As the survey on our website shows, more than half of beekeepers prefer keeping bees in a double-hive hive for 12 frames of the Dadant-Blatt system.
It is fairly believed that this hive system is best suited for areas with fast and strong honey collection (as opposed to areas with medium, weak or long flow, where sun beds or Ruta hives are better suited).
The content of the article
- 1 A bit of history
- 2 Benefits of 2-corpus content
- 3 Content options
- 3.1 Rearranging honeycomb frames before bribe
- 3.2 Second option – brood is not transferred
- 4 When are layering done?
- 5 Disadvantages of double-hull content
A bit of history
Immediately it is necessary to make a reservation that the stereotypical term “keeping bees in double-hive hives” came to us from Soviet textbooks on beekeeping.
During the Soviet deficit, collective farm apiaries were centrally equipped with only two buildings per hive. It was problematic to purchase additional buildings or shops, so beekeepers were forced to adjust their methods and technologies to this condition.
In our time, this problem does not exist. Therefore, when we are talking about a two-hull hive, it must be borne in mind that under favorable weather conditions, nothing prevents the use of the third and even the fourth hive on the same principle (or use store extensions).
Benefits of 2-corpus content
The keeping of bees in double-hive hives is carried out primarily with the aim of increasing the maximum number of flying insects to the main bribe.
Read: Optimal composition and number of bee families
But no less important are the other benefits of such content:
- effective counter-war measure;
- preservation of the working energy of bee colonies;
- increase in the collection of commercial honey by 45-50%;
- increase in the production of commercial wax by 40-50%;
- facilitating the work of the beekeeper when assembling nests for the winter.
Content options
In thematic textbooks, several options for two-part content are described. The main one is the following.
The expansion of the hive with the second body is carried out when the bees occupy at least 11 streets in the first body, and the brood must be at least 8 honeycomb frames.
In various climatic zones, this moment can occur in the middle of May, and in the first decade of June. Therefore, each beekeeper decides the question of when to put the second body on the Dadan hive individually, in accordance with the weather conditions of his region and personal beekeeping experience.
The main thing is not to miss the moment! Because the rapid filling of the first body with brood, honey and bee bread reduces the egg production of the uterus (she has nowhere to lay eggs). In addition, the tightness in the nest, the forced unemployment of young bees inevitably introduces the family into a swarm mood.
Important! If swarm queen cells are found, it is useless to put the 2nd building! Honeycomb frames with foundation will not be built up. Removing the queen cells will do nothing and will only prolong the period of non-working state of the bee colony. It is necessary to let it open up and only then put the second building.
The 2nd body is placed on top of the first, nesting one. Then from the first 3 honeycomb frames with brood of different ages are rearranged into it, 2 honey-feathers and one with foundation are also given. In the nesting tier, in place of the brood ones, 3 honeycomb frames with dry land are installed. The nest is insulated.
As the colony develops, the nest is promptly expanded with dry land and foundation.
Rearranging honeycomb frames before bribe
Before the main bribe, a regrouping of honeycombs is done. All open brood is transferred to the lower housing, in the upper one a sealed brood is left and dried.
If this is not done, the presence of young animals at the top will not make it possible to pump out marketable honey, and the honeycombs of the frames at the bottom will be filled with bee bread.
But if everything is done correctly and on time, then as the young bees emerge, all the freed cells of the second tier will be flooded with honey. And with timely pumping out, the second body can be used for a bribe more than once.
For example, when roaming on sunflower in the southern regions, the second buildings are pumped out up to four times! And in strong families, the same can be said about the third corps.
Second option – brood is not transferred
There is an option when the brood is not transferred upward. 6-8 honeycomb frames of sushi and honeycombs are placed on top, then, as the bee colony develops, this body will expand with foundation up to 12 frames.
Some beekeepers use dividing bars. The uterus does not go into the second sowing body, and there is no need to reshuffle the frames before the main bribe. This method reduces the labor costs of the beekeeper. The bottom housing is enough for the nest.
In a 12-frame housing, usually 2 outer frames are filled with food (honey-feathers). In the remaining 8 frames 435 * 300 there are approximately 6-000 free cells. That is, only 7-000 in the building.
If the uterus sows an average of 2 eggs per day and the combs are occupied for 000 days, then she needs 21 cells. Thus, there is enough room in the nesting building with a margin for the reproduction of the bee and it can be safely separated with a lattice, giving the opportunity for flying insects to fill the 42nd and 2rd buildings with shops with commercial honey.
When are layering done?
With a late main flow in strong bee colonies, in order to avoid the swarming state, it is recommended to make layering on the queen or young queen.
Layers can be made either permanent to expand the apiary, or temporary for the purpose of subsequent communication with the main family and the formation of the so-called. “Honey cake”.
🌻: The technology of creating honey families
Disadvantages of double-hull content
The only drawback of a double-hive hive is the need to lift and move a heavy load.
We personally know beekeepers who, after several years of keeping bees in Dadans, complained of hernia or protrusion of the spine. Therefore, such keeping of bee colonies is usually recommended for young people, physically strong or with helpers.
But even under the condition of independent beekeeping, those who wish can find acceptable ways. For example, when selecting honey frames, you can remove them one by one from the case and place them in a portable box, take it away, and then remove the empty case. This, of course, increases labor costs, but saves health.
