Kemerovo beekeeping system according to Kashkovsky: essence, pros and cons

Beekeeping according to the Kemerovo system of beekeeping according to Kashkovsky replaced the traditional system in the 50s of the last century. The old technology was laborious and time-consuming: it was necessary to frequently inspect the hives, expand or shorten the nests. The goal of developing a new method was to simplify the care of insects and increase the collection of honey by 2-3 times.

The essence of the Kemerovo bee care system

The beekeeping technology is based on the following features: strong families are kept on wide streets, in spring they are not reduced and combs are not removed, which the bees did not have time to settle in.Inspection and analysis of hives is not carried out often - only about 7-8 times per season. Fistulous queens are used to reproduce bees, which also reduces the work of replanting and breeding queens.

The creation of the system began after observing the bees and establishing that after inspecting the nests, the bees begin to restore the microclimate, which takes them 3 days. At the same time, the uterus begins to lay eggs. The application of the system begins on the day of the exhibition of hives after wintering. For each, one frame with honey and bee bread weighing 3.5 kg is prepared. The distribution of honey guarantees the safety of families even in adverse weather. The arrival of food in the nest activates the queen, which lays many more eggs.

The next day, the insects are transplanted into clean, disinfected hives. Frames with honey and bee bread are added, for each hive there should be 8-15 kg of feed.During transplantation, the bees are sanitized. The next inspection is carried out after 1.5 months, when all the feed will be used up. With frequent inspection, family life is disrupted, the uterus stops laying eggs for 3 days, worker bees feed the larvae.

The risk of bee theft is growing. Reducing the number of visits allows the bees to work more quietly, the queens to lay more eggs, and the beekeeper to do a better job, since he can look after more hives. The productivity of bees is growing - from each hive you can collect 10-20 kg more honey.

The Kemerovo system does not recognize the alignment of families, beekeepers practicing this method of beekeeping do not need to transfer frames with offspring from one hive to another. This reduces the likelihood of transmission of infections and there is no decrease in honey flow. Instead of strengthening families, the weak are culled, the strong multiply and get new ones, they are settled in the hive.

In the spring, weakened families are left with more honey than usual, the hive is insulated and not examined for 60-70 days. After natural strengthening, the hives expand. Before the main honey collection, the uterus is removed, and the family removes the fistula. A month later, the hive is inspected, if the uterus does not work satisfactorily, then it and the honey are taken away. The family again brings out the fistulous uterus, by this time the honey collection ends.

Pros and cons

Poles of the Kemerovo system: the ability to keep unrelated queens in the apiary, reducing the time for care, reducing the number of inspections during which the bees do not worry, their normal lifestyle is not disturbed.

Rejection of the alignment of colonies by replanting bees allows breeding only strong swarms, which leads to a real strengthening of colonies. The disadvantage of the system, beekeepers call the need to break out excess queen cells.

Beekeeping according to Kashkovsky has its supporters and opponents, but, of course, it is an original method, since many principles in it differ from traditional ones. The method is suitable for all beekeepers for use in apiaries with a different number of hives, for private farms and industrial ones.

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