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To make layering of bees in August, there are several methods: on a mature mother liquor, on a fetal queen, on an infertile queen. Artificial mating of insects can be carried out during early spring and autumn. Reproduction helps to increase the number of insects and the amount of honey.
What is “layering” in beekeeping
Layering in beekeeping is a selection of individuals and brood for further artificial reproduction. There are three types of layering: on young, old and uneven-aged individuals. In each species, three subspecies are distinguished: for a fetal female, for an infertile female, for a mature mother liquor. Artificial mating is used to restore the swarm after the spring and autumn period, to organize nuclei, to sell and increase the number of individuals in the apiary.
When is the best time to do bee layering?
Layering in a bee colony can be done with sufficient strength of individuals, during the period of the appearance of drones ready for mating, and always at an outdoor air temperature of at least 25 degrees. Layering of bees can be carried out from early spring and end in early August. If weather conditions allow it can be done in the fall.
It is best to make layering in the spring. The bees regain strength over the winter and are ready to breed. In early spring, it is better not to do this, insects may not be strong enough, a decrease in the number of families is possible.
The formation of layers can be carried out in late summer and early autumn. With this option, insects need to be helped by substituting sowing at the exit. This can weaken the core families. The moment of reproduction must be chosen so that the females begin to sow in them no later than one and a half months before the main bribe. Such small families will gain enough strength to work in the honey collection.
How to lay down
There are various ways to make layering bees. The most common of these are described below.
On a mother-of-pearl
To do work on the mother liquor, you must first prepare small cores for mating queens. As soon as eggs begin to appear, families begin to strengthen with new queens.
Young individuals of queen cells perceive better than old ones; therefore, it is recommended to make nuclei from young insects. For layering, 2–4 frames are taken from the main house and transferred to a new one. Additionally, take 2 more frames with honey. The new nest is insulated from above and along the edges.
At sunset, when the flying bees leave their home, they plant a queen liquor in a cage. Water is poured into empty cells. A day later, the mother liquor is released from the cage, until the moment of fertilization and egg laying, the swarm cannot be touched.
If the mother liquor has not taken root, and the insects build fistulous queen cells, it is necessary to kill them and plant a new mother liquor. After two weeks, the result is checked again, if the mother liquor is killed again, then the procedure is repeated. If eggs appear, then the mother liquor is not removed from the hive for another 2 weeks.
Reproduction is carried out a couple of months before the main honey collection. After a successful brood, it is recommended to feed new individuals to strengthen the swarm. Under unsuitable weather conditions, the start of reproduction may be delayed for a month.
On the fetal uterus
This is the easiest way to make layering bees. The bee brood should be made large so that the queen can lay as many eggs as possible. In a small brood, the female may not lay enough eggs and a small generation of insects will grow up.
The brood combs are transferred to a new equipped house along with the individuals. Several young insects are placed there additionally. They are taken from other broods from the main families. The honeycombs are moved along with honey and bee bread. They are placed on the sides of the brood in the new home.
For layering on the fetal uterus, it is necessary to have more than 4 kg of honey in the new hive. For this amount take 1,5 kg of insects. These are good conditions for rapid reproduction.
The first days the individuals do not leave the house, it is necessary to add water to the cells of the side combs by spraying.
When the bees begin to fly out of the hive, it is necessary, taking precautions, to release the queen from the cage. If after a couple of days a weak breeding is noticed, then it is recommended to either report several young individuals or remove one frame.
This method can be used 3 weeks before the start of honey collection. To prevent swarming, you need to choose fertile females from the main family for the family.
With winterized nucleus
It is possible to reproduce with a wintered nucleus. Nucleuses are taken with additional females, which are well fed from the beginning of spring. For the formation of the nucleus, it is provided with a sufficient amount of food, the nests are insulated. Under such conditions, it grows rapidly. When the nucleus has formed and matured, it is transplanted into a new hive. Later, it is strengthened by adding one frame of brood, if everything is fine, then a few more frames can be added later.
In this breeding method, swarming can occur. This happens if there are too many young insects in the house and during the daytime the air temperature in the hive is high. In this case, the uterus simply will not be able to give offspring. To prevent this, the cores are checked periodically in the new hive. If swarming begins, then they are disposed of.
For a young bee
Such layering can be formed from the same family or from different ones. They must be young, then there will be no enmity between them. You can use a fertile female, infertile or mature mother liquor.
If breeding is done from one family, then it is located next to the main hive. 2–3 frames with brood, 2 frames with bee bread are transferred into it. After 2–4 days, insects are shaken into the hive from two more frames. Old individuals can return to the old house. The new family will be weakened because of this. At this moment, the female sits down. She is placed in a cage in advance in the old hive, and the barren one is placed in a cage in a new hive. If a mature mother liquor is from the main hive, then it is placed immediately in a new house. After a few days, the cells are opened for mating. On the tenth day, clutch should appear.
Layering by dividing the family into half a summer
For this method, the old hive is moved to another place. In its place put a new house, with prepared frames. The frames with one-day sowing are transferred to a new house. Add frames with perga. In the new hive there will be insects from old families. The next day, they check the number of individuals, if there are too many, some are removed, if few, then they are supplemented with frames with insects. The new hive is insulated.
How to make layering for bees in spring
To start work on the formation of layering, it is necessary to wait for the moment of awakening of insects after wintering. They must get stronger. This usually happens while maintaining the temperature outside at least 10 ° C. Weather conditions must be suitable: sufficient daylight hours and no threat of frost. There are two mating options in spring:
- early. This method is used in early or mid-April. If done later, it will lead to swarming. The air should warm up to 20 degrees. It all depends on the region where the hive is located;
- late. During such a period, the probability of non-return from the marriage flight is high. If this happens, brood may not occur at all. This will reduce the amount of honey. By the time of reproduction, drones and queens should have time to form in families. The best time is the middle or end of May.
For layering in the spring you will need:
- Make a new bee hive.
- Nucleus, each requires 2-3 frames. Nucleuses are selected from young strong families.
- Mature mother liquor.
- The hive is insulated with foam plastic or bundles of moss, reeds.
- Roevnya, which will later be transferred to a new house.
- Female. It is chosen depending on the method of reproduction.
First you need to calculate and extract the uterus. It can be taken in the main hive or bought. Brood should be made from families that have begun to swarm. Honeycombs should be with eggs. To strengthen the new swarm, it is necessary to feed with medicinal preparations, sugar syrup. Prepare bee-bread frames in advance. For one new house, 3-5 pieces are needed. It is possible to conduct an early flyby of bees in the greenhouse, this will allow you to identify weak colonies and replace unsuitable queens. If the female is purchased, then layering is carried out 5-10 days later.
How to layer before swarming
Swarming bees produce less honey. Swarming begins in late April or early May. They build honeycombs with drone cells and begin the formation of drone brood. After a few days, queen cells appear. These are sure signs of the beginning of swarming. Insects form a swarm and leave their home. At this point, you need to have time to catch insects in the swarm. Move them to a new hive. A new hive is put in place of the main one. When transferring individuals to a new home, it is necessary to remove the female. When the queen is lost, the bees stop swarming. In such a situation, there will be insects of different ages in the new house. The swarming of families is the instinctive reproduction of bees. This moment can be postponed to a later date, but cannot be prevented.
Is it possible to make layers of bees in August
It is best to breed in the spring. In August days, layering of bees is carried out under suitable weather conditions. For this you will need:
- Make a new home for the bees.
- Several females from the main hive.
- 2-3 frames of brood, young or of different ages.
- Frames with bee bread, 2-3 pieces per family.
Before transferring individuals to a new house, it is necessary to make insulation with foam plastic or bunches of moss. Layering of bees in August is carried out on a mother liquor, a fertile or infertile female. After 4-5 days, you can check for the presence of eggs. If the laying was successful, then the bees need to be fed with sugar syrup. If there are no eggs, then they try to plant several new females. By the beginning of autumn, new families are formed.
How to make late layers of bees in the fall
The best way to do bee layering in the fall is the half-summer method. In autumn, reproduction is carried out at a sufficient temperature. If the weather conditions do not match, so as not to reduce the number of individuals and not weaken the families, the work is transferred to the spring. To carry out work in the fall, you need to make a new hive and insulate it well. Several young families are transferred to a new house, later a female is planted. When masonry appears, insects need to be fed.
Conclusion
There are several ways to make layering of bees in August and other times. Layering will help increase the number of bees in the apiary, make a second hive, increase the amount of honey. To carry out such work, all necessary conditions must be observed: insects must be strong, healthy, weather conditions must be suitable. The formation of new families is best done with young individuals, this will increase the likelihood of success.