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On-board beekeeping involves the artificial creation of a home for bees in the form of a hollow in a tree. Bort can attract a huge number of wild forest bees. To seriously engage in the production of bee honey, you need to become familiar with the features and nuances of beekeeping. It takes a good understanding of the trees that are best suited to attract a swarm of bees. Knowing the peculiarities of beekeeping, you can make the life of bees in artificially created hollows much more comfortable than in hives.
What is "beekeeping"
Beekeeping is a form of beekeeping in which a hive is built in a natural or hollowed-out hollow of a large tree. For this purpose, trees are used whose hollows are located at a height of 7 to 15 m. A beehive is a replacement for a traditional hive; it can be hollowed out artificially or used formed on an old tree. In the middle of the hive, the bees form honeycombs, for which they use special reinforcements - honeycombs.
Collecting honey from the hive in the beehives is carried out by using narrow sticks with small holes. Beekeepers call this device beekeepers.
Beekeeping itself is a fascinating and not too labor-intensive process.The only difficulty with this type of beekeeping is collecting honey from the hive. Due to the fact that the hives are located at a decent height, it is necessary to climb a tree.
Origins of onboard beekeeping
Based on the history of beekeeping, this activity was popular in Russia and Bashkortostan. This form of beekeeping was especially popular from the 15th to the 18th centuries.
Beekeeping developed especially well in dense forest plantations near the Desna, Oka, Dnieper and Voronezh. However, soon such honey production began to decline. The cutting down of trees in forests and the clearing of green areas did not allow this branch of agriculture to develop. At the end of the 15th century, almost all plantings around the Moscow River were cut down and beekeeping ceased.
In the Republic of Bashkortostan, keeping a beehive in a bee hive developed much faster than in Rus'; Today beekeeping has been preserved in the protected area of Shulgan-Tash.
The Republic of Bashkortostan is famous for its numerous linden and maple forest plantations, and these trees are among the best for creating beehives in borti.
During the period of nomadism of the tribes of Bashkortostan, there was practically no deforestation, bees actively multiplied and took root well in wooden hives. For this type of beekeeping, exclusively dark forest bees were used.
Life of bees in a hollow
If we compare keeping bees in hollows and conventional hives, preference should be given to the former. Beekeeping in artificially built hives is often destructive for bees, especially in the summer.
Conventional hives have virtually no ventilation. There are ventilation holes, however, they are not enough for good air circulation.For this reason, the bees in the hive are divided into two groups: some drive superheated air, others drive fresh air into the hive. This process requires a lot of effort, and due to the increased activity of insects, they need more food, so the productivity of honey decreases. During the summer, some bees die in artificial hives due to extreme heat.
Bees settled in Borti hives do not lose energy for ventilation, which is why they do not require additional nutrition, as in a hive. When the air in the hollow becomes heavy, it escapes through the main hole. Thus, the bees do not expend much energy and produce more honey. Insects practically do not get sick and produce high-quality bee products.
When bees are kept in a hollow, a strong and healthy swarm develops, which is not afraid of the most dangerous disease - varroatosis. Forest dark bees, unlike those kept in ordinary hives, have good immunity against mites and other microorganisms.
How to make a fence for bees with your own hands
To build a hive on a tree yourself, choose a middle-aged tree. It must be strong; preference is given to maple or linden. The beehive border should be cut at a height of 5–15 m from the ground. The depth of the hollow should be 30 cm, length - 1 m.
Next, you must follow the instructions:
- Cut out a window (dowzhei), the height corresponding to the cut-out hollow, and the width from 10 to 20 cm. This hole will be the collection point for the bee product.
- After the dovzhei is built, it is covered with wooden covers. It is better to fix them with wooden nails located at different heights.
The nails are made from maple. Other trees are not suitable for making nails. The thickness of each door should be equal to the width of the window.
A small hole is made in the hollow, which will serve as a tap hole. It must be made at right angles to the main hole. The small window is located slightly above the middle of the main one. It is enough to raise it by 2–3 cm.
After the bead is made, care must be taken to maintain the main hole. In winter, the humidity in the hollow increases, the main trunk can rot, causing the productivity of bees to decline. To avoid hassle, it is necessary to build a ventilation duct with a plug in the sides. This is done in parallel with cutting out a small window.
Ventilation is quite easy to do. To do this, make small holes in the hollow.
Proper construction of the ventilation system in the walls contributes to:
- preserving the habitat of bees in good condition for a long period;
- improving honey production.
Keeping bees in nest boxes
Before you make a hive in a hollow tree, you need to take care of the size of the new housing. Bees that produce a lot of honey may abandon a site if it is not the right size. If the manufactured side is suitable for the bees, a swarm of insects settles and settles in the hollow. If there are cracks or holes inside the hive, the insects seal them with propolis, and work begins on building honeycombs and then producing honey.
The honey that is formed in the upper part of the hive cannot be touched; the lower part is a product for collection.It is very important not to overdo it with harvesting, and not to go deep into the sides, otherwise you can harm the brood. In the second year after the bees move in, active filling of the honeycombs begins, so at first the process of collecting bee product will be quite labor-intensive.
It should be remembered that forest bees are aggressive in nature, so when harvesting it is necessary to wear protective clothing.
Technique for collecting honey product from borti:
- It is necessary to wait for the bees to fly into the field.
- Smoke out the remaining insects using smoke and tapping on the hollow.
- Collect bee product from the hive using bee beekeeper. It is recommended to collect honey located below.
What are the qualities of on-board honey?
Honey produced by forest bees living in a tree hive is healthier and purer. The entire process of printing honeycombs is carried out by human hands, without the use of mechanical machines. Due to the fact that the nectar does not pass through mechanical pumping, all beneficial properties and enzymes are preserved. Thus, vital substances do not disappear from royal jelly, wax and propolis. The price of wild bee honey is significantly higher than that obtained from a regular hive.
Conclusion
Bort is the best place to create a hive for bees. Thanks to the correct placement of the hollow and timely collection of the bee product, you can collect a good harvest of honey. In a year, from one hive you can get from 8 to 10 kg of environmentally friendly bee product. The main advantage of creating a hive in borti is the absence of special costs. Keeping the hive in a natural hollow reduces the risk of death several times.
