Must-Know Essentials of Beekeeping: How to Prevent Bee Colonies from Absconding
In beekeeping production, due to the influence of adverse factors within the colony, some colonies may abscond every year.
(1) Reasons for bee colony absconding
1) Genetic reasons. Some bee species are very prone to absconding when the environment inside the hive is extremely unsuitable for the colony's survival, such as the Chinese bee (Apis cerana). Some bee species are unwilling to leave the hive and abscond even when starving, such as the Italian bee (Apis mellifera ligustica), with the exception of small colonies.
2) Lack of stored honey. When nectar sources in the wild are scarce, the honey stored in the hive is gradually depleted, the queen reduces or completely stops laying eggs, and the bees even stop feeding the larvae and throw the larvae out of the hive. If large-scale supplementary feeding is not provided at this time, the bees are most likely to abscond.
3) Serious diseases and pests. Larval foulbrood, sacbrood, and other diseases occur severely. When ants, wax moth larvae, hornets, and various other pests or robber bees invade, the colony is unable to resist and absconds. The main cause of absconding in Chinese bees (Apis cerana) is damage from greater wax moth larvae. 4) Unsuitable hive location. When the colony is near a tall chimney, it is often fumigated; or in hot summer when exposed to direct sunlight, the temperature inside the hive is too high; or when in dense woods without sunlight, the inside of the hive becomes moldy, making absconding likely.
5) Colony too weak. Newly split colonies and mating colonies have very few bees, lack sufficient ability to regulate the temperature inside the hive, and have low foraging capacity. In summer when the weather is extremely hot and food is scarce, these small colonies easily abscond.
6) Irritation from unusual odors. When administering medication, the medicinal odor is too strong and irritates the bees
7) Strong vibrations. When inspecting, movements are too heavy and the colony is subjected to strong vibrations; or when the hive is near railways or factories with loud noises and is constantly vibrated, the bees will abscond.
(2) Measures to prevent bee colony absconding
1）Improve feeding and management, to eliminate the internal causes of absconding. Carry out timely colony splitting during the swarming season to prevent natural swarming; choose locations with abundant nectar sources for placing hives to prevent pollen and honey shortages; promptly eliminate greater wax moth larvae, hornets, and other pests, and do a good job of disease prevention and treatment; avoid subjecting the colony to stimulation from smoke, foul odors, and vibrations; do not place beehives under high-voltage power lines, in scorching sun, or in cold wind; for weak colonies, feed frequently, frequently replace old combs, build more new combs, and maintain a balance between bees and combs, so as to strengthen colony strength and reduce weak colonies; frequently clean the beehives, maintain their cleanliness and hygiene, and prevent thick accumulation of debris at the bottom of the hive. In short, the goal is to strengthen management to enhance the bees' homing instinct and reduce the possibility of absconding.
2)Frequently observe the bee colony, to promptly detect signs of colony absconding. There are many signs of absconding, and they are not difficult to discover with careful observation, such as a significant decrease in worker bee foraging trips, with guarding and fanning almost stopping; bees inside the hive becoming restless and agitated, with stored honey significantly decreasing; the queen reducing or stopping egg-laying, with her abdomen contracting, queen cells being capped, and larvae drying up; thick accumulation of debris at the bottom of the hive, old and blackened combs that have been bitten into a tattered mess; and greater wax moth larvae multiplying in large numbers, weaving through the combs and spinning silk cocoons. If the above signs are discovered, immediately lower the entrance, lower the entrance board by 4-4.3 cm, allowing only worker bees to pass in and out so that the queen cannot get through, and at the same time cut off one side of the queen's wings (but leave most of the costal margin of that wing) so that she cannot fly. In this way, even if the worker bees abscond, because the queen cannot leave with them, the worker bees will generally naturally return.