Breeding queens: different ways at home, beekeeping rules

Every beekeeper knows that queen hatching is considered an important element in maintaining the viability of the apiary and the development of bees. This is due to the fact that the main function of the queen bee is to lay eggs. Worker bees are engaged in breeding the queen bee in case of her loss, at the stage of preparation for swarming or in case of a quiet shift. It is permissible to do this by natural or artificial means.

What is a queen bee

The queen bee is the parent of all the bees that live in the hive. Under natural conditions, the duration of her life can reach 8 years.However, in beekeeping, queen replacement is required every 2 years. This is due to the fact that it is during this period of time that active sowing of eggs occurs. Subsequently, reproduction declines.

The queen bee differs from other working individuals in shape and size. The queen is characterized by an elongated body, which reaches 2-2.5 centimeters. The belly of the insect protrudes beyond the wings. At the end is a sting, which is used to protect against other queen bees.

The Queen has smaller eyes. Weight and dimensions depend on the breed. It is also worth noting that the uterus can be fertile or infertile. The former are seeded by worker bees, and the latter by drones.

When should queens be hatched?

Queen breeding is recommended in spring and early summer. Breeding such individuals at the end of the season is not recommended. It is permissible to do this only in the southern regions, which are distinguished by a good autumn bribe.

Rules for choosing and preparing a family

Before the queen is removed, it is required to select the parent family. The signs of offspring depend on this. The main selection criteria include the following:

• Honey productivity. This parameter is considered the main one from the point of view of every beekeeper.
• The strength of the family. It should remain stable throughout the year.
• Resistant to frost.
• Strong immunity and resistance to pathologies.

Preparatory work is recommended to start 1 year before the intended breeding of individuals. This makes it possible to build up the strength of bee colonies that go for wintering. In addition, before the onset of cold weather, it is important to carry out a number of preventive measures:

• Assess the quality of honey.
• Take measures to prevent nosematosis. This requires cleaning and disinfection of the hive. Equally important is the use of stimulating top dressing.
• Feed bees that don't crystallize.

With the advent of spring, young queen bees can be bred only after the complete replacement of overwintered insects with new bees that have just been born. This process ends in the first decade of May.

If you want to start breeding early, it is recommended to stimulate insects with protein and carbohydrate top dressing. Equally important is the optimization of living conditions in the hive. It needs to be insulated and protected from the wind.

Methods of breeding queens

All methods of breeding new queens are divided into 2 broad categories - natural and artificial. Each of them has its own characteristics.

Natural

The easiest way is to breed queen bees in a natural way. This requires that the colony enter the swarming state. If you create comfortable conditions for this in the hive, the process will be significantly accelerated. At the same time, 3 frames with brood should be placed in the hive and cover the notch. It is important to ensure that there are no frames without brood.

Then you need to wait for the laying of queen cells. After that, layering is required on them and on the new frames. It should be noted that it will not be possible to correctly predict the laying of queen cells, which is considered the main disadvantage of this method.

Fistulous queen bees are considered another natural breeding method. The main advantage of this method is the receipt of insects in the required time frame. This method is now very popular with beekeepers. For its implementation, insects need to be forced to postpone fistulous queen cells.

Experts advise to find a strong family, find a queen in it and transfer it with two brood frames to a new hive.

From it it is required to shake off bees from several frames. As a result, it will be possible to get ready-made layers, which you want to place in a permanent hive.

Queenless bees from the previous hive should lay fistulous queen cells. In this case, it is required to ensure that they are exclusively on mature larvae, or cut them off. This method allows you to get better queens.

Artificial

Artificial methods are considered fairly simple. Therefore, any of them will suit even a novice beekeeper. To do this, it is required to select a frame with young brood and eggs from the strongest family. Then you need to cut a hole on top. Its size should be 3 by 4 centimeters. All lower walls of the cut must be removed.As a result, it is worth leaving 2 larvae.

Rama needs to be installed in the nest of a queenless family. After a few days, you can check the laying of queen cells. When the bees lay the required amount, it is recommended to cut the fistulous queens. If there are no queen cells, then there is a queen in the hive, but not everything is in order with her.

The second method is used at home if you want to get 5-10 insects at once. In this case, you need to place the queen bee in a strong family. It is required to be placed in a two-frame insulator. There you also need to insert a frame with mature brood and a frame with cells. From above, the structure must be closed with frames. It is recommended to install the isolator back into the colony, placing it between the frames and the brood.

After a few days, you can proceed to the formation of the nucleus. It includes 3 frames - with honey, sushi and brood. Then you need to add insects from several frames there and install the uterus from the insulator.

After that, it is recommended to take the frame with fresh brood into the house and cut off the lower part of the beginning of the emergence of larvae. The frame can then be set back to the family from which the queen was taken. After a few days, it remains to check the bookmark and remove the fistulous queen cells. 2 days before the appearance of the queen bees, it is worth removing the queen cells by cutting strips and putting them back to ripen. After the release of maternal individuals, it is required to place them in nuclei.

Stages, cycle, timing of uterus development

The removal of the uterus is characterized by the following steps:

• on the 7th day the mother liquor is sealed;
• on the 16th day an infertile individual comes out;
• fly after 3-5 days in the hive;
• nuptial flight takes place in a week;
• after 2 weeks it becomes possible to determine the quality of the uterus.

The timing of the development of bees depends on the microclimate in the home, the weather, the strength of the family. Therefore, the uterus can come out a day earlier or later. The general terms for breeding a queen bee can be from 26 to 30 days and even more.

How to breed a queen without a larva?

For beginners, you can use the method of breeding the uterus without transferring the larva. To do this, you need to choose a strong bee colony. Then, in the center of the body, install an insulator in which the egg will be laid. If there is no insulator, honeycombs can be used instead. When larvae appear in the combs, they can be transplanted into prepared layers.

Then do the following:

• After 6 hours, you need to take the combs with eggs and pull them out of the hive.
• Cut out a strip with laid eggs with a heated knife.
• On one side, cut to half the height. As a result, 1 out of 3 cells will remain.
• On the remaining cells with larvae, carefully enlarge the holes. Queen cells will be built here.
• Attach the prepared strip to an empty honeycomb frame.
• Make a hole no larger than 5 centimeters.
• Glue the strip with melted wax and make holes. Their number is selected depending on the required number of queens.

Wood rearing

The queen bee is grown where the larvae are selected. In this case, the frame must be placed in place of the removed one. Worker bees will accumulate here, which control the order, the delivery of milk and the construction of the queen cell. This allows you to turn the family into educators. Before the appearance of the queen, the mother liquor must be cut out and placed in the nucleus.

Removal of queen bees can be carried out in different ways - natural or artificial. They have their pros and cons, which allows each beekeeper to choose the best option.

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