Bees in October: rules for care and preparation for winter, repairs in the apiary

With the advent of October, the air temperature drops sharply. During this period, at night, there are already frosts. In the last days of the month, it can even snow. The process is accompanied by a fading of the activity of bees. At the same time, they begin to gather in a club. Another feature of the bees' life in October is that their entrances are no longer protected, and therefore mice can get there.

What bees do in October

October is characterized by sharp temperature fluctuations, high rainfall and night frosts. The lack of heat causes the leaves to fall off the trees.Thus begins the preparation of nature for winter. This month is characterized by the fading of bee activity. They leave the hives less and form a winter club in the nest.

In warm and sunny weather, insects feel the approach of cold and bad weather, and therefore they make a friendly flight. It is aimed at cleansing the intestines. If the bees do not leave the hive, the beekeeper must find out the reasons. To do this, on a warm day, remove the cover of the hive and insulation, leaving only the cover. You also need to open the notch well. When the temperature in the hive rises, the bees begin flying together. If some families do not do this, they need to be disturbed by knocking on the walls of the hive.

After the completion of the flight in October, the bees must be removed to the winter hut. Insects that hibernate in the wild should be placed in casings. To avoid getting mice into the hive, a metal mesh should be placed on top. In the wild, bee colonies can winter until April.

Rules of care

In October the bees are the most aggressive. Therefore, beekeepers must wear all types of protective clothing. The most common problems that beekeepers face in October include swarming and insect death.

Bees are dying due to the fault of the beekeeper, who does not pay enough attention to insects. If the work is not carried out on time, the bees are faced with diseases and tick attacks. The most dangerous among them are varroa.

First pest control should be done in September. To do this, use "Timol", "Bipin". The finished composition should be sprayed on bee colonies. The second time the treatment is performed in October - before the blockage of the brood. The fact is that female ticks live in clogged hives. When processing bees at this time, it will be possible to get rid of only those mites that have managed to attach themselves to adults.In October, the bees are treated with a smoke gun, which helps maintain the microclimate in the hives.

Another problem faced by beekeepers is considered to be swarm gathering. This happens for the following reasons:

1. The beehive is made of poor quality materials and has a strong smell.
2. Wrong hive location selected. It can be near someone else's apiary, near water, not far from the roadway, under the scorching sun.
3. Sugar syrup is introduced uncontrollably. With an excess amount of food, the bees will not have room to create the necessary conditions in the hives.
4. The queen bee died while the brood was still clogged in the comb. In this case, the workers are overworked and worn out. As a result, they leave their homes.
5. The swarm moves due to the excess foundation layer. At the same time, insects need to independently look for a place for wintering.
6. Thieving bees get into the hives. They kill the queen and make the rest of the bee family unprotected. In addition, thieves take bee bread and honey nectar from the hive.
7. Processing plots and fields with chemicals forces bees to look for a clean place.

Preparing for winter

To prepare the insects for winter, you need to score and close up all the gaps and holes in the hives. This will help keep rodents out. You can also prepare and lay out in the corners of the container with a mixture of alabaster and flour. These components are combined in proportions of 1:2. You can also lay out pine and spruce branches in the hives.

A good option would be the fruits of burdock, laid out in areas of possible ingestion of mice. Mice die from stress if burdock clings to their fur coat. It is recommended to whitewash a specialized winter house from the inside with lime and evaluate ventilation. The optimum temperature in the room should be +2 degrees.

Insulation of bee colonies for the winter

Insulation of hives in beekeeping depends on the strength of the bee family, since the club in strong nests has higher temperature parameters than in weak ones. At the same time, it is forbidden to overheat or supercool the bees. Otherwise, the probability of losses is high.

When insulating bee houses in the middle lane, it is recommended to consider the following:

• weak families are insulated with dense cotton pads, placing them on top and side;
• average families only have enough pillows on top;
• thin pillows are enough for strong insects.

To keep the nest warm, it is necessary to close the upper entrances, and close the lower ones to the width of the passage of the bees. This will help maintain optimal air circulation. The bottoms of the nests can be laid with glassine or roofing felt.

Repair work at the apiary

Repair work is best done from late August to early September. They are aimed at preparing the hives for the cold. At the same time, beekeepers close all the cracks with a dense layer of putty, and the side walls are reinforced with natural wooden plates.

Also, the mandatory autumn work includes the following:

1. Preparing everything you need for winter - foundation, tools, sweet syrup, protective clothing.
2. Construction of feeders and water tanks. Additional boards and insulation mats may also be required.
3. Procurement of materials for repair work.
4. Restoring and painting old hives.
5. Reconstruction of spare houses into cores.
6. Building frames to renovate old nests. On average, 13-15 frames are required for 1 bee family.

Timely implementation of the necessary work in the beekeeping before the onset of winter greatly simplifies the work of the beekeeper and makes the insects stronger and he althier. At the same time, it will be possible to minimize the loss of bees.

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