The gathering of bees is a fairly common phenomenon from which many beekeepers suffer. It occurs in spring and autumn. In the first case, the gathering resembles the departure of a swarm, and in the second, the family leaves supplies of honey in the house and leaves the home. At the same time, not every beekeeper knows exactly why bees fly away from the hive in the summer. The reason for this is various factors - diseases, unfavorable weather conditions, pest attacks.
Reasons for the flight of bees
The sudden flight of bees from their home is called swarming. Insects leave the hive in a crowd together with the queen. In this case, the swarm and printed brood remain. There may be no visible reasons for swarming.However, most often this occurs under the influence of the following factors:
- lack of space for storing nectar due to overpopulation;
- overheating of the hives or drafts;
- lack of honey plants near the hive;
- incorrect choice of material for building a hive;
- aging of the uterus;
- deadhead in honey, which is stored for the winter;
- unfavorable electromagnetic field.
Diseases
The problem may be caused by a virus or infection. Most often, pathologies are accompanied by deformation of the wings. The most common infectious disease characteristic of bees is melanosis. The pathology causes the death of the uterus, which leads to a stop in the reproduction of the swarm.
The disease is caused by mold fungi. They often accumulate in the epithelium of the oviduct and inhibit egg laying. In this case, the uterus loses its mobility, and its abdomen increases. As a result, the swarm pushes the queen beyond the boundaries of the hive, and she dies. There is also a risk of swarming.
Temperature
In abnormally warm weather, insects begin to actively move. As a result, they waste substances stored in the body. In addition, premature wear of the bees occurs. As a result, bees die en masse. There is also a high probability of their flight.
Pests
At the end of summer, varroa mite activity increases. They suppress the immune system of bees and lead to the spread of dangerous pathologies. To avoid swarming, you need to take preventive measures. To do this, the hive needs to be treated with special chemicals. To eliminate ticks, you should use Timol or Fumagol.
Incorrect nutrition
The cause of problems may be excessive feeding with sugar syrup.This negatively affects the immune system of individuals and increases their susceptibility to the influence of external factors. Experts advise feeding insects with sugar syrup no later than the third ten days of August, when their pharyngeal glands continue to actively work and saturate the substance with enzymes.
How to prevent bees from flying off
If bees fly out of the nest, action should be taken immediately. To do this, it is necessary to systematically monitor the behavior of the family in various life cycles. It is also necessary to take the construction of the hive very responsibly. The use of quality materials is of great importance. You should also periodically check the hive for honeydew.
With increased activity of mites, preventive treatments are required. This helps prevent the swarm from weakening due to disease. It is important not to overfeed the bees. If swarming is suspected, it is recommended to reduce the diet several times.
Be sure to check the surrounding area for foreign odors. They can provoke a change in the location of the swarm. If there are irritating factors around the nest, the hive should be moved to another location.
Bee flight is considered a fairly common problem that many beekeepers face. To cope with swarming, it is important to identify and eliminate the causes of its occurrence.
