The main bribe is the period of maximum allocation of nectar by plants and the collection by bees of the main stocks of honey. The timing of the main honey collection depends on the region, and its beginning can be determined by several characteristic signs. For high productivity, you need to properly prepare for a bribe: replace the uterus, strengthen the bee family, prevent swarming.
Dates of the main honey collection
The start time of the main bribe depends on the region. In each of them there is a certain species diversity, but the best melliferous plants are only 2-3. If you consider only them, then the following terms of the main honey collection are observed:
- Early June - white acacia, mustard, sainfoin. Steppe zones of the European part, Altai Territory, Rostov, Volgograd regions. Here, in early July, the main bribe begins with sunflower.
- June 10-15 - the timing of the main bribe for the clover-raspberry melliferous zone. It includes forest and forest-meadow areas of the Non-chernozem zone.
- The middle and second half of June is for the raspberry-cypress melliferous zone, including the Tver, Vologda and Yaroslavl regions.
- The first days of July for the linden-bearing honey zone are the mountainous regions of the Urals, the south of the Far East.
- The beginning and mid-July for the buckwheat zone are Kursk, Lipetsk, Saratov and other forest-steppe regions of the Chernozem region.
- The second half of July for the lime-buckwheat zone is the Tula, Kaluga, Saratov regions (northern regions).
Several signs speak of the beginning of the main honey collection:
- the gain of the control hive is more than 1 kg per day;
- bees from the arrival board rush to the hive;
- whitewash honeycombs - the appearance of a light wax coating on the surface of honeycombs;
- the appearance of ventilating bees;
- increased activity of insects in summers on warm evenings;
- the appearance of honeycombs with honey in store extensions.
Productive Honey Harvesting Conditions
For a bribe to be productive, it is important that the following conditions are met:
- abundant sources of nectar in the territory of a productive flight of bees (approximately 0.75 km);
- the presence of not only flying, but also hive (young) bees for accepting and processing honey, placing it in a honeycomb and sealing;
- the presence of a freely moving fetal uterus - during the main bribe, its change or selection is excluded;
- the presence of the required number of empty cells - they must be of high quality;
- timely selection and pumping out of mature honey - empty honeycombs provide stimulation of the bee collection instinct;
- high-quality ventilation of the nest - the energy consumption of the bee family is reduced, nectar thickening is accelerated, and overall productivity is increased.
The productivity of the honey collection is largely dependent on weather conditions. For example, in strong winds, overhang can decrease by almost a third. In dry weather, nectar is not released, and the process enhances heat and sufficient humidity, so productivity increases.
Replacement of queens before the main bribe
Replacing the uterus is recommended before the main medical collection. Then it is necessary to remove the partition separating the nucleus from the main family, so that the young uterus becomes the queen. The brood of both her and the old uterus will live here.
Bees perceive queens better when they move slowly. To do this, moisten them with warm water (not higher than 30 degrees).
If you are interested in how to remove the uterus, then read about it here.
Preparing bees for the main bribe
The bee family needs to be prepared for the main medical collection. This is necessary to strengthen it. Preparation begins in the fall, when weak and unproductive bees are discarded. The stronger the family, the more the unit of live weight will bring production.
Preparing for a bribe involves creating an enabling environment for strong families. This implies proper thermal management and feeding in order to grow brood.
In young individuals from strong bee colonies, the sizes are larger, the proboscis is longer, and the honey goiter has a large capacity. This means that even bees with pollen nectar will bring more. The efficiency of their work is higher, the life of the bee is longer. A unit of live weight from a strong bee colony requires a smaller amount of supporting feed.
To the main medical collection, it is important to create the correct regime in the hive. The following requirements must be observed:
- the shade of the hive in sunflowers and a free nest, which are necessary for optimal temperature conditions, eliminating overheating and increasing the flight activity of insects;
- full opening of the upper and lower notch, which helps to increase ventilation and enhance the natural evaporation of moisture, which is brought into the hive along with nectar.
To use bees effectively, it is necessary not only to increase the strength of the bee family, but also to keep it in working condition. Both conditions are easier to implement if insects are kept in a large hive. The systematic selection and breeding of bees that are not prone to swarming is also important.
It is necessary to switch the maximum number of bees to the main honey collection. For this, the laying of eggs by the uterus is limited. The bees themselves can do this by filling the free cells with nectar. To limit the ovipositor, the uterus is planted under a cap or replaced by an infertile one.
Honey is obtained by processing nectar. The yield of the product is 2-3 times less than the nectar brought for it, so the honeycomb needs to be stocked in sufficient quantities. Bees will fill the cells with liquid nectar only by a third - this allows you to accelerate the evaporation of moisture.
Duration of honey collection, expected volumes depending on the honey plant
The duration of the main bribe is influenced by many factors. This applies to the number of melliferous herbs in the area, weather conditions. On average, honey collection lasts 2 weeks, but under favorable conditions it can last up to 2 months.
The productivity of a bribe is largely dependent on honey plants. From hectare you can get the following results:
- common bruise - up to 0.8 tons;
- sweet clover - up to 0.6 t;
- Ivan tea - up to 0.5 t;
- sainfoin - an average of 0.3 tons;
- purple tansy - not less than 0.3 t;
- white clover - up to 0.1 t;
- buckwheat - up to 0.08 t;
- sunflower - up to 0.05 tons
Prevention of bee swarming during main honey collection
Often, by the end of the main bribe, the instincts of swarming are activated in bees. This is due to the presence of abundant nutrition. The following measures are used to prevent swarming:
- Expansion of the nests with wax frames - the bees begin to rebuild the honeycombs, feed the bee larvae, therefore they are distracted from swarming. What is fraught with swarming, read here.
- The installation of a magazine or additional housing is again necessary to provide insects with work.
- Providing layering in families with laid mother liquors.
The risk of swarming is higher if there is an old uterus in the family, hives are in the sun and overheating, a little honey collection in good weather.
The main honey collection is one of the most important periods in beekeeping. It was at this time that the highest productivity of bees was observed. It is important to know the timing of the main bribe, prepare for it correctly and provide anti-war prevention. Productivity depends on many factors, including the types of honey plants in the insect access area.