For families in the apiary to be strong and productive, the beekeeper sometimes has to change the queens. The "queen" of the hive may eventually lose productivity or, for example, become ill. Therefore, in the apiary always keep a few spare queens.
Nucleus - what is it?
For the maintenance of additional "queens", as well as infertile queens in apiaries, hives of a special design are used - nuclei. Their distinguishing feature is mainly small size. The nucleus can be calculated on the content of one or several uterus.
Benefits of using
Previously, beekeepers used mainly hives to keep their queens. The latter were simply divided into several sections, arranging a summer in each. Over time, many apiary owners abandoned this method of keeping uterus. The fact is that the use of a separate nucleus in this case gives a lot of advantages:
The uterus tolerates wintering much better. After all, nuclei are small in size, and therefore, the heat inside them is better preserved.
The uterus contained in the nucleus is more productive. Such structures are usually well ventilated. And this, in turn, significantly reduces the risk of infection of bees with any diseases that affect development.
Nuclei are universal constructs. In addition to keeping the queens, they are often used as layering or traps for swarms.
Nuclei for bees: which is better?
If desired, the beekeeper can purchase such a special hive for queens, for example, via the Internet. Most often, beekeepers buy the so-called micronuclei. Such hives are relatively inexpensive - within 650-700 r. Most often, Polish products of this type are found on the Russian market.
Such mini-nuclei are made of polystyrene and consist of a feeder and four frames (collapsible and wooden). The advantages of such hives include primarily the fact that for their first settlement few bees are needed. Also, the advantages of these Polish designs is the presence of a lower notch. With such an arrangement, theft of honey by strangers from the hive is practically impossible.
The main disadvantage of mini-nuclei is that the uterus cannot be kept for too long. The queen should be taken from such a hive a few days after fertilization. Frames in mini-cores are very small. And therefore, the uterus quickly sows them and remains without “work”. As a result, the “queen” can simply “fly off” from the hive.
In addition to mini, on the market today there are large nuclei, designed for the content of several queens. Such designs have the advantage that they can be used if necessary and as a normal hive for the family. The disadvantage of large Nucules is primarily the fact that for their settlement requires a lot of bees.
How to do it yourself: materials
So, we talked about what the nucleus is. What is it, now you know. Next, let's see how to collect such a hive yourself. After all, specialized shops or mini-workshops involved in the manufacture of equipment for apiaries, unfortunately, do not exist in every village. When ordering a nucleus via the Internet, it will most likely take a long time to wait for it.
Since the construction of such hives is relatively simple, many beekeepers prefer not to suffer from shipments or searches for ready-made designs for sale, but to assemble them yourself.
Materials for the manufacture of nuclei are usually used such:
beam 40x40 mm for the frame;
Fiberboard for the body;
styrofoam or polystyrene foam;
plywood for partitions;
a piece of galvanized iron to protect the lid from moisture;
slats and supplies.
Expanded polystyrene nuclei are warm and comfortable for families. However, the material is fragile, and bees sometimes begin to nibble it. In order to prevent this, a case made of chipboard is used.
Manufacturing technology
Making a nucleus with your own hands is relatively simple. Such a hive can be designed for several queens or for one.
You can make a nucleus with your own hands, for example, using the following technology:
At the first stage, the polystyrene sheets are marked according to a preliminary drawing.
Then polystyrene foam parts are cut.
The ends of the polystyrene foam in the necessary places are smeared with glue.
Details tightly pressed against each other.
Holes are made for tap holes.
The dimensions of the hive are selected depending on the estimated number of queens. But the standard dimensions of the nucleus are 570x450 mm. In the future, it will be more convenient to work with frames from such a design.
After the polystyrene foam base is ready, you can begin to manufacture the case. First the frame is assembled. Then the bottom is stuffed from the bottom. On it you need to fix the rails under the partitions (two at a distance of several millimeters from each other). Then the walls are stuffed. Between the slats at the bottom are inserted pre-cut partitions from plywood. The cover is made and tamped with tin. Holes are made for tap holes.
The finished body is installed in a polystyrene foam blank. The latter can simply be painted. But it’s better to install the finished nucleus in a box, for example, made of plywood (with holes made for tap holes). In this case, the hive will be much more durable.
In this way, roughly the way nuclei for bees are made with their own hands. In order to prevent warmth from leaving summers in the winter, a little lower them on the wall of the hive should attach rotating small planks with a thickness larger than the diameter of the hole itself.
How to form?
How to make a nucleus with your own hands, what it is in general, is now clear. But how to form such a hive? Bees are populated into the nucleus by approximately the following technology:
install syrup cups in the aft compartment of the nucleus (approximately 200 ml of a mixture prepared in a 1: 1 ratio is needed per family);
they remove newly born queens from hives (in curlers);
close the doors (ventilation should remain open);
pour bees from the framework of the main hive inside and water them with water (so that their wings get wet and they do not rise);
they collect in the cup (about 350 grams) the necessary number of bees;
water the uterus (since it is infertile, it can fly away);
poured from a glass into the nucleus of bees.
At the final stage, the uterus is populated in the nucleus . Bees are best taken from the hive in which the new "queen" was raised.
Formation Features
Populate in the nucleus with the uterus is best young bees. They are usually located in the hive in the farthest corner. In a simple hive, the "queen" is usually populated after 2-3 hours. This is necessary so that the bees already feel orphaned, but have not yet laid the mother liquor.
In the nucleus, the "queen" is usually planted no earlier than 6-8 hours after the colonization of the bees themselves. Such a large gap is necessary for all old insects to fly back to the main hive. After 6-8 hours, only young bees will remain in the nucleus.
Sometimes bees are planted in nuclei indiscriminately. That is, both young and old. In this case, the uterus is preferably populated into the nucleus before the bees. To prevent old insects from returning to their previous place of residence, the nucleus should be brought into a cool room for some time.
The conclusion of the uterus
Population of the nucleus - the procedure is relatively simple. Getting spare queen bees for an apiary is a little harder. These bees are usually bred in 12-frame hives (at least 8 frames with brood). They use the following technology:
they remove the old uterus from the family along with a certain number of bees (2-3 frames);
they transfer a new hive for several days to the basement so that the bees forget the old place;
queen cells laid by bees are transferred to the “cell”;
"Cells" are moved back to the hive.
The mother liquor is cut neatly with a wide knife along adjacent cells. Cut through the honeycomb almost right through so as not to damage the bottom. In the "cells" the mother liquors are placed naturally - that is, vertically or at a slight angle. In the first three days, the released uterus feeds on its own. Later, working bees begin to feed her. Therefore, in each "cell" should be placed a little honey.
As described above, fistulous uterus is obtained. There are other, somewhat more sophisticated technologies for breeding such bees. Fistulous uterus is easiest to obtain, but they usually differ in not too large sizes and not particularly high productivity.
Transplanting bees into a hive
How to make a nucleus and how to form it, we found out. Now let's see how to properly transplant bees from this hive into the main one. This operation is usually performed as follows:
the hive is going;
a feed frame with bee bread and nectar is set on the edge;
a dryer is installed nearby;
a transition is set under the framework;
between the dryer and the feed frame, a nucleus frame is installed.
Thus fill the hive completely. The remaining bees are driven out of the nucleus through the lower opening.
Useful advice
Most often, four "queens" are kept in nuclei. The queen of this hive is used as follows. Three "rabbits" are consumed in a planned manner. That is, they are relocated to other hives or sold. One bee is left in the nucleus itself. At the same time, the septum is removed and three orphaned families are attached to the remaining uterus.
Instead of a conclusion
Well, hopefully, we answered the main question in the article about what the nucleus is. What it is, how to make it and how to use this device is understandable. And now you know that a special hive for this purpose can be either purchased at a specialized store or made independently. The nucleus design is not particularly complex. The main thing is to insulate the hive well and provide the bees with high-quality nutrition for the first time. And of course, you should carefully monitor the uterus in such a hive. The first time they inspect the nucleus, inspect the next day. Further inspection is carried out every 2-3 days. Fertilization of the uterus usually occurs on the 10th day.