Beehives of this type are used with frameless beekeeping technology – the Japanese hive is devoid of frames, which are familiar to most modern beekeepers. The bees rebuild the combs themselves, and to fix them inside the hulls, the apiary owners install special crosspieces.
The method refers to the natural content of honey bees, and points with such hives can be safely attributed to an eco-apiary.
The content of the article
- 1 Japanese experience
- 1.1 design Features
- 1.2 Features of beekeeping
- 1.3 Advantages of the method
- 2 Dimensions and Drawings
- 3 Production
- 4 In conclusion
Japanese experience
Beehives of this design have long been present in traditional Japanese culture. They also have a European copy – the beehive of Abbot Warré, who was also fond of natural beekeeping. In many ways, they are similar with the only difference that Varre’s bee houses are designed more complexly than the classic “Japanese”.
To read:
Abbot Emile Warré and his frameless hives
design Features
Japanese beehives are completed from buildings with a lattice at the top and free space above it, which makes it easier for insects to move from one street to another. There is no canvas traditional for domestic beekeepers.
A cross is made in the buildings, which holds the honeycomb layers during their construction and further operation. Inside this multi-body structure, honeycombs that are monolithic along the entire height are formed. When removing any body, they can be cut with a string without fear of breakage and deformation.
The number of honeycombs is determined by the bee colony itself. Usually insects build seven long honeycombs.
Features of beekeeping
In terms of beekeeping technology, houses of this type are close to the logs used by beekeepers in Russia since ancient times:
In spring, bees are not involved in additional heating of the brood, since the combs are monolithic here – built without breaking the nest. This is facilitated by the absence of laps. All installed buildings naturally merge into a single living space.
Expansion is always carried out from below, which excludes the cooling of the nest. At the same time, the beekeeper does not interfere with the structure of the brood zone. Therefore, the lower bodies can be installed in advance, taking into account the spring-summer increase in the strength of the bee colony. The date of expansion will not be as critical as in our traditional beekeeping in multi-frame frame hives.
The creation of layering in “Japanese” is as simple as possible. The main hive is divided into two by the incursion of old flying insects on the brood.
Wintering takes place in one or two buildings. The bees are preliminarily driven down with smoke, and the upper sections are removed to pump out commercial honey. The honey extractor is not used. Instead, a press is used.
Advantages of the method
Other positive aspects are changes in the behavior and character of the bees themselves. According to the observations of beekeepers who practiced this technology, local breeds become calmer, willingly engage in construction – in one week, during the period of active expansion, they fill almost an entire building with honeycombs.
Also, the technique is ideal for “lazy” beekeepers – people who do what they love only on weekends and do not invest a lot in their hobby.
And the lack of frames not only saves money, but also frees the beekeeper from unnecessary work! The frames do not need to be assembled, wire pulled, applied, waxed after pumping out, disinfected.
The same applies to making classic frame hives. It takes weeks to process wood, assemble and fit parts. All this time in the warm season can be devoted exclusively to bees.
Dimensions and Drawings
Making a Japanese beehive with your own hands is quite simple even for a beginner.
The height of each individual body is 150 millimeters, which is very practical – boards that are easy to buy on the market are used (for example, 200 mm may be in short supply).
In the Japanese tradition, a double-hull design is used, but it can be expanded to three hulls if desired. Some beekeepers manage to use more vertical sections. Indeed, when expanding, everything depends on the strength of the bribe in a particular region.
The cross section of the hive is square. Its internal dimensions are 200 by 200 mm, but there are drawings where other dimensions are found – 240 by 240 or 300 by 300 mm.
The upper grille consists of five to six 30mm slats packed 5-10mm apart. The thickness of these parts is 5 mm.
The inner cross is made of two strips. And our craftsmen adapt the wire to the holders for honeycombs, which also does not contradict the basic idea of the design.
The harness gets lost to the size of the case. A shield is attached to it with the help of self-tapping screws or nails. The cover is covered with any suitable waterproofing material.
The bottom, according to the Japanese design, is detachable. There is a letch only here, at the bottom of the hive. Other tap holes in the hulls are not drilled.
Fun fact: The Japanese set up bee houses directly on the ground, without using stands or stakes. In our climate, it is better not to experiment like this – a stand is an obligatory element for Russia!
Japanese beehive drawing and diagram:
Production
For work, you need the following materials and tools:
- boards – 150 widths, 35 thicknesses, 4 lengths;
- wood screws – 12 pieces per case;
- wire diameter 2,6 mm;
- hand saw;
- drilling machine;
- electric drill;
- pliers;
- vise for wood;
- a hammer;
- gas-burner.
The order of work on the assembly of the case:
1) It is necessary to cut a four-meter board into pieces of 255 millimeters or other dimensions, for example, 300 mm.
2) A hole with a diameter of 3,2 mm is made in each workpiece using a drilling machine. Positioning: 127 mm from the side cut of the workpiece and 30 mm from the top. These are the places for the wire spider.
3) Holes of the same diameter are made along the right side cut of the part. For this, an indent from the edge is made by 17 mm. Along a line drawn at this distance parallel to the side cut, holes are drilled: 20 mm from the top, and then 75 and 20 mm from the bottom of the part. The screws will be screwed in here.
4) Using an electric drill and a screwdriver, all four boards of the case are fastened with 12 screws (three for each point).
5) A wood vise is used for the temporary connection. The wire for attaching the honeycomb is threaded through the holes drilled in the center with an upward shift – a cross is obtained.
6) The ends of the wire are bent at an angle of 90 degrees using pliers and a hammer, and then bent down and driven into the wood of the board. On the other side of the housing, the wire is pulled and fastened in exactly the same way. The operation is performed from all four sides of the body section.
7) The body is processed with a torch (blowtorch) from the outside and from the inside.
8) Outside, two bars are nailed along the entire width / length of the body section on two opposite sides, which will serve as carrying handles.
In conclusion
The Japanese design of hives was dictated by nature itself. Apis cerana is an Asian breed with a strong instinct to protect nests. You can’t just look into the hive! That is why the Japanese have developed a special tradition of beekeeping – to approach their pets a maximum of 3-4 times a year. This is exactly what the construction of houses with monolithic elongated honeycombs, developed in practice, allows to do.
Whether or not to use such exotic hives is up to you. But in any case, it is worth noting that such beekeeping is as close as possible to the conditions of the natural habitat of honey bees. Many modern beekeepers-practitioners are striving for ecological beekeeping these days, especially abroad.
The easiest way to experiment will be for beginners who are not yet accustomed to any kind of hive system. It often takes years to purchase or manufacture inventory and equipment – over time, sufficient volumes of them are accumulated. And beekeeping according to the Japanese method will allow you to skip this step, immediately starting to study working with bees.
