Fighting the attack of bees
Since the exhibition of bees from the winter hut and throughout the beekeeping season, it is necessary to make apiary work so as not to cause the theft of bees and especially to prevent the looting of some bee colonies by others.
The theft of forage stocks observed by some families in bees of other families, observed in a biting time, can sometimes turn into a so-called attack, in which a very large number of bees and even whole apiaries participate, causing enormous losses to production.
Theft and attack of bees are most often manifested in a time-free period. If the apiary is in the conditions of a continuous bribe throughout most of the season, then there is no theft or, especially, attack on it. The bee is the culprit of beekeepers most often a beekeeper whose bee is robbed by some or other bees. The attack is always due to the lack of maintenance of bees, a continuous bribe, as well as from any malfunctions in the apiary, which are used by their own and others’ bees.
There are times when stealing occurs without a fight between bees. In this case, sometimes the beekeeper may not notice it. This happens mainly when stealing bezmatochnyh and weak families. With such theft, there is an increased arrival and departure from the hive of bees, which from afar can be taken for playing or vigorous work of them, but when approaching the hive, it is easy to distinguish theft from loss or arrival of bees from work.
For the first time, thieves fly up to the tap hole not directly, but zigzagging, scurrying from the sides of the hive, climbing under the roof, there is any kind of indecision. If they manage to visit the hive and collect honey, then at the next arrivals they are made extremely bold and rush to the hive. Having jumped out of the tap, the thief flies off swiftly. The thieves go with the hive overloaded with honey. If you catch such a bee and lightly put pressure on
Usually, thieves first look for easy prey, that is, bezmatychnye and weak families that can not provide proper resistance, and then, having gotten rid of easy prey, bee-thieves attack and strong families.
Prosperous and strong families usually defend themselves stubbornly and give a proper rebuff to the attackers. Therefore, before such a hive during the attack, one can see beating bees, who, clinging to each other, try to kill one another. Before corpses, corpses lie or writers wrestle with death stings in the death throes. If the beekeeper does not take measures to stop the beginning attack, then robbery will develop throughout the apiary. There will be a terrible “massacre” between the bees, which then will be difficult to suspend.
Among other reasons contributing to the occurrence of theft in the apiary, we can note the following:
A) bad hives with slots in the walls, floor and roof are most often attacked. This is because bees-thieves do not immediately rush into the summer, where they can meet with the guard of the tap, but look for unguarded loopholes, which are cracks;
B) pouring food on the apiary or hitting honey on the hive with a careless inspection of the frames;
C) feeding bees in a time-free honey, the smell of which attracts thieves;
D) long-term inspection of bees in a time-free period; It is only necessary to open the beehive, as other bees are emerging at once, who are pesteringly climbing into the hive. In this case, the bee-hosts are excited and strongly sting. After hitting a beehive and capturing honey, thieves fly away, but soon appear again together with many other bees of their hives.
Measures against theft and attack.
It must be remembered that it is much easier to prevent an attack than to fight it later. Of the preventive measures, the following are the main ones:
1. Provide bees with a good and continuous feed base.
2. Keep the apiary always in order. All families must be strong and have queens. Hives should be serviceable, without cracks. After inspecting the hive, you must certainly check whether the hive is well closed, whether there are any crevices, etc.
3.If there are bezmatochnye or weak families, then as soon as possible to fix them, and until then narrow the tapewings. Such hives are best viewed at a time when the years of bees stopped, for example, in the evening.
4. When working with bees in a time-free period, use a special gauze (or made of iron mesh) tent.
If there is no gauze tent, then in a time-free period, all work must be done quickly and at a time when there are no bees flying out, in the morning or in the evening, when the years of bees cease.
When inspecting, do not keep the hives open for a long time.
5.When feeding, observe the following rules: a) handle the food carefully, do not spill it or stain it with hives; spilled food covered with earth; b) feed only for the night.
6.Beeless time in all hives must be narrowed according to the strength of the family.
7. When inspecting bees, do not put frames with honey near the hives, but certainly in the working box and cover well with a lid.
8. If bribes ends abruptly, with the selection of honey and inspection of hives to be very careful not to cause attacking bees. At this time, the families are strong and the excited state of the bees, caused by a bribe, has not yet subsided. They are looking for prey. That’s why, if in such cases it is necessary to select the honey, then this should be done only in the mornings, while the weak years, or in the evening, when the years end. In the morning, while the dew has not dried out, the bees often fly for an hour or two in the field and at this time it is possible for a short time to open the hive for inspection.
As for measures to combat the onset of the attack, they boil down to the following.
1.In the robbed beehive it is necessary to narrow the tapes immediately so that no more than two bees can pass by the side, and sprinkle the bees from the syringe with water. The summer and the flight board of the robbed hive are moistened with kerosene. With a weak, just begun attack usually these measures are quite enough to stop the theft.
2. In case of severe attack and in cases where bees are no longer protected, it is necessary to immediately chop the chaff and carry the hive to the cellar, if there is one nearby, or to be carried to the shade, splashing water abundantly, and in the evening to give the family water. In place of the blasted beehive put empty and grease with kerosene its leaves. After 1-2 days, the beehive, taken to the cellar or in the shade, must be returned to its apiary in the evening, to inspect it and eliminate the shortcomings. Behind this hive it is necessary to trace the next day, whether the attack on the family in it will not resume.
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