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Learning to keep bees


A Beginner's Guide to Beekeeping

By

Lauren Arcuri

Lauren Arcuri

Lauren Arcuri Ware runs a small farm and family homestead on 25 acres in Vermont. Her experience includes raising chickens for eggs and meat, growing vegetables, harvesting apples, keeping bees, and canning, freezing, drying, pickling, and preserving food. She's covered those topics for The Spruce for seven years.

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Updated on 04/09/22

Reviewed by

Amanda Rose Newton

Reviewed by Amanda Rose Newton

Amanda Rose Newton holds degrees in Horticulture, Biochemistry, Entomology, and soon a PhD in STEM Education. She is a board-certified entomologist and volunteers for USAIDs Farmer to Farmer program. Currently, she is a professor of Horticulture, an Education Specialist, and pest specialist.

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Fact checked by

Sarah Scott

Fact checked by Sarah Scott

Sarah Scott is a fact-checker and researcher who has worked in the custom home building industry in sales, marketing, and design.

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The Spruce / Autumn Wood 

If the thought of keeping your own bees appeals to you, read on. We'll explain the basics of beekeeping for the beginner, whether you're a backyard beekeeper, homesteader, hobby farmer, or a small farmer looking to start a business selling honey and other bee products. It's fairly simple to learn how to keep bees.

There are some factors to consider before embarking on a beekeeping adventure, so before you dive in, consider whether keeping bees is right for you.

Study All About Bees

There are lots of books on beekeeping, and learning all you can about these sweet little insects can help you start your hives off on the right foot. Read as much as you can so that when your bees arrive; you'll be ready to go and know how to keep bees.

Learn How Bees Make Honey

Before you jump in and start ordering supplies, let's take a step back and understand exactly how a hive works and what bees do. Bees make nests in nature, fly to flowers and extract nectar, then bring the nectar back to the hive and comb, where it slowly becomes honey.

Connect With Your Local Beekeeping Organizations

In beekeeping, some details can be specific to your local area. The nature of beekeeping means that you'll be most successful if you have strong local resources to draw on: someone to come check your hive or help you find your queen if needed, for example. Reach out and find your local beekeeping association and go to meetings. Some associations offer mentors who can be invaluable in helping you during your first season.

Learn How to Set Up Your Beehive

To keep bees, you need a beehive. In the wild, bees build their own hive, usually in a hollow tree trunk or another sheltered place, but it can be anywhere. As a backyard beekeeper, you will provide a man-made hive for your bees so you can help maintain the colony and easily harvest the honey.

There are a few different choices for the backyard or larger-scale beekeeper. Langstroth and top-bar hives are the most commonly found types.

Learn About Beekeeping Tasks

Illustration: The Spruce

What is involved in taking care of your bees? Much like gardening, beekeeping tasks are best divided by the season. The best time to start your hive is in the spring so that the colony you begin with has time to build up, lay brood (baby bees), increase in number, and store honey before the winter sets in.

Gather Your Beekeeping Supplies

What do you need to really get started beekeeping? Learn about the essential supplies and what you can do without for now. Remember: start small, so you can make adjustments if you change your mind later. Some supplies are better purchased in person, while others can be ordered ​online.

Order Your Honey Bees

Once you've gathered your supplies and amassed plenty of beekeeping knowledge, it's time to order your bees! You will likely order what are called "package bees" and a queen, or a "nuc colony. " Of the two, a nuc colony is a more established set of bees with a queen who has already started laying brood. It can give your hive a head start if you're able to get one.

Article Sources

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Beekeeping - Honey Bees. Penn State Extension.

The PerfectBee Introduction​ to Learning Beekeeping

Why Learn Beekeeping?

All beekeepers have their special reasons for doing what they do. Only you can decide what draws you into beekeeping, but here are some common reasons:

We should mention making a little money on the side. We include this for completeness and it's true that beekeepers can enjoy a little pocket money from their honey (and perhaps even wax products). But fair warning - if this is your main reason, then we’d suggest other easier and less messy hobbies! Few beekeepers turn this into a full business that will pay the bills.

All told, learning beekeeping has the potential to reward you in many ways. And so, if you have ever wondered how to start beekeeping, let's begin...

Who Can Learn Beekeeping?

That’s easy. Anyone!

Beekeeping can be enjoyed by:

In short, beekeeping truly can be fun for just about anyone. Let’s drill down on what it takes to reach beekeeper status!

Note: The one qualifier is if you are one of the 2% of people who have an allergic reaction to bee stings. While that still doesn't count you out, you should think carefully about whether this is the right hobby for you.

Is It Difficult to Learn Beekeeping?

Yes. Next question? OK, perhaps we should elaborate...

First, let’s dispel the myth that beekeeping involves throwing a few bees in a box and waiting for honey. Beekeeping is, in fact, rather challenging and requires you to learn fun and interesting things about the way bees live their lives. Those same bees will find their own way to surprise you and frustrate you. That’s just what they do!

...some aspects of beekeeping are about interpreting "forensics".

But they will also delight the beekeeper who has the motivation to truly embrace beekeeping and learn. As one example, some aspects of beekeeping are about interpreting "forensics". Finding the queen in your hive during an inspection is always satisfying. But if you can't find her (and that's not unusual) then you can infer her activity from the presence of eggs and larvae. If they exist, then you know she's been there recently!

While just one small example, it's this sort of interpretation that is the realm of the beekeeper. You will quickly understand how these clues fit together. It takes a while to build these skills, but they can be learned by anyone. Becoming a beekeeper does need a certain fascination and a dedication to learn, but it is well worth the effort.

What Do I Need to Know About Bees?

Over time you will learn a lot. In fact, as you gain experience as a beekeeper you will learn things about bees you didn't even know were there to be learned! Beekeeping is fascinating precisely because there is so much to learn. Even the most experienced of beekeepers comes across some new scenario or fact every year.

But don't let this put you off! The new beekeeper does need a basic understanding of why bees do what they do, what they need, what threats exist to their survival and so on. But the basics are within grasp of anyone, even young (and curious) kids.

PerfectBee believes any introduction to beekeeping is incomplete without first taking the time to understand the extraordinary life of the honeybee. With that as an important first step, we present a three-step approach to learning beekeeping:

  1. Learn About Bees

  2. Your Beehive

  3. A Healthy Beehive

...a successful beekeeper is one with a firm grasp of the fundamental ways in which bees live their lives

It is our belief that a successful beekeeper is one with a firm grasp of the fundamental ways in which bees live their lives. This helps the beekeeper ensure we have a suitable environment for our bees and to understand the "signs" they send to us through the year. For this reason, we recommend that all potential beekeepers spend some time reading about bees, ask questions and get involved before they purchase their first beehive. More on that below.

Will I Be Stung To Death?

Um, no (we're going to mention that qualifier about the 2% with allergies again here but, no, you won't be stung to death!).

Despite the occasional bad PR, bees are incredibly docile. They have a specific set of goals in mind and, if left alone, they achieve them very well and without disturbing anyone. In short, bees don't sting unless they feel threatened. There's a good reason for that - when a honeybee stings a human the bee ends up dead!

Let's boil it down to simple simple statements:

Stings are no fun but you can take actions to minimize the chances of them occurring. If they do, your body starts building a little "familiarity" and the next sting can sometimes be a little easier to tolerate.

What Equipment Do I Need And At What Cost?

See that piece of string….?

Seriously, there’s no clear cut answer to this since there are a number of variables. But we know you'd be a little frustrated if we didn't even offer a general idea! So, let's do just that.

Like most hobbies, beekeeping offers the opportunity to save money - and also the chance to spend more than is necessary! Finding that balance is important. We look at this in terms of a "traditional" buying process (purchasing the equipment you need from a store), but with the opportunity to reduce costs at various steps.

For example, most people start by buying their first hive, but for the more handy among us, it's perfectly reasonable to build our own hive from a set of hove plans. Opportunities like this exist throughout your beekeeping experience but, as a high-level guide, we'll assume you purchase new equipment.  Let's look more closely at what you need.

You don't need a great deal of equipment to be a beekeeper. To some extent this will depend on what you are looking to achieve with your beekeeping, your location and some other factors. Let's look first at your choice of hive.

The beehive is one of the more exciting purchases, of course. Though there are many types of beehive in use today, the majority of beekeepers use one of the following types:

To get you up and running, the rest of your basic shopping list might include:

...and, actually, that's about it!

Stepping back to our shopping list and to offer a little guidance, let's make a few assumptions.

. ..you can probably look at around $200 or so, for good quality but entry-level equipment

As a rough estimate you can probably look at around $200 or so, for good quality but entry-level equipment. In fact, there are options to lower that still further, with kits or homemade components.

Of course. there are also ways to pay much more! Quality costs money and if you are looking for a beautiful Top Bar hive with all the bells-and-whistles, high-quality ventilated clothing and so on, then your cost for the basic list above could easily run to $600+.

To be fair, the list above is about the minimum you will need. But it's probably something of a false economy to limit yourself to that list and there are other options that can make your beekeeping life a little easier. These include a smoker, maybe a bee brush and more. As you start extending your toolkit and/or go for better quality products your costs can start approaching $1,000 - or more.

...With a little research and the intention to purchase entry-level products ("get the job done" level!), beekeeping really doesn't need to be an expensive hobby.

But fear not - these are all merely options. Just like any other mature hobby, there are price points every step of the way. With a little research and the intention to purchase entry-level products ("get the job done" level!), beekeeping really doesn't need to be an expensive hobby.

...It's often a good choice to install two beehives from the outset.

By the way, a quick note about a second hive. It's often a good choice to install two beehives from the outset. The good news is that a good chunk of your "basic list" components, such as the hive tool and the protective clothing, only need be purchased once. So, the "incremental costs" for the second (and third and fourth...) hives can be quite reasonable.

If you wish to harvest honey, as most beekeepers enjoy, then you will benefit from the appropriate honey harvesting equipment to help with this. Exactly what equipment you will need is somewhat dependent on your type of beehive. Again, there are many options here and, as a general rule, the more elbow grease and patience you have, the lower the cost. Then again, if you want highly convenient, technical solutions the beekeeping industry is more than willing to offer a product - at an associated cost.

When Is The Best Time To Get Started?

The short answer is in the spring.

In terms of seasons, the biggest challenge for bees is the winter, when they will generally spend the months on end in what is called the winter cluster, keeping themselves warm and consuming honey resources. It's a miracle of nature that they can survive incredibly frigid temperature. But they do need considerable amounts of honey to get through this period, because they don't have the option to create their own.

By comparison, a new colony in the spring can start forging the local environment for nectar and pollen, start increasing the size of the colony and building their reserves. As summer approaches they will hopefully find riches nearby, in the form of flowering plants.

...spring as the best time to start a new hive.

but...

...if it's fall or winter, consider taking advantage of the time to educate yourself and be ready for the spring, well before you install your first hive.

As with any aspect of beekeeping, there are exceptions but generally you can consider spring as the best time to start a new hive. Often a beekeeper starts a new hive with a package of bees and gives the colony a helping hand with some sugar syrup in a feeder. The consumption of the syrup is checked occasionally and, all being well, it can be removed in a few weeks when the bees have located suitable resources nearby.

But wait....there's more!

Don't make the mistake of many a potential beekeeper in assuming you can just swing by a store in April, buy a hive, throw some bees in it and become a beekeeper. Big mistake! There are a number of reasons, but the following are the important ones:

All these factors mean that, if it's fall or winter, consider taking advantage of the time to educate yourself and be ready for the spring, well before you install your first hive.

Where Should I Place My Hive?

The answer to this question comes from the basic requirements for your bees. Consider those first then start thinking about whether the location works for you, as the beekeeper. Because if it works for you but not for your bees, you are wasting your time!

In short, bees need the following:

Most of these are well within the control of the beekeeper. For example, making sure there is a good water source for bees is generally straightforward - just make sure the neighbors swimming pool isn't the nearest!

Again, this is something of a simplification in an introductory article but you can read more in Where to place your beehive.

Where Do I Get My First Bees?

Oh yeah - we will need some bees too!

Beekeepers obtain their bees in a number of ways. For the new beekeeper, we'd recommend one of the following:

Other options exist, such as catching a swarm of bees. But PerfectBee generally recommends one of the two options above as a nice, less-stressful way to start learning about beekeeping.

How Much Time Do I Need?

Again, it depends. You will find beekeepers that will tell you "it takes every waking hour, constantly worrying about your bees and making sure they have all they need". We've heard those beekeepers - and we disagree strongly! Frankly - and within reason - you can spend as little or as much time as you like. But what does "within reason" mean?

We look at it this way. There are a number of phases you will go through as a beekeeper.

  1. Initial curiosity, research and education.
  2. Deciding to go ahead, purchasing your equipment and bees and setting up your first hive
  3. The first year
  4. The rest

The time you will spend on the first of these is entirely up to you and your "risk" is low (you haven't purchased anything yet). If you are like most beekeepers you won't worry about the time you spend on this phase, simply because you are curious and interested.

Once you have decided to go ahead and learn beekeeping - and we're here to help with that - then you will need to research and make good decisions. As a very rough guideline, we'd suggest 5-10 hours deciding on your hive and equipment of choice is time well spent. A little more time to plan your hive location and then you will be purchasing your stuff! From the time you receive all your equipment to the time it's all set up can be maybe 2-3 hours. So, for phase 2, let's round up and say 15 hours or so, including "shopping time".

Then the fun begins. After you have set up your hive, you will want to know all there is to know about what's happening inside! In actual fact, you will probably want to check inside the hive more often than is good for your bees. As (another) rough estimate, we'd propose that in the first few weeks you should look inside your hive no more than once a week and be "in and out" in 20 minutes or so. That's not a huge time commitment! As things settle down and depending on the time of year, you may need to address an  issue in your hive such as mites or may have no problem and only need to check every few weeks.

What Are The Steps To Install My First Hive?

With your beehive, equipment and bees at hand, the process is pretty straightforward. Like many aspects of beekeeping, there are nuances that depend on the choices you have made but, using a package of bees as an example, here's the basic process.

  1. Assemble your beehive and frames, if necessary
  2. Place in the location you researched as the best option
  3. Take the queen from the package while in her cage, take out the cork from one end and place the cage in the hive, attached to one of the frames
  4. Pour - yes, pour - 10,000 eager bees into the hive
  5. Place the inner cover and telescoping top cover on the beehive

There you go. You are a beekeeper!

Except... you are not.

You will make your own judgement about when you truly feel comfortable calling yourself a beekeeper but rest assured that on this first day you have so much to learn that it's probably better to just call yourself a "bee watcher"!

But first day is one you will never forget. It's truly a spectacle to watch your bees start establishing their new home. To put an interesting context on this, know that in a few short weeks everyone of those bees you just installed will be an "ex bee" i.e. will have met his or her maker, with the exception of the queen. But your beehive will hopefully be thriving with the furious activity of many bees that have been born since that first day.

What Are The Regular Tasks For a Beekeeper?

As a general rule, you will want to leave your bees to do their own thing as much as possible. Bees are remarkably resilient and find ways to resolve many of the challenges thrown at them, as a matter of course.  Then again, it is you, as the beekeeper, who has given them their home, chosen the location, the surroundings and so on. It's also a proven fact that new beekeepers want to peek all the time! Finding a balance, especially in those early weeks, is important.

Your role as a beekeeper is essentially to observe, assess and - where possible - leave alone. Occasionally, you will need to take action and you will learn these over time. But even with a very hands-off attitude, the first part - to observe - takes a little time and disrupts your bees somewhat.

Your inspection should be brief and to the point. As a general guideline, try to get "in and out" in 15 minutes or less. You will typically be looking for a number of key clues, indicating the health or otherwise of your colony. The exact details will vary, depending on factors such as the time of year, the maturity of the colony, location and more. But you will generally be looking to answer the following questions.

These are, of course, high-level descriptions of what you will do as a beekeeper. Rest assured, you will find your inspections enlightening, fun and ever-educational.

How Do I Keep My Bees Healthy?

One of the joys of beekeeping is seeing your bees thrive across many seasons. This isn't easy takes time, patience and an ability to identify problems and help your bees, when necessary.

Bees face many threats. Some are global - such as Colony Collapse Disorder - while some are more local, such mites or storms. In fact, the uninformed or overly disruptive beekeeper can be one of the more serious threats. Don't be that beekeeper!

The most common threats to the survival of a hive include mites, pests/animals - and winter.

These are just examples of the threats our bees face. The good news is that, depending on your philosophy about beekeeping, you have many options. For many beekeepers, these challenges represent some of the most interesting aspects of beekeeping.

Should I Find a Mentor?

Yes. That's the short answer.

You don't actually NEED a mentor and many a successful beekeeper has been "self-driven". That can work just great, especially in this day of huge volumes of information on the Internet. So, having a mentor is by no means an absolute requirement.

However, PerfectBee does highly recommend you find someone who can work with you, to guide you one-on-one. That sort of direct, personalized feedback and help is hard to beat. A local mentor is particularly valuable. Beekeeping has many common factors, regardless of location. But there is also local knowledge that can be a decisive factor and a mentor who knows your area well is a valuable resource.

Another important aspect of a local mentor is the value in physically inspecting a hive with you. This can uncover issues with how you go about the inspection but also illustrate factors in your beehive that would be difficult to identify without the help of a mentor.

What Resources Will Help Me Learn More?

PerfectBee is here to help every step of the way as you are learning beekeeping! We will help you towards your first beehive... and beyond.

  1. Subscribe to our beekeeper's newsletter, PerfectBee Buzz. It's free, of course, and we will keep you informed of all that's happening in beekeeping, including new articles and subscriber discounts to our store
  2. Like us on Facebook. We like you (because you are interested in beekeeping, why why not like us back! We post awesome and regular information for beekeepers
  3. Browse our web site at PerfectBee.com. Organized by our 3-step plan, you will find tremendously helpful articles and content here, including out blog.
  4. Follow us on Pinterest. A great way to learn about new beekeeping information and web sites, via a more visual medium.
  5. Browse the PerfectBee Store. All your beekeeping needs, from high-quality beehives, tools, protective clothing and more.

But, of course, there's more. There are many options available for you to continue to learn, both online and in your area. Regardless of your learning preferences or your desire to be a part of a beekeeping community, a lack of resources won't be your issue. Here are just a few ways you can build your beekeeping knowledge.

What’s Next?

We hope you have enjoyed this introduction to learning beekeeping. This truly is just a start. The question of how to start beekeeping doesn't have a neat little answer. There are so many aspects to beekeeping that, as we have said, the learning never stops.

Why not sign up for our free, online beekeeping course? Over the course of two weeks we'll delivery our entire course to your inbox - three parts, each with three sections. We don't claim anyone can become an experienced beekeeping in such a short period of time. Indeed, the learning never stops. But our course is a great way to kick start your interest in beekeeping. And did we mention it's free (there are no catches at all - just sign up, enjoy the course, unsubscribe at any time and so on).

Over time, your bees will surprise you. They will be productive in a way you never imagined. They will face their challenges - and take care of things just fine on their own. They may face a challenge that threatens their existence at which point you, as a beekeeper, may choose to step in and give them a helping hand.

You interest and curiosity about your bees will only grow over time. PerfectBee is here to help you along that path.

Questions? Just drop us a line through our Contact Form - we'd love to hear from you.

We wish you every success as a beekeeper.

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Temperature and development of bees | Lyson Russia

Many biotic (diseases, pests) and abiotic factors (availability of water and food, sunlight, precipitation, hail, snow, etc.) constantly affect the bee colony. Among them, temperature plays a significant but often underestimated role. (Heran 1952, Lacher 1964, Yokohari 1983). The molecular receptor channel, which is most likely of primary importance in measuring temperature, is located in the antennal flagella of the bee. It is activated at 34°C. Honey bees cope with the adverse effects of high temperatures due to the presence of cuticles and fats on the surface of the body, which they store before excessive evaporation of water. The body of forager bees is covered with more n-alkanes (which are insoluble in water) than that of nurse bees and freshly hatched bees. The temperature maintained by the bees in the nest usually fluctuates between 33 and 36°C, while the optimum for proper brood development in Poland is 34.5°C. The pupae are very sensitive to temperature fluctuations. When the temperature exceeds 36°C, the workers begin to ventilate the nest by positioning themselves at the entrance with their heads inside the hive and vibrating their wings to set the air in motion and cool the middle of the nest. nine0005

Bees also lower the temperature in the nest by evaporating water. Workers spray drops on the walls of the hive and along the edges of the brood combs. This prevents the developing larvae from drying out and also reduces the temperature. Bees hold a thin layer of water on the surface of their mouthparts - its evaporation also contributes to the cooling of the environment.

If the air in the nest is overheated, the workers leave it and form a club at the entrance to the hive (form the so-called beard). At this time, some of the bees continue to ventilate the combs and spray water. Another interesting thermoregulation mechanism is shielding, which in 1999 was observed by the Starks and Jilly. Bees keep the combs with supplies and brood from overheating by sitting on the hot inner walls of the hive and creating an insulating layer of their bodies.

If the temperature in the nest falls below 33°C, the bees must heat the air. This usually happens by "constriction" in the hive. This behavior is best seen when observing hibernating bees that form a winter club. They maintain a constant optimum temperature in it - in autumn and winter from 18 to 20°C, and at the beginning of the season, when brood development begins, about 34°C. During wintering, the temperature of the outer layer of the club is about 12-15°C. At the end of January, the bees begin to prepare for the new season. The temperature in the middle of the club rises to 34.5°C, which stimulates the queen to lay eggs. nine0005

Warming up the atmosphere

Deviations from optimal thermal conditions during worm development affect short-term memory and memory ability of bees due to abnormal development of neurons. The largest number of gromeruli in mushroom bodies (responsible for the occurrence of associations) is found in bees that develop at 34.5°C.

Even a one degree deviation results in less Grumulus being produced in the brains of workers. This may be why female workers who developed at 32°C had trouble communicating through dance. nine0005

Foragers developing in temperatures between 34.5°C and 36°C functioned correctly and transmitted information. Nest temperature can also affect wing morphology. Gimmer (1932) described deformed wings in brood developing at low temperatures. Ken et al. (2005) noted longer wings of the first pair in female workers that developed at 36°C in the brood phase (compared to those reared at 35 or 32°C).

Lin and Winston (1998) conducted an in vitro study that tested ovarian development in adults exposed to various temperatures for 10 days. The female workers were placed in incubators maintained at 34°C and fed honey supplemented with 50% royal jelly. In this group, bees developed ovaries, while the rest, kept at 20 or 27°C and fed the same mixture, did not develop ovaries. nine0005

Greenhouse rearing

During the season, bees older than two days take care of maintaining the appropriate temperature in the nest. The younger ones visit the warm brood combs to clean the cells and possibly strengthen the wing muscles. Queens in weak colonies laid fewer eggs because there were not enough bees in the nest to maintain the right temperature. Drones are also involved in nest warming.

Kovacs et al. (2009) found that males raise body temperature to help warm brood in cold weather (especially drones older than two days). According to Farengolts et al. (1992), younger drones also help with nest heating due to the greater weight due to the presence of fat.

The temperature of the brood is also controlled by female workers. These activities include: superficial brood heating (during which the bees sit motionless on sealed brood cells) or active brood heating (entry of heated workers into empty cells).

Bees cause an increase in temperature in adjacent cells (up to 3 cells from the heat source, i.e. workers) by 2.5°C in half an hour. Having empty cells does not guarantee proper worm temperature, but it can reduce the time and energy needed to keep the nest at the correct temperature. nine0005

Sealed brood is more sensitive to low temperatures than eggs or larvae. Li et al. (2016) report that the temperature maintained during the development of female worker brood was higher than the temperature in which the drones were reared.

The temperature was controlled with greater precision. The development of young animals is very dependent on temperature, which forces the bees to maintain adequate thermal conditions in the nest. In weak colonies or those that have been subjected to heat stress (too high or too low temperature), there may be problems with the thermoregulation of the nest, which can lead to the death of the bees. nine0005

Weather for the bee

Foraging bees are divided into those who collect nectar, pollen, water or propolis. They operate over a wide temperature range, from 10 to 40°C. Although the onset of foraging flights may occur at 6.57°C, copper bees very rarely leave the nest at temperatures below 10°C. In 2003, Prof. Woike discovered that it was at 10°C that foraging began. He also noted that the number of pickers increases 10 times at 12°C. The highest flight activity of honey bees was noted at 20°C. However, at an ambient temperature of 43°C, the bees stop flying out for a nectar. nine0005 All bees in the swarm must raise their body temperature to 35°C before departure.

Flying for food, especially in changing environmental conditions, is a challenge. At low temperatures, pickers use the sun's rays to keep warm and conserve energy. Bees have a high ability to maintain a balance between feed intake and energy efficiency in harvesting. In flight at different temperatures, worker bees can adapt to changes in this parameter.

According to Heinrich measurements carried out in 1980, the temperature of the bee's head was 24°C at an air temperature of 17°C, and 43°C at an outside temperature of 46°C. At temperatures above 46 ° C, the bees stick out their tongue with a drop of nectar so that the evaporation of the liquid lowers the body temperature. In hot weather, bees drink more. The life expectancy of a forager ranges from 2 to 17 days (average 7.7 days). Continuous exposure of bees to high temperatures can shorten their lifespan. The team of scientists Silvi Z. Remolini (2007) observed bees at 42°C, measuring the time from hatching from a cell to death. During the experiment, the bees lived 31 or 91 hour (approximately 1.29-3.79 days). Similarly, a group of scientists led by Hossam Abu-Shaara (2012) investigated the effects of 35, 40 and 45°C on the lifespan of Krajina and Yemeni bees. For the first breed of bees mentioned, life expectancy was 13; 65 hours, respectively 2.67 and 1 day, and for Yemeni bees 12; 67 hours, that is 5.33 and 1 day. The effect of relative air humidity on the flight activity of bees was insignificant.

Swarming and club

Swarming occurs most often in spring and early summer. The swarm that settles on the branch tries to keep the temperature around 35°C (+/- 1°C). In different parts of the club, the temperature can vary from 17 to 36°C. Even at low air temperatures, the swarm tries to maintain a temperature of 34°C. The bees on the surface of the club have a lower body temperature than the bees inside. Before flying to a new nest, all bees raise their body temperature to 35°C. The bees crawling on the surface of the club warm up the body for at least 10 minutes before departure in order to prepare the wing muscles and maintain proper flight speed. In temperate European climates, bees are less prone to swarming. nine0005

Who likes the heat?

In laboratory studies, Atmovidojo's team found that wild bees from the Arizona desert (USA) were more tolerant of high temperatures than domestic bees.

Bees lower their body temperature by drinking water.

Wild bees tolerated temperatures of 50.7°C, while domesticated insects could only survive and work up to 42. 8°C. The group of Helmut Kovacs (2014) noted that Italian bees had a higher tolerance to high temperatures than Krajina bees. nine0005

The temperature causing the death of 50% of the individuals, after 8 hours of exposure, was definitely higher for the Italian bee and was 51.7°C than for the marinade (50.3°C). Similar studies were carried out in the field Alattal and Algamd in 2015. The highest mortality due to high temperature was noted in Krajina bees (92%), then in Italian bees (84%), and finally in Yemeni bees (46%). These studies took place in the natural thermal conditions of Saudi Arabia, which is one of the hottest countries in the world. The average daily temperature there is 30-32°C, and due to the desert climate, the nights are cold. nine0005

Raising a queen

Under normal conditions, there is only one queen bee in the colony, but in case of her death, quiet substitution or division of the colony, the bees raise new queens. A bee colony in which a young queen (less than one year old) is worming does not enter the swarm mood and, therefore, brings up fewer queens compared to colonies in which older queen bees reside.

Swarm cells are usually built at the bottom or top of the frame, away from the brood cells. It is possible that workers choose these places for raising queens because of the lower temperature than in the brood area. nine0005

According to DeGrandy-Hoffman, the color of hatched queens depends largely on the temperature that prevailed in the nest during their development in the mother liquor. Queen bees grown at 31°C were darker than those grown at 34.4°C.

The DeGrandy-Hoffman group also noted that colonies that lost a queen were more likely to raise a healthy queen if they built queen cells in the middle of the comb when the ambient temperature was low, and at the edge of the brood when the temperature outside the hive was high. nine0005

Queen cells lagging behind the comb have thicker walls than working cells, which can affect the temperature inside. However, the thermodynamic properties of their walls are controversial.

When the queens were incubated at 32°C, the peri-maginal period of the queens was extended by 27 hours. From the cells contained in normal thermal conditions (34.5°C), the uterus hatched after 16 days and 1 hour.

The temperature difference did not affect their quality - they had the same body weight, the number of ovarian tubes, the volume of the seminal reservoir, and also began to worm at the same time. nine0005

The rearing of drones in the hive begins in spring and continues until summer. Later, the number of males decreases, and in winter there are none at all. Changing conditions each season affects sperm production and sperm concentration. Typically, drones reach sexual maturity 14 days after hatching. The duration of this process is affected by temperature. At 31.1°C, the males are underdeveloped, and at 28.33°C, the development of the tinder brood is completely retarded. The addition of royal jelly to the diet of males somewhat reduces underdevelopment caused by temperature. nine0005

Humidity and temperature

The relative humidity (RH) prevailing in the nest is another very important factor influencing the development of the brood and the condition of the adult bees. It has a direct effect on the retention of moisture in the bodies of bees: the lower the relative humidity, the greater the loss of water.

Zhyong Li's group proved in 2016 that relative humidity is mainly controlled by women workers. This parameter is very important for the proper development of eggs. Relative humidity below 50% prevents the hatching of larvae, while the optimum humidity is between 90 to 95%. Relative humidity above or below the optimum significantly reduces the number of hatched larvae.

In case of low humidity, the bees take preventive measures: they increase the evaporation of water from nectar and honey. If the relative humidity is too high, the workers dehumidify the air by increasing the ventilation. It is worth noting that scientists suggest that when growing larvae in vitro, the temperature should be maintained at 34 ° C and relative humidity at 90%.

It will sting, but it will also treat. Is it possible to have bees in the country and not quarrel with the neighbors?

Which product can be stored for thousands of years without spoiling? The correct answer is honey. Confirmed fact: archaeologists found amphorae with honey in the pyramids, and it could be eaten. The benefits and taste are hard to dispute, and to get it you just need to get bees. “I retired, I want to organize a small apiary in the country. Is it allowed? - Ilya Nikitin asks us from Ochakovo-Matveevsky. nine0005

Is it so easy to breed bees in a summer cottage, and what a novice beekeeper needs to know, we decided to find out with the help of Alexander Bagrov, a long-time beekeeper, a member of the "Bee" club. Members of this club periodically gather in the SMART-library No. 197 named after. A. A. Akhmatova on the street. Krylatskie Holmy, 34. In connection with the pandemic, meetings of beekeepers are held via Skype conferences. To get an answer to a reader's question, we joined one of the online meetings. And here's what we found out. nine0005

WHERE TO KEEP PEACEFUL BEES?

– Beekeeping is regulated by Federal Law No. 490 of December 30, 2020 and Order of the Ministry of Agriculture No. 194 of May 19, 2016. According to these documents, any private person can start an apiary, - Alexander Viktorovich told us. “But for this you need to follow certain rules.

  1. First of all, you need to issue a veterinary and sanitary passport. It is issued by the veterinary station of the district where the dacha is located. nine0124
  2. Apiaries should be located at least 100 m from various institutions and roads.
  3. On the plot itself, hives with bees must be placed at a distance of at least 3 m from the borders of neighboring plots. If there is a blank fence with a height of at least 2 m, you can put it next to it.
  4. It is important to know that only peaceful breeds of bees are allowed to populate hives in settlements.

- If your dacha meets all these conditions, you can safely become a beekeeper, - Alexander Bagrov smiles. And he gives advice to his future novice colleagues. nine0005

NEIGHBORHOOD RELATIONS

- The law does not mention the need to obtain consent from neighbors to place an apiary on your summer cottage, - says Alexander Viktorovich. – But to prevent possible conflicts, experienced beekeepers recommend:

  • Do not anger the bees. You can anger them by frequent intrusions into "personal space". It is not necessary to check the hives often and without purpose, 1-2 times a week is enough.
  • If an "intrusion" is necessary, warn your neighbors that they are at increased risk of meeting your "ward". nine0124
  • Tell your neighbors how not to behave with bees: do not try to slap them, wave your hands at them. It is also not recommended to leave sweets such as jam or sugar in the open air.
  • Explain the benefits of being close to an apiary. Bees pollinate flowers and fruit trees not only on your site, but also on your neighbors.
  • Treat your neighbors with what your bees give. They can't buy this in any store.

ANTS, HORNETS, MICE

Although bees can stand up for themselves, they have enemies that they cannot cope with without human help. According to Alexander Viktorovich, first of all, these are ants:

- These are well-known sweet tooth, stealing a lot of honey. To prevent their "raids", usually the legs of the hives are placed in containers with water and lubricated with technical oils.

- There is still such an enemy, - Alexander Viktorovich jokes, - like a wax moth. She lays larvae in the hives that feed on the wax of the honeycombs. To combat them, the hives must be kept clean, periodically manually destroy the caterpillars. In the same unfriendly group, wasps and hornets. They hunt bees, feed their offspring with bees. Salvation, advises the beekeeper, is only in the destruction of their nests. nine0005

– And separately about mice, – our interlocutor continues. “They are dangerous for hibernating hives. Therefore, for the winter it is necessary to strengthen their bottoms and cover the notch with a limiter so that the mouse cannot climb into the hive.

About ticks. These are unpleasant enemies of bees that cause diseases. In this case, the entire apiary should be quarantined and treated. Every year, the beekeeper must check his wards at the veterinarians.

Birds. Natural enemies of bees. It is not recommended to kill them or destroy nests. Experienced beekeepers use special bird scarers that imitate the cries of feathered predators. nine0005

RESIDENTS ARE INTERESTED

“Which breed of bees is better for a beginner beekeeper?” - asks Andrey Svetlyakov from Krylatskoe.

– In the order of the Ministry of Agriculture for settlements, as mentioned above, there is a requirement to start peaceful breeds. There is also a list of them: Bashkir, Carpathian, gray mountain Caucasian, Central Russian and their breed types. These are all the breeds that live in our country. But in practice, not all of them can be classified as peaceful. For the first work experience, it is better to take a Central Russian or Carpathian bee. nine0005

“Why are beekeepers advised to feed their bees with sugar in the fall? ”- Sergey Panchenko, Ramenki is interested.

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