family in sun loungers, it is additionally possible to breed a nucleus for bees;
in the beds of the uterus have a higher egg production;
the possibility of breeding a large number of strong families.
anti-swarm measures are provided, there is a special diaphragm behind which layers are formed.

Breeding bees for beginners may seem like a very difficult process, but practice shows that the land, hives, initial bee colonies and your efforts are enough for the prosperity of this business. Breeding and caring for bees can be entrusted to your auxiliary worker, because the process itself basically occurs without human intervention.

Breeding and keeping bees is a very profitable business, because it has the opportunity to receive several types of income: from the sale of bees, propolis, honey, flower poison and wax.