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Abdulah VejzovicOnly healthier bees produce more
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Chapter 8

Winter preparation

From the video: Practical Beekeeping Part 8

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Transcript
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We take the queen and make a small swarm or nucleus, which we add to the support colony. When the foragers return, we also feed that swarm a little because it lost its foragers. Now in the productive colony we will have even more honey, because the colony has gained the instinct to collect more honey. Like a natural swarm — due to the young queen and the first eggs in that productive colony. We do this at the start of the main honey flow because in this third period all productive colonies reach their biological maximum of 5 to 7 kg of bees in mass, which can exploit even the shortest honey flow. After these works at the apiary, what follows is monitoring the main honey flow, all the way to removing surplus honey during the flow and at the end of the main honey flow. We place bee escapes, and at the same time reduce the productive colonies to 4 Farrar supers, taking the bottom honey super which has 8 to 10 kg of honey, We add it without the queen excluder super. We add the bee escape, then return the honey supers for extraction. After 24 to 48 hours we take off the honey supers and carry them to the extraction room. The lower entrance strips have been returned and entrances reduced, the box is closed. And that is how our bee colonies look. They look at the start of the next beekeeping year, all the way to the third period — that is the fourth period, fifth period, first and second period. I do all of this with the help of my two women; sometimes the grandchildren pitch in when they have time, they help. But roughly the bulk of the work, the two of us get done. Then comes the extraction. Then comes the extraction. The honey super. The super with surplus honey. Packing into jars. Storage in rooms for honey and pollen. Then comes sales through shops, fairs, and bee product events. There we also advertise our bee products. See, a bee gets in right away. Forest rustling.

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Guide

Main honey flow, extraction, and end of season

During the main honey flow it is essential to regularly monitor daily honey intake using a scale hive. The scale is the most important tool for assessing the duration and intensity of the nectar flow — decisions about adding or removing supers are made based on its readings.

Placing bee escapes and reducing colonies

When the flow starts winding down, bee escapes are placed under the honey supers. Production colonies are reduced to 4 Farrar supers. The bottom honey super containing 8 to 10 kg of honey is taken, a bee escape is added (without the queen excluder super), and then the remaining honey supers are returned for extraction.

Removing honey supers

After 24 to 48 hours from placing the bee escapes, the honey supers are removed and taken to the extraction room. In the meantime, the bees have passed through the bee escape into the brood box, and the honey in the super is free for extraction. The lower entrances are reduced and the rails returned — the box is closed and the colony remains in that state.

Extraction, packaging, and sales

Honey extraction follows in a prepared room, then packaging in jars and storage. Honey is sold through shops, beekeeping product fairs, and directly to customers. Fairs are also a good opportunity for promoting bee products — honey, pollen, propolis, and beeswax.

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Winter period →