Wild hives can be found in the forest, in abandoned areas. Compared to domestic insects, wild insects are more resilient and efficient. Individuals have good health, and they can also adapt to different weather conditions. The differences can be seen even externally: wild bees are much smaller in size, their body colors are not as bright and pronounced as those of domestic bees.
Appearance of a wild hive
There are special terms for wild bee hives. For example, bort is the name of a hive inside a hollow tree. It was from this word that the definition of “beekeeping” appeared, which was the main occupation in Rus' for some Slavic tribes.
A spontaneously created hive is a formation that only looks chaotic from the outside, but inside there is order and distribution among the cells.
Honeycomb structure
Natural honeycombs are most often arranged in a linguistic form, and a layer is used for connection. The hollow continues for 5 meters. Usually there are 7 rows, which are arranged vertically. Good ventilation is important for the hive. Due to the presence of holes inside the honeycomb, constant exchange occurs inside the hollow.
When populating the hive, the tray is placed below where the honeycombs are located. After the hive is completely populated, the cells are built up in a bottom-up direction. It takes insects years to build a hive.
How to find wild bees in the forest
Often beekeepers find wild hives and move them to their own apiary. If you follow the rules and safety precautions, the result can be good.
Searches for wild hives can be conducted in accordance with certain rules and features:
- If there is a river or stream in the forest, then you need to go with the flow. This is because bees need to get water from somewhere. Most often they form a hive within 0.5 kilometers of water.
- Most often, insects choose the hollows of aspens and oaks, and much less often - pine trees.
- Searches are organized at a time when the sky is cloudy - this makes it easier to spot the flock.
Taming
There are several options for taming wild insects.
- First way. Construction of a trap and placement on a tree next to a hollow.
- Second way. Smoking the bees out of the hollow, and then removing the honeycombs and moving them to another place.
- Third option. Drank the hive from the tree.
Fishing with a trap is suitable for the end of May - this is when swarming begins, which means there is a high probability that this method will work.
The resettlement process consists of several stages:
- First, the hollow is opened; to do this, a cut is made using a hacksaw. The choice of where to cut is important - it is better to do it further from the location of the tap hole on the opposite side. This is important to protect against aggression from disturbed bees.
- After this, the wall of the tree is sawn through to the bee’s nest. At this stage, use an ax or any other tools to help break off the doors.
- To reduce the aggression rate of the hive, they use a smoker, that is, they blow smoke.
The ancient ancestors used a method where a special path was made for the borti - doljeya. After the hollow was completely populated, it was opened on one side, collecting honey. This method led to the beekeeper unintentionally cutting off the honeycombs along with the honey. This led to the death of half the family.
Modern beekeepers prefer the domestication method - this is a more humane method that allows you to obtain honey from wild bees in your own apiary.
If the hive is located on the forest edge at the highest point of the tree, then cutting out and opening the hollow is unsafe. In this case, you can cut out the honeycomb from the hollow and shake the frames.
Getting honey
Honey has been produced in the wild for a long time. Today this knowledge is almost completely lost; only a few are involved in beekeeping. This is an ancient craft that requires certain skills.
If beekeepers engage in beekeeping, it is in order to obtain a product that has excellent characteristics. Wild honey is much more valuable than honey from an apiary, where breeding is done artificially.
Beekeepers build hives inside tree trunks so that the hollows can then be selected and colonized by wild bees on their own. At this stage, the correct choice of location is important:
- it is important to provide for a source of water nearby;
- the best option is the presence of honey plants around the edge;
- The exit of the hive is traditionally oriented to the south.
If you correctly form the future bee home, then most likely it will be inhabited in the next 2 years. This option is suitable for the long term.
Beginning beekeepers can organize breeding using so-called bee packages. These are special sets of two types:
- a box with frames, feeders and a special mesh for the queen;
- The box is made of fiberboard, suitable for transportation, it can be carried and placed on a flat surface. There is a queen feeder inside.
If the family expands inside, then new frames can be added if dimensions allow. The main condition is not to harm the queen, which can be located either on the feeder or on the frame, along with the working insects.
Honey from a bee package is obtained in the usual way. First, take out the frames, then print them using a special device or manually.At this stage, it is important to prevent clogging of raw materials. Wild honey has a high content of vitamins and beneficial elements.
