How to keep bees so they don't abscond? Disease and pest control methods

When a bee colony becomes too large or the queen grows old, the worker bees will build specially constructed queen cells“queen cells” for rearing new queens; the larvae hatched from the fertilized eggs laid in the queen cells are fed royal jelly by the worker bees throughout their development, and after emergence they become new queens. Natural swarming usually involves the old queen leading a group of worker bees away, while the new queen inherits the original hive; this phenomenon is called “swarming”.

How to keep bees from absconding

1. First, choose a suitable apiary site. The site should be quiet, well-drained, free of pollution, free from disturbance by people and livestock, and surrounded by suitable nectar sources.

2. Pay close attention to the condition of the colony. When the colony is too large, promptly carry out artificial splitting and other measures to reduce colony density. When the queen grows old, promptly rear a new queen to replace her; otherwise, if the queen's hormone secretion is insufficient, the worker bees may rear another new queen on their own and cause swarming. If naturally appearing queen cells are not worth keeping, they should be removed promptly.

3. Guard against other insects, birds, beasts and other natural enemies that eat bees and steal honey. When nectar sources are insufficient, supplement feeding promptly; feeding the bees sugar water is sufficient.

4. If “swarming” has already occurred, the worker bees will gather around the queen to form a cluster. The cluster generally will not move far from the original hive; at this time the colony will send out scout bees to search for a new nesting site, and the cluster will not disperse and fly away until a suitable new nesting site is found.

5. You can spray some honey into a suitable container, supplemented by manual moving, to lure the colony into the container and recover the cluster, then place it in an empty hive box.

6. If the colony settles down the next day and begins collecting nectar and building comb, it indicates that the colony has been successfully recovered.

7. If at this time the colony is still unsettled or cannot collect nectar due to weather conditions, supplementary feeding should also be provided to prevent it from absconding again.

Prevention and control of bee diseases and pests

I. Bee diseases

1. Breeding disease-resistant bee varieties: there are two technical approaches: directional breeding within the same variety; and utilizing heterosis to breed disease-resistant bee varieties.

2. Keeping strong colonies, maintaining a proper balance between bees and combs, and strengthening colony management. In early spring, colonies should be kept warm; in summer, attention should be paid to cooling. In addition to artificial warming and cooling measures outside the hive, an appropriate density of bees on the brood combs should be maintained, and the bee space should be adjusted according to the external temperature. Eliminate old combs and build more new combs. Combs are the place where bees breed and also where they store honey, and at the same time they are carriers of pathogens. Timely eliminating the combs of diseased colonies and old combs can effectively reduce the spread of pathogens.

II. Prevention and control of bee pests

1. Advocate self-breeding and self-raising. Except for introducing improved varieties, do not buy bee colonies from epidemic areas to avoid mutual infection. Feed should use self-produced honey and pollen. Old hive boxes purchased from elsewhere should be strictly disinfected before use. If bee disease occurs in this apiary, immediately isolate and treat it; do not transfer combs from diseased colonies at will into healthy colonies to prevent cross-infection. Disinfect hive boxes and combs more than once a year.

2. Reform the method of administering medication. Change the traditional method of mixing medicine into sugar water to feeding bees medicine added to pollen or sugar powder.

3. Prevent pesticide poisoning of bees. Understand the pesticide spraying situation in surrounding farmland and take emergency measures to prevent or reduce pesticide poisoning of bees.

Methods for trapping wild bees

1. Choose a location: To lure wild bee colonies, choose a place with relatively abundant nectar and pollen sources, a nearby water source, a sunny mountain foot or mountainside, suitable microclimate, and an obvious target for placing the hive box. The hive box can be placed under a large tree or beside rocks.

2. Grasp the timing: The success rate of trapping is high during the bee swarming season. April to May in the north and November to December in the south are suitable periods for trapping Chinese bees. In the subtropical regions of the south, nectar sources are scarce from August to September, and wild bee colonies may migrate, which is also suitable for trapping.

3. Use old hive boxes: It is best to use old hive boxes from home (new ones can replace the old ones, and the replaced ones can be used specifically for trapping), because old hive boxes carry propolis and beeswax, making bee trapping most successful. Coat the entrance of the hive box with a layer of beeswax (burn the old comb and apply the melted beeswax).

4. Check frequently: Generally, there will be results a few days after placement, especially in winter. If it rains for several days and then the sun comes out for a day, there may be an unexpected surprise. After the bees return to the nest in the evening, close the hive entrance, move it home, and transfer them into a hive for rearing as soon as possible.

Conditions for rapid bee reproduction

1. Superior queen: The speed of colony reproduction and the level of output mainly depend on the quality of the queen. A young and robust queen has strong egg-laying ability, rapid colony development, and can maintain a large colony. Worker bees also have strong foraging ability, work actively, show less swarming impulse, and produce higher yields.

2. Strong colony: A strong colony is the foundation of high yield, and the strong colony of Chinese bees is based on the actual situation of Chinese bees, and each period has its own standard for a strong colony. Only a strong colony can fully give play to the queen's egg-laying ability, resist the invasion of diseases and pests, and safely pass through summer and autumn.

3. Sufficient honey: Sufficient honey stored in the hive can help the colony get through difficulties when nectar sources are lacking in the field. If honey is lacking in the hive, it will cause colony restlessness, abandonment of larvae, cessation of egg-laying by the queen, and even robbing and absconding.

4. New combs: Chinese bees like new combs and dislike old combs. New combs have large cells and fresh wax; the queen especially likes to lay eggs on new combs, and reproduction is fast. The worker bees reared are robust and strong in foraging ability, and wax moths are less likely to occur in the colony.

5. Dense clustering: Chinese bees like dense clustering. A proper balance between bees and combs should always be maintained. In winter, dense colony strength can help overwintering; during the honey flow period, dense colony strength can promote rapid honey storage, early maturation, and high yield; during summer, dense clustering can reduce colony decline and make it difficult for natural enemies to invade.

6. Over-summering: Over-summering is a difficult hurdle in raising Chinese bees in the south. To safely pass the summer, in addition to the above conditions, attention must also be paid to shading, providing water, strictly preventing natural enemies, and keeping the colony quiet.

Beekeeping is one of the ways for farmers in mountainous and semi-mountainous areas to increase income. In the breeding process, pest control is a key link in whether bee product output increases, and colony health care measures are very important in beekeeping production. Poor handling will affect colony reproduction, reduce apiary income, and in severe cases cause the collapse of all colonies in the apiary.