Once upon a time, our ancestors engaged in beekeeping decks. However, some still prefer to use this type of economy. It should be noted that it is the most optimal for beginners in this matter. Let's take a closer look at the features of decks beekeeping, as well as recommendations for its management.
general description
This type of beekeeping dates back to ancient times, when there were no beehives, and decks were used instead. They are as close as possible to natural bee houses, where these insects build a nest as they need. In these dwellings, the bees rebuild the honeycomb without artificial wax, so that the honey is the most saturated and aromatic.
Modern apiaries require hard work from beekeepers throughout the entire period of honey collection. In addition, insects need treatment, it is necessary to collect a nest before every winter. Well beekeeping involves minimal human intervention in the life of the swarm. You need to make a deck, and then plant insects in it. In the fall, you can already collect a sweet crop.
Cold beekeeping is best chosen by lovers of a wholesome product who have no desire to influence the life of insects in order to increase honey yield.
Features
Experienced beekeepers advise you not to take honey for the first year, if you just settled the swarm in a new deck. Some professionals do not harvest at all in autumn, but do it at the onset of spring, when insects practically give up voluntarily uneaten leftovers of honey.
To equip a bee apiary, you need to get a swarm. But where to get it? You can trap him on your own, purchase bee packages, and also relocate insects from the swarm.
Benefits of Using Decks
Bees feel better in such a dwelling for the following reasons:
- If the deck is made correctly, the space inside will be about 200 liters. The bee family that lives in such a house will be much larger than the one that settles in the hive. That is why insects will be stronger, as a result of which they will collect more honey.
- Working bees build honeycombs in the quantity and order that they require for brood, normal ventilation and nutrition. As a rule, they will not populate old black honeycombs in the deck. After all, they care about the health of their offspring. With this type of beekeeping, the cells of the honeycombs in the deck are not defined by the wax placed by the beekeeper, but are built exactly to the size that the insects need.
- With the advent of winter, bees are left with honey, which is why they have increased immunity, insects are less sick.
- Insects themselves will regulate the winter ventilation in the deck, closing all the cracks with propolis. They do the same thing with the tap hole, reducing the diameter or clearance so that hornets or wasps do not get into it. As for the hives, the beekeeper always controls the size of the tap hole on their own.
- Another plus of the deck is that the selection of honey is sparing for insects. It is produced through the bottom hole. Thanks to this, the brood nest is not injured, and the bee family does not harm.
The benefit of the beekeeper lies in the fact that with such a bee apiary there are no large labor and material costs. You do not have to spend a lot of money on chemistry, tools and equipment. Well beekeeping is suitable for a beginner beekeeper, because he will easily master the basics of this business, as well as learn how to handle insects.
The disadvantages of the old method
Breeding bees in special decks has some drawbacks. They are as follows:
- There is no way to affect the life of insects. If you suddenly decided to put a deck for bees, then pay attention to the fact that you can not conduct tribal work.
- If the insects do not like something, they can leave their home. You cannot correct this situation yourself.
If you want to place decks for bees in your farm, then you need to decide why you need such an apiary. If the interest is only commercial, then this method of breeding bees will not work. But if your goal is to provide your family with a useful product, then you can set up such a bee house. Honey, which is collected from the deck, is more saturated, tasty, aromatic. In addition, it is valued more than ordinary. If honey was collected in the spring, then it will also have healing properties.
How to make a hive yourself?
If you finally decided to organize a well apiary, you need to get special hives. But how to make such a deck with your own hands? Previously, solid pieces of wood were used for the manufacture. However, a new look at box beekeeping involves the use of boards. But if you can, then you can go to the forest for the trunk. For this, a part of the volumetric trunk is cut off, the height of which should be about 2 m. After that, the core is hollowed out, the bee house is equipped. In order for insects to fall in love with a new dwelling, it is necessary to observe some conditions:
- The girth of the trunk must be large, as the internal space of the deck must be at least 40 cm in diameter. The wall thickness should be at least 6 cm.
- To make a deck, you need to use deciduous tree. Ideal is poplar, birch, oak, aspen, linden or alder.
- The tree should be dry enough so that it does not form fungus and mold.
Of course, in real forests today it will be very difficult to find a trunk of this size. That is why the deck for bees is collected from boards, for which they must be well dried. The outer sides of the house can be square in shape, but inside it is best to fix it with a triangular cross-section rail, so that a space in the form of a circle is created inside.
The main manufacturing process
The height of the trunk should be at least 120 cm. Consider in detail the main stages of the construction of the deck for box beekeeping:
- First of all, it is necessary to cut along the log into 2 parts, for this it is better not to use a chainsaw, since the wood absorbs the smell of gasoline.
- Leave the tree to dry.
- Make cuts for the bottom and top cover.
- Connect the dried parts together so that one seam is a notch, which is located 30 cm above the bottom and stretches to the top. In this case, the gap width should be about 8 mm. For the winter, the insects themselves will close it in such a way that their housing is well ventilated.
Inside should be 2 crosses: one in the middle and the other at the top. It is on them that the insects will drag the honeycombs. At the same time - the more often the lattice, the harder the honeycombs will hold.
Installation of ready-made decks
There are many different books on tree beekeeping. In them you can learn about the methods of installing a house for insects, as well as about the features of such an economy. Proper location is a very important step. This will require a bright place in the area, protected from the wind. At noon, the deck should be in the shade.
At the same time, there should not be any barnyard nearby, as bees are sensitive to smells, which may even leave their home. Be sure to have a canopy above the house, which will protect it from rain and additionally create a shadow.
The deck is installed at a height of approximately 70 cm from the ground. It is mounted on a special frame, the slope of which should be about 30 degrees. In the upper part of the hive there will be honey, which should remain an insect for the winter. At the bottom will be the product that the beekeeper can take.
Preparation for bee colonization
If you put together a deck of wet wood, then it should dry. To do this, it should be left until next year. Sometimes during this time a family of hornets or wasps can independently populate in the deck. With the advent of spring, their nests can be crushed, and then fall asleep at the bottom of the hive. This will be an additional way to attract a swarm if you are going to catch it. To avoid the settlement of wasps and hornets, the letlet is reduced in such a way that only a bee passes into it. This suggests that its size should be no more than 8 mm.
If your deck has stood for a year, then by the time the bees are populated, the house must be well cleaned from dust, rot, and also flying debris. To do this, it is necessary to scrape off all the walls well, remove the unpleasant odor, if any, and then rub the surface with mint or lemon balm.
Set insects in the deck
If a swarm of bees settled in the deck on their own, then it should not be touched for several days. Otherwise, you will only frighten off insects. By their behavior, you can judge whether a new house has pleased bees. If insects fly out of the deck and immediately strive to the field, then this suggests that everything is in order. If, after the departure, the bees fuss and behave erratically, then this indicates that something does not suit them and is disturbing. In this situation, the swarm can leave the deck even without its uterus.
In case of insect colonization from a bee packet, they must be poured into a deck using a wooden bucket, while using a smoker as little as possible. Initially, the uterus sits in the cage in the hive, which is attached to a long stick. If after a day the uterus does not leave the cell on its own, it must be released.
The fence of honey from the deck
As previously agreed, honey is recommended to be collected in the second year after the family has been populated. To do this, a smoker, a special suit will be required. Since the insects living in the deck are more aggressive, they will protect their own home with all their might. It is best to collect honey at a time when the bulk of the family is on the field. The first time to get a beekeeping product from the hive for a beginner beekeeper will be very difficult due to the close proximity of honeycombs to each other. That is why, for cutting honey, a special metal rod is used, in which one end is flattened and curved.
Little conclusion
So, we have examined the main disadvantages and advantages of box beekeeping. Once again, it is worth noting that it is best to use this type of beekeeping for beginners who do not seek to receive monetary benefits from such an activity. The economical and uncomplicated content of insects in the decks allows everyone to use the technology of such beekeeping. The undoubted advantage is that it can be used by those people who want to receive a sufficient amount of honey from a small private farm, which will be distinguished by their good taste.
The deck that you will make with your own hands, arranged inside according to all the above rules, is the most natural and gentle method of keeping bees. These insects will not remain in debt - they will thank you with a tasty and healthy product.