Many honey lovers who want to start their own apiary are faced with the problem of arranging hives and a lack of information on the topic. To start working in beekeeping science, you can choose a simple and ancient method - log beekeeping. This line of activity is the closest to natural; it allows you to experiment and not spend a lot of time caring for the apiary.
Let's look at the main features of working with logs on the site and the principle of arranging such houses, and how to build a fence for bees with your own hands. These recommendations will allow you to collect your first honey harvest.
The log and modern beekeeping
The deck is an ancient method of obtaining honey, which is convenient and simple. Due to the spacious volume of the home and its durability, it can accommodate a large family. The bees are provided with maximum comfort and produce more honey. This is an economical and simple method, accessible even to beginners.
All work with the log comes down to the fact that you need to clean the hollow in the spring and take out part of the honey reserves in the fall. Insects do all the main work themselves: repairing holes, masking ventilation holes, distributing internal space for honey and useful materials. Prevention and constant monitoring of the condition of the hive is not required, unlike modern houses with high-tech devices.
Another feature of log honey: it has a special taste and consistency. But the total volume will ultimately be 3-5 times more modest than from a modern hive, which is characterized by increased technology. Decks are optimal for hobbyists, not professionals who produce honey on a commercial scale.
Peculiarities
A beet is a specially formed cavity inside a tree, which is used for the purpose of further breeding bees. There can be from 1 to 3 such “dwellings” on one trunk. At the same time, beating does not in any way affect the health of the tree.
The construction of sides is carried out on coniferous and deciduous trees, such as oak or ash. Their service life is usually 300 years. Today, the side trees, where wild forest bees still live, have been preserved only in the reserve of Bashkiria. Today, a bee board can be created in one day. For this, masters use modern tools and auxiliary items that were used by our ancestors (lange, kiram).
In ancient times, the construction process could last several days, and beekeeping itself had a slightly “poaching” character. For example, previously, with the arrival of autumn, honey was collected from beetroot. As a result, the bees were left without supplies, which led to their death. In the spring, beekeepers were busy preparing the beekeepers for the next move-in. When they destroyed the nests of bees in a certain area, they left it and went in search of another.
This system continued until the nineteenth century. Its advantage lies in the fact that the honeycombs were renewed annually, and tree hollows were less susceptible to rotting. As for the bees, they got sick less often, their size did not decrease, and there was no inbreeding. Gradually, beet growers began to understand that it was better not to destroy bees’ nests, but to take only one part of the honey and leave the other for the bees for the winter. Thus, modern beekeeping was born.
Onboard honey
Wild bees produce a truly unique and valuable product, which is successfully used by humanity in alternative medicine. Thanks to its special properties, it is possible to overcome various diseases. This honey also perfectly strengthens the body’s protective functions.
Borbor honey has a tart taste and a dark brown hue. Its consistency is quite thick and its aroma is fragrant. It contains many vitamins and valuable microelements. Wild honey contains:
- fructose;
- glucose;
- sucrose;
- water;
- vitamins E, C, B;
- iodine;
- calcium;
- phosphorus;
- aluminum, etc.
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The presence of so many beneficial substances makes this honey a quite nutritious product. In addition, it is perfectly absorbed by the body and also helps improve digestive processes. This beekeeping product has anti-inflammatory properties. This honey is also valued for its bactericidal effect, effectively destroying pathogens. These qualities are especially important when treating flu and colds.
Also today, pneumonia, bronchitis and even coronary heart disease are successfully treated with its help. However, such a quantity of valuable substances requires proper storage. Such honey must be stored in natural materials - in cedar barrels or clay pots.
Comparison of decks with modern hives: pros and cons
The positive aspects of deck beekeeping are as follows:
- The productivity of fruit trees in the garden or on the plot increases due to enhanced pollination.
- Just a couple of log hives can provide a large family with honey and even produce a surplus that can be sold and get a lot of capital.
- Apitherapy can be carried out on the site - beneficial bee stings treat diseases.
- If the deck is beautifully designed, it will be a beautiful design element that adds aesthetics to the entire area as a small form of architecture.
- Beekeeping is an interesting and useful hobby for the whole family.
- Log honey is richer and more aromatic than usual. Spring has improved healing properties.
- A properly built deck gives a large size inside - about 200 liters, so the bee colony will be large and productive, and there will be less swarming.
- The bees' immunity improves, they get sick less, and they get honey rather than sugar syrup for the winter.
- The bees themselves build the honeycombs of the size they need, in the optimal volume and order. This provides good ventilation, a place for food and brood, in contrast to the cells specified by the beekeeper. Insects independently regulate ventilation, cover cracks with propolis, and protect themselves from hornets and wasps. The beekeeper need not worry about the size of the entrance.
- The log principle of selecting honey products is the most gentle for insects. This is done through the lower sector. The honeycombs can be pulled out without damaging the entire nest and the bee colony will not be harmed. No smoking is done.
- No large material costs are required for chemical components and tools.
- You can quickly learn how to make boards and make log houses even for beginners, without knowing the basics of beekeeping, which will come to the owners during the process.
Cons of the deck:
- It is impossible to influence the life of a bee family; breeding work cannot be carried out here.
- Bees can leave the log dwelling under poor conditions, and it will not be possible to return them.
Tips for novice beekeepers
It’s not enough just to make a bee; a novice beekeeper needs to know a few basic rules:
- Before settling a bee colony, it is recommended to rub the inside of the log with propolis; this smell is pleasant for bees - this way they will feel at home more quickly. If you don’t have this substance at your disposal, rub the wood with herbs: mint or lemon balm.
- Some beekeepers place the sides directly on the ground, but this is not true. In this case, the wood will absorb moisture and begin to rot. This can cause illness and even death in the swarm, especially in the fall and winter.
- It is considered classic to secure the deck suspended on the forks of tree branches. It is advisable to install the bee house low so that it is convenient for you to work with it. In this case, a prerequisite is that the deck is inclined to the ground at approximately 30⁰.
- It is recommended to collect honey from the log only after a year has passed, after the bees have settled there. Don't rush, then your efforts will be rewarded. In the upper part of the board there will be honey for the bees, in the lower part - for you.
- The entrance should always be oriented to the south.
- Do not place the bee house in the sun or deep shade.
- Do not place hives near the barn. It is believed that bees smell well and such an unpleasant neighborhood can force them to leave the hives.
As you can see, it’s not at all difficult to make a fence with your own hands and start breeding bees. If you put several of these houses on your plot, your whole family will enjoy tasty and healthy honey.
Structural varieties
An apiary log is a housing for a bee family in the form of a wooden hollow. To make honeycombs inside, fix a couple of poles. Honey is collected through special holes using inserted sticks.
- Side parameters – 1 m (length) x 0.5 m (width).
- Number of nests – 1-3 (harmless for plants).
- The height of the lower tier is no more than 4.5 m, in exceptional cases – up to 15 m.
- The highest quality honey is obtained from the upper levels of the borti
- The approximate volume of production from a hollow is 2.5 buckets.
- The service life of the board is over 300 years.
What are the qualities of on-board honey?
Honey produced by forest bees living in a tree hive is healthier and purer. The entire process of printing honeycombs is carried out by human hands, without the use of mechanical machines. Due to the fact that the nectar does not pass through mechanical pumping, all beneficial properties and enzymes are preserved. Thus, vital substances do not disappear from royal jelly, wax and propolis. The price of wild bee honey is significantly higher than that obtained from a regular hive.
Frames in the deck
Specifics of the boards: special waxed frames are not installed here. But to obtain a large volume of honey, you can supplement the side design with your own frame options. If the deck is made of a solid log, then you can build small opening doors on the back side. This will allow you to inspect the nest and remove honeycombs if necessary.
The frames are placed at the top of the hollow, under an insulated lid, where insects nest and store honey for the winter.
Content
As we said above, the indicated method belongs to the category of beekeeping for beginners, and therefore there are no tasks related to the maintenance of the hive. The only thing that is required of the owner is to fully collect the produced honey. This must be done in the fall.
In addition, in winter or spring, it is imperative to clean the nest from debris and check the condition of the family. When cleaning, pay attention to black honeycombs - they need to be removed. Otherwise, there is no need to manipulate the hive and only occasionally check the overall integrity of the housing.
Making a deck for bees with your own hands
Anyone can make a deck with their own hands. It is not difficult to build it from a log so that bees can live in it. The following materials will be required:
- a log that can be found in the forest, optimally - birch (you can also take linden, ash, aspen, oak), with a diameter of 90 cm;
– wood cuts 6 cm wide – 2 pieces;
– cotton fabric;
– chisel;
– electric or chainsaw;
– a set of nails;
– loop holders.
Important: you should choose dried logs so that the wood does not rot or become moldy.
Ease of arrangement
A hive in the form of a deck is the best option for a novice beekeeper. A modern development of this type of hive, “Combi,” can be purchased at a specialized store. But there are ways to do it yourself. To do this, you will need to slightly modify the classic hive. The hive bodies of Dadan Blatt are best suited for creating a log hive; in it, the internal space of the hive is larger and more conveniently arranged. We advise you to immediately find or buy a Dadan hive with a bee colony, and then remake it as a log hive.
Thus, you will need a bottom and a nesting body on the frame, a reinforcing pad and canvas, a lid, a liner and a housing on the low frame. Additionally, purchase two nesting bodies, from which you will make a deck, then placing it between the bottom of the hive and the body. The resulting structure is a hive - a deck.
Please note that if the bee family is old, then most likely they will begin to swarm. To prevent this, you need to expand the nest and improve the ventilation process by installing an additional magazine housing. Already in the first season you will get delicious honey. And in the next years, you will have high-quality natural honey from the deck part of the hive.
Dimensions and drawing
In order for the future house to be harmoniously built, it is worth paying attention to the parameters of the entire structure. It is better to work scrupulously on the drawing than to redo everything later.
- Use a cutter to cut circles from a wooden log, from the ends, several centimeters wide, or take a couple of boards for this.
- The trunk is sawed with a chainsaw and the wood is removed using a chisel to create a hollow 6 cm in diameter for the hive.
- The hollow is rubbed with coarse sandpaper for smoothness.
- The holes at the top and bottom are closed with saw cuts, the top one is nailed, the bottom one is secured with hinges. This will help insects get inside the hollow in the future. The lids of the sides are immediately covered with fabric so that the bees build honeycombs on it.
- Using a drill you need to drill a tap hole - diameter 9 mm.
Important: if you don’t have a whole 1.5 m log, you can vertically connect several small scraps using self-tapping screws.
- The inside walls are smeared with propolis mass, which lures insects to colonize the new house.
- The bead is secured to the tree trunk using ropes or to a spear between large branches.
How to make it yourself?
You can create such a house for working women with your own hands from solid wood or several boards. For the first case, you will need a ready-made deck, which can be made hollow using a saw.
If there is no suitable log, you can use long bars (1.5 m long), cut in the form of a trapezoid (6 by 10). They are fitted tightly, placed on glue or screws and tightened with belts. The diameter of such a structure for bees is up to 47 cm. In such a house for insects, you should make an entrance (it is located in the middle of the structure), and at the bottom there should be a hole for garbage.
Tools and materials
- 1 ready-made hollow 40 cm by 120 cm with walls 4-8 cm thick;
- 1 cover board for a 40 cm hollow;
- fabric for lining the lid and fastening for it;
- glue, bolts, fasteners and other auxiliary materials.
Manufacturing instructions
Close one side of the workpiece tightly (it should be located on top). Take the future lid and carve it so that it tightly covers the hive
Note the fabric lining on the lid. It will not make it easier to open the deck. The lid can be attached with hinges or a handle can be made on it
Measure 30 cm from the opening side and make slits (tapholes), the height of which will be no more than 1.5 cm. Dry the structure thoroughly. Place the house under a canopy at an angle of 20-30°, opening side down. Populate the house with bees. The most convenient way to do this is using the swarm method.
The lid can be attached with hinges or a handle can be made on it. Measure 30 cm from the opening side and make slits (tapholes), the height of which will be no more than 1.5 cm. Dry the structure thoroughly. Place the house under a canopy at an angle of 20-30°, opening side down. Populate the house with bees. The most convenient way to do this is using the swarm method.
A prototype deck, which is a natural beehive, can also be made from 4 (or more) boards. A visual demonstration of such a design can be found in the video online or in the picture below.
Drawing of a beehive deck made of boards
Preparation and settlement of bees
To install the boards, choose a place on the site that is as sheltered from the wind and strong sun as possible; it is especially important to provide shade during the midday period. The entrance is placed on the south side of the garden. You should also avoid a farm or barn with livestock nearby, as insects react to strong odors and may leave the home because of them. You will need to put a rain shelter over the deck.
Important: it is optimal if the deck is located in the attic or home attic, since their height is suitable for bees to fly.
The installation height of the hive is approximately 0.7 m from the ground surface. It is placed on a frame with an inclination of no more than 30 degrees. At the top there will be honey, which is left for the bees to spend the winter, at the bottom - the product collected by the beekeeper.
After assembling the sides, you need to dry the finished structure. This may take approximately 1 year or more; during this period, bees, wasps, or hornets may settle in the deck. As soon as spring comes, their nesting mass is crushed and poured into the bottom of the beet to attract a swarm of bees, this is a way to catch and settle bee families.
If the bee deck has been empty for over a year, it needs to be cleaned of dirt before the housewarming. The walls are scrubbed of plaque and the smell, if any, is removed with mint infusion.
If the bees do not want to populate themselves, you can use a special “bee package” for breeding bees. It is placed in the deck using a wooden ladle. The queen is placed in the log hive and secured in the cage with a stick. The uterus should be young, no older than 3 years. In the future, the uterus must leave the cage, otherwise it must be released.
Kinds
Types of deck designs can be divided into 3 types:
- vertical;
- inclined (lounger);
- collapsible multi-level type.
Vertical cylindrical structures are most similar to ancient sides. They are a sawn thick trunk of a deciduous tree up to two meters long, the diameter of which should not be less than half a meter, with the core removed and walls no thinner than 5–7 cm. Wooden covers cover the sides at both ends.
The inclined bed is made from a trunk, the thickness of which should also be sufficient for the bees to feel comfortable in it. If a trunk of such diameter cannot be found, a deck can be made using boards of sufficient thickness. In this case, you will get a straight parallelepiped. Such a bee wall should have a slope of up to 30 degrees.
It is possible to make sections, hollow inside, which are installed one on top of the other. When the top one is filled with honey, it is replaced with a new one, but the lowest section is never emptied.
If the deck consists of a solid tree trunk rather than sections, then you will have to cut a door into the back surface. In the future it will also help in cleaning the sides of littered honeycombs. As a rule, the frame is installed immediately under the “ceiling” - an insulated top cover.
The log apiary is the best option for beginners
Working with beads does not require much effort or expense; this is an old method of easy beekeeping. There is no need to replace frames, redo the design, maintain or maintain bees. It is enough to periodically remove the honeycombs so that the bees start building new ones again and do not start swarming. Interference in the inner world of bees is minimal.
This is not an innovative approach, but a time-tested, easy way to obtain honey. If it is difficult for someone to carry out large-scale care of an apiary, then beekeeping in logs is quite accessible with good results. The finished honey will be enough to meet your needs.
Log beekeeping is not dangerous, but it is better to wear special protection - a smoker suit. To collect honey products, you should choose the time wisely, when the bulk of the swarm flies away for its biological purposes.
Honey tiers
If the honey collection is good, then the family can substitute the “G” and “D” tier, while opening the entrance in the “G” tier.
When a bee returns to her old entrance in the summer, she quickly builds up tier “G” with honeycombs.
After this, the beekeeper must select the honey tier “A”, cut out the comb honey from it and substitute the tier under the tier “D”.
The active return of bees in the summer with nectar and pollen indicates that there is brood in this tier.
There is a need for another entrance. To do this, open the tap hole in tier “G”. Since the bees bring a lot of nectar and store the finished honey at the top of the brood nest, they need to rebuild and develop a new space in the “G” tier. And after that, perhaps, tier “B” will be 100% filled with honey.
Control in this case can be carried out by weighing the deck and the flight of bees. Now we see that bees are more focused on tier “D” than on tier “B”. Before the bees master the “D” tier, you should collect honey from the “A” tier and place the “D” tier above it.
During the current honey collection, log beekeeping in some Ukrainian cities and their suburbs has yielded only about ten kilograms of marketable year, and not in any season
At this time, special attention should be paid to keeping bees in stocks. During normal wintering, bees have no problems with food
Shapkin's Hive
To make honey selection more convenient, improve the appearance and lighten the weight of the structure, a modern deck, the so-called Shapkin hive, was invented. It is assembled from boards and often has several bodies. This hive is narrow and tall. It is also designed for contactless beekeeping. It is end-to-end inside, which allows bees to build honeycombs the entire height of the deck.
Planks or rulers with grooves filled with wax are also placed under the lid. If slats are placed, the bees will place the comb as they see fit. On rulers they build honeycombs in a strict order. Some beekeepers place empty frames with a thin bottom and top edge to keep the comb continuous.
To pick up the honeycombs with honey, you need to cut them off - pull a thin wire all the way through into the desired housing through a special slot, which is then closed if necessary. The housings can be removed, swapped and new ones installed. Modern beekeepers prefer Shapkin hives, made of plywood and insulated with foam plastic.
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A little history
The word “deck” as applied to an apiary has not a single historical synonym. Thus, a hive in a block of wood in Rus' was called “bort”, “duplyanka”, “duplyak”, “single-tree hive”. With this term, beekeepers defined the trunks of living trees, specially hollowed out for hollows and inhabited by swarms.
And “small beetles” were small portable hives - logs, bodies, dugouts with honey and foundation, which were tied to tree trunks as bait for wandering swarms.
That is, a beet is a primitive bee hive in a hollow tree or in a block of wood, devoid of the framework familiar to a modern beekeeper. This is the design with which Russian frameless beekeeping began, which in the future gave way to modern hives such as Dadan or multi-body Ruth.
To some extent, Japanese beehives and houses designed by the French abbot Varre can be considered analogues of the Russian deck. The development of beekeeping in different regions of the world followed almost the same path - domesticated bees were settled in housing that most closely resembled their natural forest habitat.
Terms of use
Beginning beekeepers need to learn the rules for using a deck. Before moving bees inside, it is worth installing strips. The interval between them should be the same as between the frames in an ordinary hive.
An important rule for keeping logs is to update the nest. If this is not done, after some time the cells decrease in size. As a result, the bees become small and less productive.
Using a special bee deck has a number of benefits. This insect breeding method produces higher quality and tastier honey.
