Heat chamber for bees: device and DIY creation, processing rules

One of the ways to deal with the varroa mite is to warm it up in a heat chamber for bees. Beekeepers have found that this treatment completely eliminates pests, and believe that this is almost the only way to keep insects he althy without the use of chemicals. Consider the structure and principle of operation of heat chambers, how to make a device with your own hands. What experienced beekeepers advise about the use of heat chambers in the apiary.

What is it and what is it for?

Heat chambers are designed to rid bees of mites and other parasites. This is a special device resembling a box, in which there is a device for heating, a fan and thermal insulation, in the walls there are windows for monitoring the condition of the bees. The heat chamber is powered by electricity.

Insects are placed in it and kept at an elevated temperature for 15-17 minutes. There is enough time for the mites to die and fall off the surface of the bees. The temperature of 47-48 degrees, which is used during processing, does not harm the insects themselves.

Working principle

The treatment of bees is based on the difference in temperature tolerance between insects and mites. Pests are much smaller, breathing occurs through the entire surface of the body, when heated, they lose moisture, their temperature rises to a critical one, and they die.

Frames with working individuals are placed in the heat chamber, the uterus is not processed, since there are almost no ticks on it. Close the chamber and warm it up for 15 minutes to 48 ˚C. The fans turn on to distribute the hot air evenly.

At elevated temperatures, the distance between the abdominal rings of bees, where ticks live, increases. Pests are not kept and crumble.

Heat treatment not only destroys mites, but also increases the resistance of bees to viruses and fungi.

Varieties of thermal chambers for bees

Several varieties of the device have already been invented, the first heat chambers were the simplest, but over time their design improved and became more complicated. At the same time, they became the most effective.

1st generation

Devices of the 1st generation consist of a case in which windows are built in, hatches for the beekeeper's hands, there is a net where ticks fall, a thermometer and a heater. The cassette in such devices is designed for 1.5 kg of bees. The main drawback of the 1st generation thermal chambers is that heating takes not 15, but 20-25 minutes, which leads to the weakening of insects and even death.

2nd generation

In devices of this type, the cassettes are made to rotate, no need to manually shake the chamber to mix the bees. But the processing time almost did not change, the problem remained in the temperature difference between the top and bottom of the chamber, the center and the corners. In general, the efficiency of 2nd generation devices increased slightly.

3rd generation

These are heat chambers that use a stream of heated air. As a result, it was possible to achieve two goals: the required temperature is maintained in the cassette, there is no risk of bees steaming.

Devices are not spared from disadvantages: insects can accumulate at the bottom of the cassette, where they are not completely rid of ticks. Pests can reattach to bees when they fall off those on top.

Making a heat chamber with your own hands

You can buy a device, but you can also make it yourself. Making a simple thermal chamber is no more difficult than a beehive, the time and money spent will pay off due to the increase in the productivity of bees and the quality of the product produced.

Drawings

The dimensions of the heat chamber are approximately 30 by 30 cm.

Tools and materials

You will need a hacksaw and a screwdriver. Crafting Materials:

• 3 cm thick wooden blocks;
• 6 and 10 mm thick plywood;
• self-tapping screws;
• 60W bulbs;
• power supply;
• voltage stabilizer;
• thermometer;
• cooler;
• thermostat;
• cable.

All of these can be purchased or found on your own farm.

Creating a camera

Production sequence:

• To make a frame, you need to cut the bars to the required dimensions.
• Connect and sheathe them with thin plywood, make the bottom out of thick plywood.
• To make windows above and below to observe the behavior of bees.
• Install the lamps that will work as a heating element in the upper corners of the device.
• Attach cooler below.
• Install the thermostat and sensor in the middle of the wall.

On the regulator, set the temperature value to 46.5-47 °C.

Useful tips from experienced beekeepers

It is necessary to carry out the treatment without the uterus, if it is present, the insects will cluster around it in a tight ball, because of this, the heating efficiency will decrease. Bees can become re-infested with mites.

Be sure to observe the warm-up time, if it is increased by only a few minutes, not only pests, but also bees may die. If the outdoor temperature is below 11 degrees, the mites become inactive and less vulnerable to heat treatment.Therefore, before heating in the device, the cassette must be warmed up for 15 minutes at a temperature of at least 18-25 degrees.

If the treatment is carried out in the spring, after wintering, or after prolonged cold spells, the bees must fly around to empty the intestines before loading into the thermal chamber.

During heat treatment, the device should not contain residues of plant and chemical acaricides that can cause overexcitation and steaming of bees. There should not be any foreign objects near which insects accumulate, where they warm up worse.

The purchase or manufacture of a thermal chamber for bees will solve the problem with mites without the use of acaricides, which are not always safe for the insects themselves. Using a simple and effective device will help the beekeeper keep their bees he althy and get more honey from them.

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