Can hornets be farmed artificially? A full analysis of breeding techniques

AbstractHornets can be farmed artificially, but care is needed: hornets are highly aggressive and sting easily, so if you want to farm them artificially, you must choose a location far from crowds. Hornet farming requires not only mastering mature breeding techniques but also preparing common beekeeping tools such as bee cages, bee sheds and beehives.

The hornet is a fairly common type of bee in daily life and is currently distributed in many places around the world. Hornets also have strong beneficial effects, so some people now want to farm them. However, some people say they cannot be farmed, so what is the truth? Let us take a look below!

Can hornets be farmed artificially?

Hornets can be farmed artificially, but hornets like to sting people, so when farming them you must not do so in places with many people; it is better to choose a more remote location.

Hornet breeding techniques

1. From September to October each year, hornets can be collected. Collection. At this time hornets begin to leave their old nests and migrate to suitable places to gather for overwintering, so this is the most suitable time to collect the swarm. At night, use an insect net to collect the swarm at its overwintering site and keep them in bee cages. Put 300-500 individuals in each bee cage, cover it with black cloth to block light, and place it in a dry, ventilated, undisturbed empty room to reduce activity and prompt them to enter dormancy early. To avoid difficulty in finding the swarm after it leaves the nest, you can also harvest from the original nest in mid-September and put them into cages or boxes; taking advantage of the swarm's upward habit, place ripe apples, peaches and leafy green vegetables with high water content at the bottom of the cage. This method is very good.

2. After the beginning of spring the following year, when the temperature rises above 10 degrees C, the overwintering bees begin to disperse from the cluster and move on the cage wall. At this point, feed such materials as apples, molasses and steamed buns mixed with sugar should immediately be provided for artificial rearing, and feeding should continue until mid-April; only after the bees in the cage vibrate their wings and move for a period of time can the bees be released from the cage to return to nature and build nests. Artificial assisted nest building means building a bee shed under natural conditions. When the spring temperature is steady at 13 degrees C, the overwintering hornets begin to disperse and move, and can be moved into the greenhouse at night; gently open the cage door or box lid, and after a few days the hornets will begin to fly in the shed.

3. When the temperature is above 17 degrees C, hornets begin to lay eggs. Observe at all times; when you see bees flying and stopping on the shed roof and the surrounding gauze netting, you should promptly hang the bee cages in various places in the shed, open them halfway and tie them firmly. In the rearing shed, only the artificially placed bee cages are suitable nest-building sites that block light, shelter from rain and keep out wind, so the bees naturally fly into the cages. After only a brief period of adaptation, they use their legs and mouthparts to clear the nest base on the cage top; at this time molasses should be added to the feed tray to help the bees build a firm nest stalk. Then the first nest cell is built. The nest cell is made by the hornet carrying chewed rotten wood, paper and other paste-like fibrous material into the cage, sticking it to the nest stalk, and then slightly shaping it, so put rotten wood in the bee shed and hang some waste paper strips on the gauze netting of the shed wall for the bees to use. Care is needed when doing this.

Hornet farming equipment

1. Bee cage. This is the first thing to prepare; it is generally made of wood blocks, iron-wood or iron gauze netting, with a volume of about 0.03-0.04 cubic meters, so that they have enough space for activity.

2. Bee shed. As for the size of this bee shed, it generally depends on how many nests are harvested; you can use a large glass greenhouse, a large factory building or build a dedicated bee-rearing shed. The bee shed uses iron or wood as supports and iron window gauze as enclosing netting; it is generally about 100 sq m in area and 2 m high, and crops such as corn, soybeans and cotton that easily attract insects are planted in the shed, with a gauze door left on one side. Small plates containing feed such as honey water, fruit and melon rind should be hung in the shed; this allows the hornets to eat and still move freely.

3. Beehive. Beehives are generally made from formwork; the formwork length is about 15-20 cm, and thin wooden boards are used for the top and bottom. A hook is installed on the top, gauze windows are hung around it, and an openable door should be left on one side.

Although hornets can be farmed artificially, you must pay attention to the location. When farming hornets, you must do a good job of site selection, then cultivate them at the appropriate time; when farming, you also need to complete the construction of equipment in advance. There are some detailed introductions above, and I hope they can be of some help to everyone.