Course Materials on Beekeeping
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NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF ANIMAL PRODUCTION Practical aspects of beekeeping Training materials of project IMPROFARM - Improvement of Production and Management Processes in Agriculture Through Transfer of Innovations, Leonardo da Vinci Transfer of Innovations programme, number 2011-1-PL1-LEO05-19878 www.improfarm.pl This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. Content 1. The importance of the Western honey bee. ........................................................................................................................................................................ 6 1.1 Taxonomy. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 6 1.2 The origin of the Western honey bee. .......................................................................................................................................................................... 8 1.3 The importance of bees. .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 9 2. Bee races. .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 10 2.1 The Western European Honey Bee /Apis mellifera mellifera/. It is a local race inhabiting Europe north of the Alps and the Carpathians since primeval times. ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 10 2.2 The Carnicolan’s bee /Apis mellifera carnica/. .......................................................................................................................................................... 10 2.3 The Caucasian honey bee /Apis mellifera caucasica/. ................................................................................................................................................ 11 2.4 Hybrid lines. ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 12 3. The biology of a bee colony. .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 14 3.1 Specimens in a bee colony. ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 14 3.2 Anatomy and physiology of a bee. ............................................................................................................................................................................ 19 3.3 Life of a bee colony. ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 25 4. Beekeeping practice. ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 34 4.1 Autumn beekeeping works. Preparation for overwintering. ....................................................................................................................................... 34 4.2 Overwintering. /November-February/. ...................................................................................................................................................................... 38 4.3 Early spring. /March, April/ ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 40 4.4 The period of intensive spring expansion. ................................................................................................................................................................. 46 4.5 Using early honeyflows. ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 48 4.6 Averting swarm. ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 49 4.7 The beginning of the season. /June/........................................................................................................................................................................... 50 4.8 Enlarging the bee yard. ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 52 4.9 Harvesting period. /July and August /. ...................................................................................................................................................................... 54 4.10 Honey harvest......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 55 4.11 Obtaining pollen. .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 56 4.12 Replacing queens. ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 57 4.13 Ventilation in the hives. .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 60 4.14 Beekeeping practice in multi-body hives. ................................................................................................................................................................ 63 4.15 Wandering beekeeping practice. ............................................................................................................................................................................. 66 4.16 Rotary practice. ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 67 5. Raising bees. ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 69 5.1 The basics of bee genetics......................................................................................................................................................................................... 69 5.2 How to improve bees in the bee yard?....................................................................................................................................................................... 71 5.3 Types of queens in a bee yard. .................................................................................................................................................................................. 72 5.4 Raising the bee queens.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 73 6. Beekeeping technique. ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 76 6.1 Hives. ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 76 6.2 Beekeeping equipment.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 79 6.3 Bee yard workshop. .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 81 6.4 Arranging the bee yard area. ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 82 7. Honeyflows. .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................