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Bees are one of the most beneficial insects. All bee products have found their application in medicine, cooking and even technology. Do not forget about agriculture. Bees pollinate crops of various crops, which increases their productivity. For this ability, little workers wear the proud title of “winged agronomists.” Beekeepers value these insects for their ability to produce honey. Good seasonal yields and high product quality are the goal of both amateurs and professionals. This requires a sufficient number of honey plants. And here mobile apiaries come to the fore. Hives can be transported to places where there are meadows, fields and forests. A nomadic apiary helps to significantly increase the collection of honey from one particular plant. So you can get the most valuable product.
History of nomadic beekeeping
The breeding of bees has its origins in ancient civilizations. Even the Greeks and Romans could share their experience of nomadic beekeeping. Noble persons, scientists and poets had home apiaries. At the same time, for the first time, the technology of exporting bees to the honey collection was applied. The Greeks chose for these purposes the islands of the Aegean Sea, as well as the Attica Peninsula.
The Romans preferred parts of the land in the bays of the Mediterranean. In ancient Egypt, beekeeping was held in such esteem that bees were even depicted on the royal emblem of the pharaoh. The most honey-bearing places were located in the upper reaches of the Nile. Hives were made from improvised materials (reed or straw), loaded onto rafts and transported to the right place. There is evidence of this in historical chronicles. The experience of these peoples gradually became the basis for modern nomadic beekeeping, which is actively developing today.
Advantages of mobile apiaries
Nomadic apiary on wheels is becoming more and more popular every year. Most often, this is done by beekeepers who prepare a sweet product for commercial purposes. Although just amateurs who want to have high quality honey also carry out such events.
The advantages of a nomadic apiary on wheels are as follows:
- The ability to get honey of one variety (that is, collected from one plant, for example, linden or buckwheat). It is highly valued and of excellent quality.
- The apiary on wheels is easy to move to the field or to the alley with flowering trees. The amount of honey collected will increase, and it will take less time.
- If a rainy summer falls, you can move the nomadic apiary to a place with more suitable weather conditions.
Are there any disadvantages to exit apiaries
A mobile apiary on wheels has not only advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, before organizing such an event, it is better to weigh the pros and cons.
When organizing nomadic beekeeping, you will have to face some difficulties:
- constant transportation of bees requires financial costs;
- all the tools necessary for the beekeeper should always be at hand (for repairing hives, pumping out honey, and so on);
- beekeepers live near the hives in not very comfortable houses or tents, and the apiary itself on wheels has to be guarded;
- it is necessary to thoroughly know the places of growth of honey collections and the periods of flowering of different plants;
- in order to occupy some place for an apiary, permits may be required.
How to choose the right place
The site for a nomadic apiary on wheels must be protected from the winds. It is best if the hiding places are natural (for example, forests, hills).
Be sure to take care of additional parking spaces for the nomadic apiary on wheels. If there is no bribe, you can always move to another site.
Selection and preparation of transport
Cars are most often used to transport bees. They can be cars or trucks. They come with a flatbed trailer or trailer in the form of a booth. In the first case, it must be additionally equipped with shelves and a roof made.
The most comfortable way of transportation is the bee pavilion. It can be both open and closed (insulated). Factory hives are already installed inside. They have standard holes. Before transportation, the trailer or platform on wheels must be equipped with shelves, canopies and fasteners in advance. It is better to drive at low speed so as not to create unnecessary shaking.
The hives are loaded with frames across the body. So the bees on the road will move less. Also, the hives are piled on top of each other. It turns out several tiers. It takes into account how roomy the trailer is and what is the total tonnage of the car. Before shipment, all hives are carefully attached to the trailer or body. Transportation of bees is carried out at night. It is best to arrive at the place early in the morning, while there is no heat. Otherwise, the bees may mate.
Do-it-yourself apiary on wheels
For a nomadic apiary on wheels, you first need to find a suitable trailer (in the form of a booth or with low sides). From wooden boards it is necessary to make a frame, focusing on the internal dimensions of the trailer. The frame and the hive are measured. The results must be accurate. On one frame put hives in several rows. Leave minimal gaps between them. Mounting for a nomadic apiary on wheels is chosen durable and reliable. During transportation, the hives should not move. For fastening the shelves of the second tier, in addition to self-tapping screws, metal corners are also used. The structure becomes more rigid.
Necessary tools and inventory
They need to be taken care of in advance, even if the distance is short. In addition to the hammer, nails and nomadic net for the hive, beekeepers also take clay and seasoned smoker with them. Not superfluous will be special knives for printing honey, a drinking bowl, a solar wax melter. You also need to take a container for honey, spare frames and scales with you. On the road, tools for repairing a car or trailer will also come in handy.
Features of keeping bees in mobile apiaries
The optimal distance between apiaries is at least 3 km. Bees must have constant access to clean water. It is better to choose a shaded place for hives. They are placed in one line parallel to the bribe at the same distance from it. Verandas must be installed in front of the hives. To place an apiary on wheels, you can not use fields that are treated with chemicals.
It is necessary to ensure that the bees do not have the so-called swarm mood. They must work. Drawings of different colors are applied to the inlets of the hives so that the bees do not wander. Inside the pavilion on wheels there must be perfect cleanliness. In a confined space, the risk of insect diseases increases.
Conclusion
A nomadic apiary on wheels has its own subtleties. But all the costs and difficulties pay off with interest. You can export both the entire apiary and individual hives. Everything will depend on the dimensions of the platform or trailer. To achieve the best results, it is recommended to change at least three fields with honey plants per season.
