When breeding bees, creating a safe place for wintering is considered an important point. It helps protect honey insects from temperature changes and strong gusts of wind. In regions with harsh winters, building an omshanik for bees is considered the only way to protect them from frost. It is important to choose the right structure design and strictly adhere to the recommendations for its construction.
What is omshanik
This term refers to a room for keeping bees in the winter season.There are a number of techniques that allow you to leave hives outside. However, beekeepers who use traditional methods of breeding honey plants still prefer to use an insulated room for wintering. This helps bees withstand harsh climate conditions.
With the help of an omshanik, it is possible to protect houses with bees from low temperatures, gusts of wind and street noise. The presence of a special room for wintering allows you to save on insulating the hives and reduce the consumption of food by bees. This method also helps reduce the percentage of insect deaths and increase the life of the hives.
Types of omshaniks
Depending on the location, all omshaniks are divided into 2 types - underground and aboveground. You should choose a specific option based on your capabilities.
Underground
Experienced beekeepers prefer just such designs. They allow you to maintain a stable temperature throughout the winter. Even in cold weather the room does not need additional heating. The disadvantages of underground structures are the need for high construction costs and the need for lighting.
As an alternative, a semi-underground structure can be used. It is deepened only 1-1.5 meters. This option is used when groundwater levels are high. In this case, the semi-underground room has to be insulated.
Ground
The construction of such an omshanik is considered a more affordable option. If bee breeding stops for some reason, the premises can be used as a barn. In ground-based farming, it is permissible to use natural lighting. In this case, such a room must be insulated.
Advantages of use
The construction of omshaniks has many advantages:
- excellent preservation of bee colonies;
- insect health benefits;
- the ability to lay eggs in comfortable conditions;
- absence of sudden temperature fluctuations in the room;
- increasing the useful life of hives;
- feed saving.
Bees in omshanik do not move, do not obtain food and do not raise offspring. This helps them conserve energy and store body fat.
Primary requirements
Before starting construction, it is worth deciding on the location and size of the structure. If the site has groundwater, it is recommended to give preference to a combined omshanik with partial deepening. The dimensions of the building should provide convenient care for the hives, their installation and removal.
The main requirements for Omsha residents include the following:
- compact dimensions;
- the presence of passages between hives;
- lighting in underground structures;
- availability of lifts for convenient installation of hives;
- creating one entrance for 300 hives - with a larger number, 2 entrances will be required on opposite sides;
- gable or single-pitched roof that does not accumulate snow;
- creating conditions to maintain the temperature at +5 degrees;
- ventilation system equipment.
The optimal air humidity in heated structures should be 50-60%. Without heating it decreases somewhat. In severe frosts, it is important to monitor this indicator. To avoid condensation accumulation, you should use a fan.
Rules for construction and construction
In order for the construction of an omshanik to be successful, it is important to adhere to a number of rules and recommendations.
Preparation
First you need to choose a place to build a winter hut. The following requirements should be taken into account:
- Availability of moisture protection. To check the depth of groundwater in the spring, you need to dig several holes. If water begins to accumulate in them, such terrain is not suitable for construction. You should also ensure that there is no risk of flooding.
- Location of the winter hut. It is best to make omshanik not far from the apiary. This will make moving the hives easier. It is best to build the structure in a ravine or on a small slope. This will provide her with protection from the wind.
- Entrance location. It is recommended to do it on the south side. Thanks to this, less wind will enter the open room. If more than a hundred bee colonies will live in the winter hut, you need to make 2 entrances on opposite sides.
- Determination of area. When drawing up a design diagram, it is necessary to take into account that the size of the passage between the racks should be approximately 1 meter. In this case, a rack for arranging hives in 1 row is made at least 70 centimeters, in 2 rows - 160. The distance between the hives should be about 20 centimeters. You should not install hives close to the wall. Taking these parameters into account, the total area of the building can be determined.
- Cost calculation. It is important to determine in advance the amount of materials that will be needed for construction. It is also necessary to mark the future territory of the omshanik.
Selection of materials
When building an omshanik, materials will be required not only for the construction of the room itself, but also for the creation of ventilation, shelving and doors. To make a winter shelter, you need to prepare the following:
- Wood - logs or bars. It is best to take strong wood that retains heat well.
- Stone – you will need bricks or ordinary stones.
- Metal - you need to take pipes, channels, corners.
- Insulation - you will need to take film, adobe, reed slabs.
You should definitely pay attention to the construction of the following parts of the winter hut:
- floor - can be wooden, clay or concrete;
- walls - for underground structures they are made of brick, and in other cases - wooden;
- roof - can be made of boards;
- ceiling - reinforced concrete is used.
Construction
To build an underground omshanik, you should do the following:
- Dig a pit. Its depth should be 3-5.5 meters. After digging, it is worth carefully leveling the area.
- Make the floor. In this case, the bottom of the pit must be filled with concrete or covered with boards.
- Build walls. The optimal solution would be a double layer of brick. Before laying the material, it must be moistened with water. Dry bricks may develop cracks. The gaps between the bricks and the floor must be filled with clay.
- Make a roof. Boards need to be laid on the frame. They need to be strengthened with concrete mortar and covered with film. The structure also needs to be laid with reinforcing mesh in 2 layers and filled with concrete. It will take 1 week to harden.
- Arrange the room. The steps need to be laid out from concrete slabs and filled with mortar. You can make a vestibule in front of the entrance. This will help retain heat better.
- Make sure there are no cracks. If they are identified, it is necessary to cover them with a layer of polyurethane foam.
Heating and ventilation
Proper ventilation is of great importance when constructing an omshanik. It can be input or output. The first type is constructed using ventilation pipes. At the same time, they are directed into the holes in the walls near the floor.Exhaust ventilation is installed in holes located in the ceiling.
When constructing supply ventilation, the outlet hole must be covered with a mesh. This will help prevent mice from getting into the area. Caps should be placed on the ends of the pipes to provide protection from precipitation.
To heat the winter hut, it is permissible to use a variety of devices. The most popular devices include infrared or electric heaters. Other equipment can also be used.
Omshanik is an important structure that helps bees survive the harsh winter. Such designs can have different types, which allows each beekeeper to choose the appropriate option depending on his capabilities and preferences.
