Keeping mountain bees brings high returns and is a good path to increasing income and becoming better off

The mountain bee is a wild economic insect. The honey it makes from the nectar of the many flowers in nature is a fine grade of honey, and its market price can reach 30-40 yuan per kg. Generally, one bucket of mountain bees can yield about 25 kg of honey per year. If the colony is strong, the nectar source is good and the climate is suitable, each colony can produce 40-50 kg of honey. Right now is the peak period for mountain bee colony division, and bringing mountain bees home to raise them is a good project with low investment and quick results.

Making and placing the bee bucket. The bee bucket is made up of a bottom bucket, an extension bucket, a bucket bottom and a bucket cap (lid). For the bottom bucket and extension bucket, you can choose round logs about 1-1.2 m long and 0.4 m in diameter, hollow them out with a chisel and remove the wood shavings inside to make them. The inner wall of the bucket should not be too smooth. At the lower edge of the bucket body, make an entrance 4 cm long and 1 cm high. After making it, dry it in the sun and evenly coat the inner wall with wax, so that after the mountain bees settle they can gather honey and make wax as quickly as possible. Generally, the extension bucket is more than 2 times longer than the bottom bucket. There are also types in which the bottom bucket and extension bucket are combined into one. The bucket bottom can be made from a round wooden board slightly larger than the area of the lower opening of the bee bucket. Except for the entrance, the rest of the joint between the bucket bottom and the bee bucket should be sealed well. The upper opening of the bucket generally uses bark or other wooden boards to make a conical bucket cap that fits the size of the bee bucket opening. The lower rim of the bucket cap should extend about 10 cm beyond the bee bucket. The joint between the bucket cap and the bucket opening should also be sealed, and the bucket cap, bucket and bucket bottom should be connected and fixed well. After the bee bucket is made, place it near a house in a wind-sheltered, sunny spot with trees behind and open space in front, where water does not collect in summer and snow does not pile up in winter. When placing the bucket, the bee bucket should be propped up as high as possible to prevent mice, ants and the like from entering the entrance. Bee buckets should be placed separately, and placed upright and firmly to prevent the bucket from falling and the bees from escaping.

Bee receiving methods. When receiving bees, the operator should wear protective equipment such as a bee hat. Commonly used bee receiving methods include the entrance bee receiving method and the clustering capture method.

Entrance bee receiving method: when the colony begins to divide and flies in the shape of a trumpet, hold the bucket cap smeared with honey in one hand, and with the other hand hold a bundle of grass and quickly guide the queen onto the bucket cap. After the hand is removed, the mountain bees quickly cluster and the cluster grows larger and larger. At this point, the bucket cap can be lightly placed on the bee bucket. After most of the bees of this colony have entered the bucket, cover the bucket cap tightly and fix it well, then reduce or close the entrance, and at night carefully move and place the bee bucket properly. After the colony enters the bucket, pay attention to watching over it. If it is quiet inside the bucket, the entrance can be opened; if it is not quiet inside the bucket, the entrance can be closed at any time.

Clustering capture method: when receiving bees at the entrance fails, the queen will not fly very far on her first flight, and generally lands on nearby trees, eaves and other places to cluster. At this time, the bee receiver can set up a ladder and go up, hold the bee hat above the bee cluster with one hand and bring it close to the cluster, and with the other hand use grass to drive the bee cluster from below upward. When the queen and the whole colony have clustered under the bucket cap, carry the bucket cap away to lead the bees into the bucket. If the capture is unsuccessful during this period, the colony will migrate far away. At this time, you can use a shovel or your hands to scatter peat soil or splash water to block their way, forcing them to stay and cluster on nearby trees, eaves and other places so they can be captured again.

In addition, when you find a divided colony clustered on a tree branch in the wild, you can saw off the branch and put the bee cluster into the bee bucket, or shake it into a flour sack, bring it back and put it into the bee bucket. When mountain bees are found in rock crevices, you can set up some empty bee buckets on the mountain to attract divided colonies to live there. After the colony has settled and quietly entered normal work, you can carry it home at night to raise it.