Many of the older generation of beekeepers keep bees in large-volume hives - loungers, achieving good results. In this article, beekeepers can get acquainted with one of the old methods of keeping bees, this can help in practical work.
The method provides for keeping bees in hives - beds, adapted for keeping each colony with two queen bees - helpers.
In the middle of the hive, opposite the main working entrance, a strong family is kept, and on both sides of it - on a layering.
To exclude cases of wandering bees, it is advisable to paint the front walls of the hives in different colors. Offices for layering are populated with bees 30-35 days before the start of the main flow. They do this. From fetal queens, rejected for the purpose of replacement, but still capable of working, layering is formed. One by one, each frame is taken out of the nest and the bees are shaken off equally into both compartments, being careful not to shake off the queen with the bees. The brood combs are immediately returned to the nest, and some of the frames with honey are placed in the layers. The bees are not shaken off the frame on which the queen is.
After this procedure, the nests of the maternal family and the layers are closed and the spare entrances in the side walls are opened, making it possible for the flying bees to exit through them.
After 3-4 hours, when the gathering of old bees is over, they begin to distribute the layering of fetal queens in the cells. At the same time, the nests of the layers are supplemented with sushi frames and honey, bee bread and water.
In the evening, when the family calms down, the queens are released, and by the end of the first day, the blind partitions are replaced with a dividing grid, the lateral entrances are closed.
The simultaneous work of three queens in one hive, a sharp increase in the volume of the nest of the mother colony and the years of bees in the common hive are factors that have a positive effect on its growth and activity and negatively on the manifestation of the swarming instinct.
With the onset of the main bribe, not strong, but prolonged, the female helpers are confined in cells and placed in the middle streets of the nest. This operation is of great importance, because only thanks to it, bees usually do not lay fistulous queen cells for 8 days. After this period has expired, with the beginning of honey collection, the cells with the queens and dividing grids are removed, and a store with a set of thickened combs is placed on the hive at the same time. A family prepared in this way meets the main bribe with huge flight reserves and a large amount of printed brood and therefore collects much more honey than those that were kept without female helpers.
