Preparing bees for wintering, forming a dadan nest: how to collect it correctly and what date to start

With the onset of the autumn period, beekeepers need to move on to work that will provide insects with a calm winter. The procedure for forming a dadan nest in preparing bees for the upcoming wintering has some nuances and features. It is necessary to familiarize yourself with the possible methods and recommendations of beekeepers in advance in order to then choose the most appropriate course of action.

Assembly timeline

Starting preparation for bees (regardless of breed) is at the end of August.In autumn, the beekeeper should inspect bee hives once every 14 days. This will help track the behavior of insects, so that you can set the frames in time. You can not delay with the rearrangement, but there should be an opportunity to form a bed.

Preparing for winter season

Winter is a difficult month for bee colonies that are bred by humans. There is a specific list of actions that a beekeeper needs to perform:

• gather honey for the last time;
• gradually complete autumn feeding of drones;
• inspect the hive (if necessary, make repairs);
• after the drones are weakened, they must be removed.

Most of the preparation takes place on the street, you need to properly plan the list of activities, prepare the necessary clothes and tools in advance.

Attention! Wild bees do not need additional security measures. But the owner takes away honey and other nutritious foods from households, so some may not survive.

Hive inspection

The hive is inspected with special care - it is not allowed to leave garbage, unnecessary items. It is necessary to inspect the hive taking into account the following features:

• no need to use dark colors for clothes, wool, baize and cloth are also negatively perceived;
• strong odors can cause insect aggression (regardless of whether they are pleasant or not);
• come to the house from the back or side (this way there are no obstacles for the summer of bees, there is less anxiety for families).

After preparing the inventory and appearance, they proceed to the physical examination of the cells. It is necessary to pull out the frames one by one to select the old and darkened elements. If they are left, then the honey left for nutrition can quickly become sugary. Other features in the video.

After that, you need to install new objects. Additional nuances to consider:

• inspection is carried out in sunny weather (there should be no precipitation, wind, temperature above 16 ° C);
• if the family is calm, you can choose a cloudy day;
• in addition, you need to assess the strength of the family, the presence of a queen in the nest, as well as the amount of food and its quality.

Attention! The presence of a queen is indicated by the presence of one-day-old eggs. If it is not there, you need to place a separate frame with seeding from another family in the house. This affects how the bee colony spends the winter.

Methods of forming a nest of bees for the winter

The method of processing hives depends on the preferences of the beekeeper, his skills and techniques for the development of bee colonies (the number of individuals, the size of the houses, the selected number of frames).There are four generally accepted techniques - one-sided angled, double-sided, beard, Volokhovich method. Each has certain advantages and disadvantages, so you need to familiarize yourself with the options presented in advance in order to choose the right one in a timely manner.

Single-sided corner

This bee placement method is as follows:

• after inspection choose fully sealed honeycomb frames;
• selected items are exposed from one end;
• then put the rest - in descending order;
• At least 2 kg of honey should remain in the closing line.

The total weight of the formed nest should be reduced to 16-18 kg. If the weight exceeds the specified figure, an additional audit is required. Nest collection features in the next video.

Double-sided

This version differs from the previous one in the technique of placing the remaining frames: in the previous version, the layout starts on one side, in this one, full lattices begin to be laid out evenly on both sides. With each frame, you need to reduce the amount of honey in the combs. Bilateral technique allows you to evenly distribute the efforts of the remaining bees in the family and food between them.

Beard

This variant of nest formation is suitable for weakened families (including nucleuses, and also if food supplies are not enough). The main difference from the previous options is that frames with a large amount of food are installed in the center, and elements are distributed from them in both directions in decreasing order. You need to collect honey up to a mass of 16-18 kg (this rule is true for all the methods described).

Attention! In order to correctly form a nest for wintering, it is necessary to prepare the hives. It is possible to form a hive for winter only taking into account the removal of old overflowing elements.

This option is optimal for families with a small number of individuals, as well as families with initial honey production.

Volakhovich method

Features of collecting a bee nest using this technique are as follows:

• feeding must be completed by September 20th;
• one family needs to feed about 10 kg of food during autumn preparation;
• you need to form a nest in such a way that 12 frame grids remain inside with a uniform amount of honey on each (2 kg each);
• additionally install two grates on the sides, place an additional one with syrup from below.

When reducing the amount of food, you need to monitor the presence of honeydew on the grates. If it remains, it will affect the quality of honey, and hence, the wintering of bee colonies and their strength in the spring. Features to consider for beekeepers:

• sufficiently working families are formed into a block when the temperature reaches 7 degrees above zero;
• if the family is not so hardy, the collection ends when a constant temperature of 12° Celsius is reached;
• it is important to keep track of the last honey harvest for the quality formation of a nest for the winter hut.

Additional complementary foods with this method of preparation for wintering are completed in the last dates of September.

Bee care after nest formation

Planning for the care of bees is carried out by months - they are distributed for September, October and November. Features:

• in September it is necessary to rejuvenate families, collect bee houses, install fodder bars. Attention! It is important to install additional gratings, metal with a small cage. This method will help to protect bee hives from mice, they install canopies on top to protect them from snow and rain;
• in October, bee colonies form into a ball, in some cases (if the temperature rises above 12 degrees, the bees can make their last flight), the beekeeper must remove the extensions, check the combs, it is better to melt the old ones into wax;
• in November - the beginning of winter preparation, insects no longer fly around the area, it is necessary to finally check the inventory and houses, it is also necessary to process the combs and disinfect against moths (wax variety).

It is necessary to carry out additional work - treatment from the varroa mite, culling of families and drones. It is enough to feed strong families with syrup, others need to be fed with May collection honey.

Preparing families for wintering is a mandatory step if the beekeeper intends to engage in apiary in the future. The activities are varied, but you need to familiarize yourself with the preparation options in advance in order to choose the appropriate way to work with bee colonies.

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