Technology of production of biologically active products of beekeeping. G

Introduction

The technology of beekeeping products, which include honey, wax, bee pollen, perga, propolis, bee venom, royal jelly, drone larvae homogenate, is based on knowledge of the biological basis for obtaining, chemical composition, physicochemical and biological properties of these products and includes methods of obtaining, processes for processing and processing, as well as ways to store and use them.

Some bee products, in particular bee pollen, perga, propolis, bee venom, royal jelly, drone larvae homogenate, are used in the pharmacological industry for the production of medicines, as food additives and in apitherapy. As independent food products, like honey, or as raw materials for industry, like wax, these bee products have not found wide application.

All bee products are biologically active substances that act as biogenic stimulants and have valuable medicinal properties. There are hundreds of drugs and dosage forms prepared with their use. The study and use of technologies for the production of propolis, bee venom, royal jelly, drone larvae homogenate will provide raw materials for the medical and cosmetic industries, and at the same time will significantly increase the profitability of beekeeping.

The textbook on the technology of production of bee products is aimed at providing beekeepers with the necessary knowledge on how to obtain, store and process biologically active bee products. For the correct choice of the most rational ways of producing bee products, beekeepers must have a complete understanding of the biological basis for their formation in the bee colony, their physical and chemical properties and the requirements imposed by the standard on their quality. It is necessary to know what basic substances are included in these products, and therefore it is possible to use them in medical practice. At the same time, it is important to understand that their composition is very complex and so far it is impossible to obtain their substitutes artificially. Attention should be paid to especially careful observance of existing sanitary and hygienic rules when receiving, storing and transporting beekeeping products used for medicinal purposes and diet food and know them.

Bee pollen and perga

Pollen is produced in the anthers of plants and is the sex cell of the male gamete. The size and shape of pollen grains are individual for each plant species.

Bees collect pollen with the help of mouth organs, hairs covering the body, brushes on the first segments of the legs of the hind legs. Fastening the collected pollen with the secretions of the pharyngeal glands and nectar, the bees form lumps - an obnozhka, which is placed on the outer side of the lower leg of the hind legs in a special formation of a basket.

Lumps of pollen can be of different colors depending on the type of pollen plant: red - from a pear, peach, horse chestnut; orange - from sunflower and dandelion; green - from linden, maple and mountain ash; golden yellow - from wild rose, gooseberry, buckwheat, angelica and hazel; brown - from sainfoin, meadow cornflower, red and white clover; purple - from a bruise and phacelia; white - from apple and raspberry.

The bee brings the bee to the hive and puts the honeycomb into the bee cells. When the cell is about half full, the hive bees tamp down the top with their heads and then fill it with honey. Due to the enzymes of the secretion of the pharyngeal glands of bees and honey, under anaerobic conditions, pollen turns into perga or "bee bread". The amount of proteins and lipids in bee bread decreases, the content of lactic acid and carbohydrates increases. This prevents the development of bacteria and mold fungi in bee bread.

Obnozhka and perga are a source of protein, fat, minerals and vitamins for bees. The annual need of a bee colony, according to various authors, ranges from 20-30 to 40-50 kg of perga.

The lack of protein food in the nest encourages flying bees to increase their flight activity and search for pollen plants. After replenishing the bee-bread stocks, the bee colony ceases to bring pollen to the hive. This is due to the still insufficiently studied mechanism for limiting the amount of protein food in the nest. The inevitable replenishment of the lack of protein food and the presence of a mechanism that limits its amount in the nest are the biological basis for obtaining bee pollen as a beekeeping product. According to various estimates, the annual collection of flower pollen (bee pollen) ranges from 2-3 to 10-15 kg from each bee colony.

The chemical composition of bee pollen is complex and varied depending on the type of plant from which the pollen is collected.

Pollen contains 28 mineral macro- and microelements, only about 3%. Many salts of potassium (400 mg / 100 g), phosphorus (190-580 mg / 100 g), calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, etc. In accordance with the standard, the mass fraction of raw ash in the pollen should not exceed 4%, and mineral impurities should not exceed 0.6%.

Nitrogen compounds of protein (proteins, enzymes, nucleoproteins) and non-protein (peptides, free amino acids) nature are subject to changes during the season and the largest fluctuations are observed in the content of non-protein nitrogen.

The amount of proteins in pollen depends on the type of plant and ranges from 7 to 30%. Phacelia pollen contains 34.9% proteins, horticultural crops - 28.2; red clover -27.2; blue cornflower - 24.9; dandelion - 15.79%.

Essential protein amino acids and free amino acids determine the value and quality of pollen and are a factor regulating the pollen-gathering activity of bees.

Obnozhka contains about 30 enzymes (amylase, lipase, invertase, protease, peroxidase, etc.), but their number and activity significantly depend on the type of plant and the place where pollen is collected.

According to the requirements of the standard, the mass fraction of crude protein in pollen must be at least 21%.

Carbohydrates are represented by mono - (glucose, fructose), di - (maltose, sucrose) and polysaccharides (starch, fiber, pectin substances), their content can reach 40%.

Lipids (neutral fats and fat-like substances - lipoids) make up over 3%. Found in the pollen essential fatty acids - linoleic, linolenic, arachidonic. Lipoids are represented by phosphatides, which account for up to half of all fatty components (1.40 - 1.65%), phytosterols (sitosterol, fucosterol, free cholesterol), wax-like substances. Unsaturated hydrocarbons are represented by tricosan, panocazan, higher alcohols.

Pollen of all kinds contains carotenoids. In the pollen of yellow acacia, fireweed, linden, buckwheat, there is a lot of vitamin E (a-tocopherol). In the pollen of alfalfa, bellflower, brittle buckthorn, there is a sufficient amount of vitamin C.

In terms of the amount of the vitamin-like substance inositol (188-228 mg/100 g), pollen surpasses all known sources, except for oranges and green peas.

Glucoside rutin (vitamin P) in buckwheat pollen is contained in an amount of 17 mg%.

Phenolic compounds of pollen are represented by flavonoids (flavonols, leucoanthocyanins, catechins), which are more common in the pollen of clover, bittercress, cornflower; and phenocarboxylic acids (derivatives of hydroxycinnamic acid), which are present in significant quantities in the pollen of willows, meadowsweet, and thistle field. According to the standard, the mass fraction of flavonoid compounds in the pollen must be at least 2.5%.

The antibiotic substances of pollen determine its antiseptic properties, which are most pronounced in the pollen of corn, dandelion, and clover.

The quality of bee pollen is regulated by the standard. In accordance with GOST 28887-90, for dry flower pollen (bee pollen), harvested for food and feed purposes, as well as for industrial processing, in appearance it should be an easily loose, granular mass, with a grain size of 1.0-4, 0 mm, from yellow to purple and black in color with a specific honey-floral odor and a pleasant, sweetish, maybe bitter or sour taste. It is allowed to have no more than 1.5% of the decayed pollen with a smaller grain size. The mass fraction of mechanical impurities should not exceed 0.1%, toxic impurities are not allowed. An aqueous solution of pollen (2%) should have a certain acidity (pH = 4.3-5.3) and the oxidation index should be no more than 23 seconds. It is not allowed to infect pollen with pathogenic microorganisms, mold, moth larvae. The content of heavy metals and pesticide residues must not exceed the maximum allowable level.

With mandatory certification of pollen (bee pollen), the following indicators must be confirmed: taste, color, smell, mass fraction of mineral impurities, the presence of toxic impurities, pesticide residues, the content of lead, cadmium, arsenic and radionuclides, the presence of salmonella, mold and moth larvae, as well as a certificate of veterinary and sanitary examination.

Collection of pollen is carried out in May - June for 40-50 days preceding the main honey collection. To do this, pollen traps are hung on the entrance wall of the hive, closing the entrance. They do not collect pollen from families of weak, sick, swarming families, from families with an infertile uterus and from breeding families. Pollen traps are not used during the main harvest (July) and during the spring harvest from willow and yellow acacia with a daily gain of more than 1.5-2 kg.

The designs of pollen traps can be different, but its main elements are: a pollen-gathering grate that blocks the entrance to the hive and a container located under it for accumulating pollen, which has a ventilated (mesh) bottom and is closed from above with a mesh or grate through which the bees do not pass (hole size from 3 to 3.8 mm), but their stripes fall. The bees pass into the notch through the grate, which has holes that correspond to the size of the worker bees (about 4.9 mm) and provide mechanical scraping of the fringes from the baskets of the hind limbs. The obnozhka falls down through the grid or grate into the hopper, from which it is taken daily. The volume of the accumulator should contain the daily collection of pollen, which is about 1 kg.

The barrier grid is inserted into the pollen trap 1-2 weeks after it is hung on the hive, when the bees get used to getting into the nest through this structure. The bees leaving the hive either use the holes in the side wall of the pollen trap or the gap (8-10 mm) that forms between the hive wall and the lid of the pollen trap.

Some designs of pollen traps include 7 - 10 metal tubes (8 - 10 mm in diameter) located at the level of the hive floor in the front wall of the pollen trap and protruding 20 mm beyond it. These tubes are designed to take the bees out of the hive.

The first pollen trap was proposed in 1930 and up to the present time its design has been improved and modernized.

When using a bottom pollen trap, the bees will enter through the entrance to the bottom of the hive and, in order to get on the combs, pass through the holes of the pollen-collecting barrage, which is located horizontally. Raising a special blocking valve allows the bees to get on the comb bypassing the grate. The disadvantages of bottom pollen traps are, firstly, the contamination of the resulting pollen with beehive debris. Secondly, the possibility of using only on hives with a detachable bottom and the type for which bottom pollen traps are designed. Thirdly, the installation and removal of bottom pollen traps requires significant labor costs. The advantage of a bottom pollen trap in comparison with a mounted one is to ensure the protection of the resulting products from rain moisture.

The store pollen trap is also not universal, in addition, it must be removed at each nest inspection. The positive side of shop pollen traps is the possibility of obtaining a bee pollen that is not polluted by beehive litter and relatively less humidity. The latter is provided by warm air rising from the nesting part of the hive.

The versatility and manufacturability of the use of mounted pollen traps have provided them with a wide application in beekeeping.

Every day, at the end of the summer of bees, the pollen collector is freed from the pollen, from which large beehive debris is manually removed. It is scattered in one layer on the mesh trays of the drying cabinet, where it is kept for 15-20 hours at 40 ° C and forced ventilation. The design of drying cabinets can be different, but automatic temperature maintenance and ventilation are necessary. the temperature should not rise above 45 ° C.

The duration of drying depends on the initial moisture content of the bee pollen and ranges from 19-20 to 72 hours with a product moisture content of 20-25 to 30-35%, respectively.

The end of drying can be determined organoleptically, when the pollen is felt in the palm of your hand as separate hard lumps that are difficult to crush.

Humidity of freshly harvested pollen can be more than 20%. According to GOST 28887-90, the pollen is dried up to 8-10%. The optimal drying mode, according to the research institute of beekeeping, is at a temperature of no more than 40 ° C and forced ventilation. When dried in the sun or in ovens at high temperatures, light and heat-sensitive compounds are inactivated, so such drying technologies are not used.

Dried pollen should be stored at a temperature of no more than 5 ... 8 ° C without access to air and light. In accordance with the standard: at a temperature of 0 to 15 ° C and a relative humidity of not more than 75%, in a clean, dry, odor-free room. In this case, the warranty period of storage is 24 months from the time of its collection.

The pollen can be dried at room temperature over desiccant substrates (anhydrous calcium chloride). Freeze drying is used: pollen is cooled to -70 ° C for 1-2 minutes, then kept under vacuum (pressure 0.1-0.2 mm Hg) at a temperature of -20 to -25 ° C for days. Freeze-drying followed by the addition of sugar (1:1), hermetic packaging and storage at 1.. .3 o C made it possible to preserve pollen when harvesting it for future use.

The pollen with a moisture content of 8-10% is cleaned of debris (corpses of bees, etc.) by sifting through a sieve (mesh size 3.5-4 mm), or by an air stream formed by a household fan.

The main issue of bee pollen production technology is the preservation of its natural composition through conservation. There are several chemical, physico-chemical, and physical methods of conserving obnozhka for the purpose of its long-term storage. For example, preservatives are introduced: benzoic, salicylic acids, substances that increase osmotic pressure (sodium chloride, sucrose, honey), sterilized by γ-irradiation, and water is removed during the drying process. All of the above is aimed at dehydrating the product and preventing the development of microorganisms during maximum conservation all biologically active components.

Numerous tests of various pollen preservation technologies have shown that the lower the temperature and humidity of the environment, the longer it is preserved. However, in any case, over time, the nutritional and medicinal value of the pollen decreases.

Dried pollen is packaged in glass jars, in bags made of PU-2 polyethylene film, dubbed with cellophane, in paper bags of the VNM brand with a top layer of moisture-resistant paper. Packaged obnozhka weighing up to 20 kg. The specified container should be packed in dry, odorless, tight wooden boxes and lined with dry material (chips, polystyrene, cardboard). Mark the container directly or stick paper labels to containers and packaging units.

The widespread use of bee pollen in apitherapy is based on its ability to activate the human immune system, restore strength, stabilize the activity of all parenchymal organs, endocrine systems s, to restore the dysfunction of the sexual sphere. Bee pollen is used for physical and mental exhaustion, for appetite, for chronic fatigue syndrome, frequent colds, for cleansing the body of toxins and toxins. The regulatory effect of flower pollen on the gastrointestinal tract, as well as its euphoric effect, which manifests itself in improving mood, raising mental tone in depressive states, sleep disorders and alcoholism, has been established. The therapeutic dose of bee pollen, according to A.Kayas, for an adult is 32 g, the maintenance dose is 20 g per day on an empty stomach or shortly before meals.

In apitherapy, dosage forms and preparations with bee pollen are used: blutenpolen (Germany), vitapol (Argentina), antopolene (Japan), sernilton (Sweden). The Institute of Beekeeping has developed as a food supplement a mixture of bee pollen with honey (1:1 or 1:2) or sugar (1:1) called "Polyanka".

All of the listed therapeutic properties of bee pollen are to some extent expressed in such a beekeeping product as perga.

In contrast to bee pollen, from which it is prepared by bees, bee bread contains a complete set of essential amino acids, an increased amount of sugars and lactic acid. When mixed in a cell of combs, pollen from different plants, which differs significantly in protein content, its rationing in the final product, bee bread, is observed. Most analytical data show that bee bread contains about 20% protein. Fats make up from 1.3 to 14%, carbohydrates - from 25 to 38 and mineral salts - from 0.9 to 5%.

Compaction of the pollen into cells and a layer of honey covering it create anaerobic conditions favorable for development, due to sugars, lactic acid bacteria that produce lactic acid. The latter excludes the development of putrefactive bacteria. Thus, the bees "preserve" their protein food in the cells of the combs. Honeycombs with bee-bread cells are the starting material for obtaining bee-bread.

The basis for harvesting bee-bread combs is a set of techniques that ensure the safety of families during the wintering period and the accelerated growth of their strength, as well as the presence a large number brood and hives of large volume.

Honeycombs are selected during the main flow and after it or before the honey collection (from the nesting part of the hives of large volume). They are freed from honey, “drained” by bees and stored until a stable cold snap at a temperature of 1 to 8 ° C and a humidity of 70-80%.

The technology for extracting bee bread from combs, developed by V.R. Nekrashevich and co-authors, is as follows:

1- drying of raw materials (cut pieces of honeycombs);

2- cooling of the raw material to -1 o C and grinding in a honeycomb crusher, which ensures the complete destruction of the cells and the separation of cocoons;

3- sieving the crushed raw materials and separating the wax particles from the bee bread using a sieve with a cell of 2.6 mm and an air flow at a speed of 7.5-8 m/s.

4- disinfection of pollen with y-rays or a mixture of gases of ethylene oxide and methyl bromide;

5- packaging in glass jars with ground stainless steel stoppers.

The implementation of bee bread is practiced without extracting from the cells. The finished products are directly sections of honeycombs or sections (10 × 10 cm or 5 × 5 cm), with bee-bread cells filled from 2 sides, the share of which is 80% of the area of ​​the entire section.

PROPOLIS

Propolis, or bee glue, is used by honey bees to seal cracks in the hive, to shorten the entrances. They polish irregularities and fix parts of the hive, they are used for polishing and disinfecting comb cells before laying eggs in them by the uterus. Propolis serves as a material for bees to embalm the corpses of animals and insects that have entered the nest. In general, propolis is a warming and disinfectant, antiseptic material for honey bees.

Propolis is collected by bees at the age of 15 days, in the first half of the day, and its use for sealing cracks begins after 16 hours. This is probably due to the consistency of bee glue, which varies with temperature.

Currently, 2 possible ways for bees to obtain propolis are being considered. Some authors believe that the resinous secretions of the buds of trees - poplar (Populus), willow (Solix), birch (Betula), pine (Pinus), spruce (Picea), oak (Quercus), alder (Alnus), elm ( Ulmus), fir (Abies), plum (Prunus domestica), sweet cherry (Prunus avium), ash (Fraxinus), wild chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum).

With the help of antennae, bees look for places where resinous substances are released on trees, which they grab with their jaws and pull out in the form of a thread until it breaks. After wetting it with the secret of the pharyngeal (pharyngeal) and maxillary (mandibular) glands, the bee removes the resinous material from the jaws with the help of claws on the legs and then places it in baskets, like a bee. The hive bees help her to take out a lump of propolis from the basket and lay it on the walls of the hive, planks and bars of the frames before use.

Other authors are of the opinion that the source of propolis for bees is pollen balm, which is formed as a result of swelling, rupture and processing of pollen grains of entomophilous plants from their oily shells, which are forced out by the valves of the anterior ventricle as they accumulate in the honey goiter. Just as during the collection of resinous substances, the pollen balm is mixed with the secretion of the pharyngeal glands and is then used to polish the cells of the comb.

The reasons that encourage bees to intensively propolis the nest, for example, increased ventilation, uneven surfaces and the presence of cracks into which the bees cannot penetrate, are the basis for increasing the yield of propolis from the bee colony.

The largest amount of propolis and the least polluted with wax bees lay in 3 places: above the nest, on the upper bars of the frames and at the entrance hole. The total amount of propolis in the hive depends on many factors (on average, it is about 200 g): the race of bees, geographical and climatic conditions, the design of the hive, the availability of sources of propolis raw materials, and the strength of the family. A decrease in the intensity of nest propolising was noted in a series of bees of the gray mountain Caucasian, Central Russian, Italian, Krajina and Far Eastern races. According to Professor V.G. Kashkovsky, in the conditions of Western Siberia, Central Russian bees show the least tendency to propolis the nest in comparison with the southern breeds of bees.

The instinct of bees to fill voids with propolis is manifested to one degree or another on all hive objects. It was experimentally found that most of the cracks (83.8%) are filled with propolis and a smaller part with wax or a mixture of them. Filling gaps ranging in size from 0.1 to 3 mm with propolis occurs most intensively. The cracks above the nest are sealed first, and after that, propolis is deposited in the cracks of the nest and under the nest. The depth of sealing cracks with propolis increases from bottom to top: under the nest it is 1-2 mm, in the nest from 1 to 3 mm and above the nest from 1 to 4 mm. Such a behavioral reaction of bees to the sealing of cracks of various sizes with propolis and in different places of the hive is the biological basis for the technology for obtaining propolis by using two-layer canvases and lattice ceilings.

The greatest amount of propolis is produced by bees from the second half of July to the end of August - in the period of preparation for winter. The recommended time of collection is the period from the end of May (when the spring generation of bees appeared) to the end of August (at least 60 days before the onset of stable frosts, the collection is stopped).

The study of the chemical composition of propolis from various zones of Russia showed that the birch type prevails up to 65% of all samples, there are also poplar (15%), birch-poplar (15%). Other varieties of propolis make up 5%.

In appearance, propolis is a resinous amorphous mass or crumb, heterogeneous in structure. The color depends on the geographical origin and place of deposition in the hive, on contamination and storage time and varies from gray to brown-green. The smell of propolis resembles the spicy aroma of vegetable resins and essential oils, or may be absent altogether. Taste - bitter, burning, astringent. The consistency depends on the temperature. Below 15 ° C, propolis is a hard, brittle, easily crumbling body. At 20.. .30 o C and above, propolis becomes soft and plastic. Freshly harvested propolis is soft and sticky, but with storage and exposure to sunlight, it hardens and becomes brittle. Propolis passes into a fluid state at a temperature of 64 ... .69 ° C. Its density depends on the wax content and ranges from 1.11 to 1.27 g / cm3.

The approximate chemical composition of propolis according to V.G. Chudakov (1979) is represented by plant resins (from 38 to 60%), which consist of a mixture of organic acids, including unsaturated acids. Depending on the method of extraction of resins, their melting point is 66.. .73 o C, 96.. .106 o C and reaches 300 o C.

Balsams (from 3 to 30%) were found in the composition of propolis - complex mixtures of tannins, resinous components, essential oils, phenoloxy acids and aromatic aldehydes.

Tannins are a yellow, orange or light brown fraction, essential oils- a pale yellow, transparent mass with a strong aroma and a bitter taste.

Wax in propolis is contained in an amount from 7.8 to 36%, depending on the place where the bee glue is deposited (propolis contains less wax in the notch).

Of the flavonoids, acacetin, ramcocitrin, chrysin, and others were found (19 in total). Of the vitamins found thiamine, riboflavin, nicotinic and ascorbic acids, tocopherol. From organic acids - cinnamic, coffee, coumaric, benzoic. Vanillin, cinnamon alcohol were found. Ash elements are represented by potassium, sodium, magnesium, silicon, strontium, etc. (14 in total). In 1979, 50 substances and ash elements were identified in propolis.

The composition and chemical constants of propolis extracts depend on the type of solvent, extraction conditions and the method of solvent removal.

In diethyl ether at a temperature of 23 ° C, up to 66% of the components of propolis go into solution. In 96% ethyl alcohol at 23 ° C, 40-50% is dissolved, and at 40 ... 80 ° C - up to 75% of propolis substances. In water at a temperature of 23 to 93 ° C, 7 - 11% of propolis dissolves. Water and alcohol extracts of propolis, as well as its oil extracts, are the basis of propolis medicinal preparations.

The simplest and most commonly used method of collecting propolis is manual. Propolis is scraped off with a chisel from hangers and bars of frames, from insulating canvases, at summer holes, various slots and rolled into lumps of 200-300 g. At the plant (Kolomensky Wax Plant) it is cleaned of impurities and wax and formed in the form of tiles, tablets and briquettes .

To improve the quality and quantity of collected propolis, various ceilings and canvases are used, which are then mechanically processed. Propolised canvases are removed from the hive at the end of the season and stored in a dry place until frost. From laps frozen at -10..-20 o C, propolis is easily separated.

Instead of canvases for collecting propolis, undercarriages are used, which are attached to the canvas with paper clips or hemmed. The underlining is a rare fabric (undyed investment). A lattice frame is also placed under the canvas, which is removed in the fall and the frozen propolis is cleaned from it by tapping.

In the production of commercial propolis from propolised beehive laps or underlays, it is cleaned off with special devices (SIP-55 and SIP-un machines, a manual toothed roller). Then it is cleaned of impurities and pressed into briquettes.

Recently, a nylon mesh with a cell size of 4 mm has been used as an underlay. To increase the amount of deposited propolis, they should be rotated 900 at each inspection of the hive during the season. Understrings are used on those families that have mastered the main building and entered the second building or magazine extensions. Replacing beehive laps with laps with underlays is carried out until June 1. The standard size of the underlay is 550 × 550 mm. Before processing, the propolised underlays are stored in dry, clean boxes in ventilated and darkened rooms at a temperature of not more than 25 ° C and an air humidity of 70%, odors and the presence of rodents are excluded. In this mode, the storage period is no more than a year.

Propolised canvases are transported, packed in paper or sugar bags or grocery bags, with the obligatory shelter of the cargo from precipitation.

After peeling the propolis, before sending it to beekeeping farms, the canvases are disinfected by boiling in a 3% soda ash solution for 30 minutes or in a 1% alkali solution for 15 minutes, then rinsed in water and dried.

All processes for the removal and purification of propolis are carried out in an unheated room at a temperature below 0 ° C. Machines with an electric drive are used to extract propolis from frozen laps. Shabby and sparsely woven canvases cannot be passed through a machine tool; a manual toothed roller is used to process them. Canvases are processed on a SIP-55 machine, which is equipped with sieves and allows you not only to remove propolis, but also to clean it. For non-standard size laps with seams, as well as for underlays, a SIP-un machine is used, which does not have a brush shaft and cleaning sieves.

Propolis is cleaned from impurities by sifting through a sieve. From the sieves, the fraction of foreign impurities with grains of propolis is removed. Then it is additionally cleaned in a TsLK-1 centrifuge (3 thousand revolutions per minute), at the bottom of which there is a knife, and in the walls of the case there are windows barred with a metal mesh (1 × 1 mm), on which polyethylene bags for finished products are hung.

Purified from impurities, propolis in the form of a powder is ready for sale. It is used for pharmaceutical companies.

AT technological process when extracting propolis from canvases, when cleaning it, safety measures must be observed: respiratory protection with respirators and eyes with goggles. Workers should be warmly dressed, have overalls and rubberized aprons.

For implementation in retail perform packing, briquetting and packing operations.

Before pressing into briquettes, propolis powder is weighed in portions from 25 to 100 g and incubated for 4 hours at room temperature. Simultaneously with the pressing of briquettes with the help of molds and OKS-030 hydraulic press, their primary packaging is carried out in tracing paper, parchment or aluminum foil.

Propolis briquettes are transported in plywood boxes packed in food-grade polyethylene.

Propolis is stored under the same conditions as propolised laps, at a temperature not exceeding 25 ° C and relative air humidity not lower than 65%. Guaranteed shelf life of propolis is 10 years from the date of its receipt.

The quality of propolis as a marketable product and starting material for the pharmaceutical industry is regulated by GOST 28886-90. In appearance, the product should be lumps, crumbs or briquettes with a characteristic resinous, aromatic odor (the smell of a mixture of honey, fragrant herbs, needles, poplars).

The structure of propolis should be dense, non-uniform in a fracture, the color is dark green, brown or gray with a greenish, yellow or brown tint. The taste is bitter, slightly pungent. Propolis should be solid at 20°C and viscous at higher temperatures (up to 40°C). The amount of wax in propolis should not exceed 25%, mechanical impurities - 20%. Oxidability - no more than 22 s, the amount of oxidizable substances in 1 cm3 of oxidant solution per 1 mg of propolis - not less than 0.6, iodine number - not less than 25. The content of phenolic compounds, including flavonoids, in propolis should not be less than 25% .

All methods and techniques for determining the quality indicators of propolis are regulated and set out in GOST 28886-90.

The less mechanical impurities and wax in propolis, the higher its quality. To prevent the decline in the quality of propolis during its production and processing, heating of propolis and separation of mechanical impurities from it with water is not allowed in the technological process.

The annual collection of commercial propolis in the amount of 80 g per bee colony does not damage its vital activity. There is information in the literature about the possibility of increasing the yield of propolis from a family from 50-100 to 150-200 and even up to 400-1000 g using special ceiling grids (Lakerts P.P., 1972), ceiling laps (Sadovnikov A.A., 1973), frames with a stretched wire mesh (Gutsalyuk I.S., 1973), using a low-frequency electric field (Eskov E.K., 1988; Mironov G.A., 1992). It has been established that the universal device for collecting propolis (UUSP-1) in the form of a three-layer polyethylene mat with holes, as well as a magnetic stimulating device (MSU-1) do not increase the collection of propolis. An increase in the yield of propolis by 2.3-2.4 times is noted when single-layer nets with a cell of 2 × 2 mm and plastic gratings are used for its collection (Gullin M.G., 1997).

Propolis is used as a raw material in the pharmaceutical industry, in apitherapy, in the paint and varnish industry.

Propolis is part of such drugs as propogeliant, mipropol, propofarengitis, antiexim, floral, propolan, propoceum, melprosept, proposept, proderm.

BEE POISON

Bee venom is a colorless thick liquid, with a pungent odor, a bitter burning taste - the secret of the poisonous glands of honey bees. A large venom gland is located in the lower part of the abdomen, it is a branched tube and a pear-shaped reservoir. Her secret is acidic. The small poisonous gland is located at the base of the sting sled, is a short tube. Her secret is alkaline. Mixing the secrets of the large and small poisonous glands ensures the formation of bee venom at the time of sting.

Glands and a sting are present only in the uterus and worker bees, in which poison is released from 6-7 day old, but most active at 10-18 days of age. The accumulation of poison is observed from 3 to 20 days of age. About 0.2 mg of poison accumulates in the gland. Poison-bearing reservoirs reach their maximum occupancy on the 14-20th day after the hatching of the worker bee and retain their volume throughout its life. When selecting poison from bees up to 20 days of age, while maintaining the integrity of the venomous apparatus, the poison in the venomous reservoir can be restored due to the secretion of poisonous glands. By systematically taking poison from a bee, you can get from it 2 times more poison than it usually produces, without spending it. During a lifetime, a worker bee can secrete an average of 0.3 mg of venom.

The poison gland reaches its greatest development in summer (July) bees, it is less in spring (May) and autumn (September). The length of the poisonous gland, which characterizes the degree of its development, corresponds to the degree of aggressiveness of bees of different races. The greatest length of the gland is in Central Russians, the smallest is in gray mountain Caucasians; Krajina bees occupy an intermediate position. Central Russian bees from the first days of life have developed glands, and in gray mountain Caucasians they reach their highest development by the 14th day.

The poison is soluble in water, in vegetable oils. Heavier than water: relative density 1.81.13. Contains 30-48% dry matter. Freezing resistant. Destroyed by oxidizing agents (H2O2), ethyl alcohol, concentrated acids, alkalis, sunlight.

The chemical composition of bee venom is represented by enzymes, peptides, biogenic amines, there is acetylcholine, lipids, nucleic, hydrochloric, orthophosphoric acids, sugars.

Approximate composition of dry matter of bee venom according to V.G. Chudakov (1979) the following: mellittin - 40-50%, apamin - 3.4-5.1; other peptides - up to 16; hyaluronidase - 20; phospholipase A - 14; amino acids - up to 1; histamine - 0.5-1.7; fats and sterols - up to 5; glucose - 0.5; fructose - 0.9%; organic acids - 0.4-1.4 g-eq / l; other components 4-10%.

The enzyme hyaluronidase promotes the penetration of poison into the body, as the permeability of blood capillary cells increases, accelerates the breakdown of hyaluronic acid in cell membranes, which leads to a decrease in the body's resistance to infections.

The enzyme phospholipase A accelerates the reaction of cleavage of one fatty acid residue in the molecules of phospholipids (lecithins). As a result, a toxic substance, lysolecithin, is formed, which causes hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells), damages cell membranes and cell organelles, and destroys blood coagulation factors, which include phospholipids. Acting on the membranes of mitochondria, lysolecithin disrupts cellular respiration. Phospholipase A enhances the inflammatory process caused by the poison.

Both enzymes cause allergy to bee venom in sensitive people.

Melitin peptide in high doses causes hemolysis and spasm of smooth muscles of blood vessels and internal organs. Has antimicrobial activity. It enhances the production of hormones of the pituitary and adrenal glands - cortisol and cortisone, the action of which has an anti-inflammatory effect. Due to this, rheumatism and polyarthritis are treated with small doses of poison (0.05-2 μg / ml). Mellittin increases the resistance of warm-blooded animals to x-rays. In large doses (4-6 mg / kg) it depresses the central nervous system, the work of the heart, and causes death.

Peptide apamin causes excitation of the nervous system, convulsions. Enhances excitation and inhibits inhibition of nerve impulses. Increases the function of the adrenal glands, increases the content of biogenic amines, adrenaline, cortisol, cortisone. Raises blood pressure.

Both peptides suppress the immune system. They have anti-inflammatory action. In addition to these peptides, peptide 401 (MSD-peptide), serotonin, adolapin were found. The last peptide is the only one that has an analgesic effect.

Mineral substances (3-4%) are represented by Ca, K, P, Fe, Zn, Cu, S, Mg was found more than others in bee venom.

The first studies of bee venom in Russia were carried out at Gorky State University by Professor N.M. Artemov (Bee venom: physiological properties and therapeutic application, 1941). He revealed the activating effect of bee venom on the nonspecific defense of the body by influencing the pituitary-adrenal system.

Bee venom has neurotron properties, blocking the transmission of excitation in the sympathetic ganglia of the autonomic nervous system and hindering transmission through the spinal cord.

Small doses of poison stimulate an isolated heart, toxic ones depress, causing disturbances in the heart rhythm and conduction of excitation in the heart.

Bee venom has a hemolytic effect.

The therapeutic effect of the poison is based on its effect on the pituitary-adrenal system. Under the influence of tropic hormones of the pituitary gland, hormones of target glands are released into the blood, which ensures the normalization of metabolic processes, and increases the body's resistance.

The impact of bee venom on the human body is strictly individual. An allergic reaction occurs in most people after 1-2 stings. Allergic reactions are reactions of an immediate type, they occur within 1 - 2 or in the first 5 hours after the sting. According to the severity, they are divided into mild, moderate and severe. A mild allergic reaction is manifested in the formation of edema at the site of the sting, which lasts for 7 to 10 days. The temperature rises to 38 ° C, itching, urticaria, swelling on the face appear - all this lasts for several hours, then disappears on its own. An allergic reaction of moderate severity is accompanied by the following symptoms: spasm of the smooth muscles of the internal organs, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, back pain, difficulty breathing, asthma attacks with difficult wheezing, severe weakness, throbbing headache short-term loss of consciousness. A severe allergic reaction may follow a mild or medium degree or comes rapidly 3-5 minutes after the sting, when there is a loss of consciousness, convulsions, involuntary urination and defecation, a drop in blood pressure, a state of collapse.

When stinged by 200-300 bees, a toxic reaction occurs in humans. A lethal outcome is observed when 500 bees sting at the same time due to paralysis of the respiratory center.

The quality of bee venom as a raw material for the pharmaceutical industry is regulated by TU 46 of the RSFSR 67-72 "Venom raw bees" and the Pharmacopoeia article FS 42-2683-89.

Dry bee venom is a powder of scales and grains from grayish-yellow to brown in color, causing irritation of the mucous membranes, sneezing. When dried, the loss of poison in the mass should not be more than 12%, the water-insoluble residue - no more than 13%, hemolytic activity - within 60 s and phospholipid activity - up to 8 mg.

The basis for obtaining bee venom is the impact on worker bees of any irritants that cause a sting reaction and ensure the integrity of the stinging apparatus. Currently, electrical stimulation is used in the technology of selection of bee venom.

Modern technology for obtaining bee venom in apiaries involves the use of the following equipment: a battery, an electrical stimulator, venom collection frames or cassettes, a switch, coils of wires, containers for transporting venom collection frames and glasses, a dryer for glasses with poison, a box and a device for cleaning poison.

The 12 V battery is the power source, from where the electric current is supplied to the converter, which generates a pulse frequency of 1.0 0.2 kHz. From the output winding of the transformer through the switch, the signal is fed to the poison-collecting frames. The operation of the converter is controlled by a locking circuit, which is an electronic key that captures the activity of a burst of pulses and a pause. The principle of operation of electrostimulators is based on the conversion of direct current into pulsed current.

Currently, various electrical stimulators are produced, differing in their characteristics. Electric stimulators "Bis-3" and "Bee" produced by Riga cooperatives are widely used. The first is designed to connect 10 yadosborny framework, the second - forty. Serial production of UYaS-1 stimulants has been established at the Lenteplopribor pilot plant (St. Petersburg), Apis-50 at the Priboy Novorossiysk plant.

UYaS-1 has light and sound signaling of the presence of output pulses (device serviceability). Power is provided both from the battery and from the network. The device is completed with control units and poison collection frames from 1 to 5 pieces. Apis-50 is designed to connect up to 30 poison collection frames.

The first domestic serial stimulator with frames-poison receivers of the NIIKh GSU series was demonstrated by employees of the Department of Physiology of the Nizhny Novgorod State University at the International Congress on Beekeeping in 1971.

At present, the Flash technology has been developed (Oshevensky L.V., Krylov V.N., 1997), the principle of which is based on the search for the optimal stimulus that provokes bees to sting without damaging the functional systems of the body.

The frequency range of the electrical stimulus that causes the reaction of bees without damaging the neuromuscular system is 200–5000 Hz, and the maximum amplitude can reach 70–90 V. The authors consider 30 V to be the optimal amplitude. pulses to the duration of pauses from 0.5:1.5 to 1:1. An important point of this technology is the creation of a signal that differs from a periodic one. Therefore, the indicated frequencies and amplitudes are generated in the stimulator according to the principle of "white noise". Violation of the rhythm of the signal when it approaches the noise signal leads to an increase in the productivity of devices for obtaining poison, while the excitability of the bees after stimulation does not change.

At the same time, the excitability of bees during stimulation with a periodic signal increases in a day, while decreasing immediately after stimulation. This is probably due to an inadequate effect on the central nervous system of insects and is the reason for the decrease in honey and pollen productivity when bees are irritated by stimulants of periodic rectangular pulses.

For precise dosing of the signal value, the “Spoloh K” device is used, which provides fine tuning of any electrical stimulator, taking into account the state of the bee colony, temperature and humidity.

The device has the form of a ruler with electrodes. The potential of the electrodes increases linearly from one end to the other. Bees, crossing the ruler, receive electric shocks of different magnitude, which ensures a different number of stings along the length of the indicator. Information from the ruler is read by the autographic method. The authors found that the poison, reacting with a photographic emulsion, leaves an imprint in the form of spots with a low optical density proportional to its amount on the segments of the indicator line.

Poison collection frames correspond in size to the design of the hive, but the most versatile frames are 435 × 230 mm. In the upper (470 mm) and lower (435 mm) bars with a section of 16 × 12 mm, grooves (10 × 5 mm) are cut out, in the middle of which a cut is made (5 × 2 mm). A base plate made of aluminum, duralumin or steel 2 mm thick is inserted into the grooves. Around the plate, through the bars, a chromium wire (0.3 mm) is pulled in 2 rows, passing it along the transverse cuts of both bars, located 3 mm apart. In total, from 70 to 110 turns (about 60 m of wire) are placed. On the upper bar, the wire is fixed on one side with studs or bolts, on the other hand, an electrical insulated wire with a plug or a special connector is attached to the wire. On both sides of the base plate, 2 glasses are pushed into the frame. The distance between glass and wire is 0.4-0.6 mm, but not more than 1 mm. Special cassettes are used in the form of extensions, equipped only with electrodes and glasses without frames. Nichrome wire electrodes are stretched in pairs at a distance of 3 mm, and from the plane of the poison-collecting glasses - 1 0.1 mm. The cassette has one outlet to the electrostimulator. The outer dimensions of the cassettes correspond to the dimensions of the magazines and install them like ordinary magazine extensions.

The bees, falling on the electrodes of the poison-collecting devices, close the electrical network, are exposed to a weak effect of electric current and sting, pushing the stinger into the space between the wire and the glass. The poison is poured onto the surface of the glass, forming a smudge that dries out in 10-15 minutes.

Yadosbornye glass of polished 3 or 4 mm glass is pre-washed with surfactants and sterilized with 70% ethyl alcohol. Poison collection frames with sterile glasses are transported in special cassette containers for placement in the hive.

Methods for the selection of poison differ in the location of the poison collection devices. The intra-hive method involves placing poison-collecting frames vertically inside the nest between combs or horizontally under the brood body, on the floor of the hive, above the nest combs. The out-of-hive method with the placement of poison-collecting devices near the tap-hole and on the edge of the apiary with the use of top dressings that attract bees has not gained popularity due to the small amount of poison obtained, as well as due to its contamination with impurities that reduce the quality of the product (pollen, etc.).

Frames are placed on 2 sides of the brood part of the nest at a distance of about 20 mm from the nearest comb or at a height of 10 mm from the bars of the nest frames when poison is selected above the nest. Frames and cassettes are placed in the nest immediately before receiving poison after the end of the summer of bees or early in the morning 1 hour before the mass flight of bees.

The maximum allowable current exposure is 3 hours (1 hour with a break of 15 minutes). 15-20 minutes after electrical stimulation, the poison-collecting devices are removed without the use of a smoker and placed in a special container for transportation.

The parameters of bee irritation are selected taking into account weather conditions (the voltage on the electrodes is reduced from 30 to 24 V and the pulse frequency from 1000 to 800 Hz with increasing air humidity), as well as the breed of bees, their physiological state, the strength of the bee colony, the number of poison collection devices in the hive and their designs.

Poison is taken from families with at least 10 streets of bees and 6-7 combs with brood, 30-40 days before the main honey collection, not more than 1 time in 10-12 days. Families should not be deficient in protein feed. A single selection of poison is possible immediately after the honey collection. It is obligatory to have a supporting bribe during the period of poison selection.

It is not recommended to get poison at high humidity (after rain) and during the cold period. To prevent the death of the brood due to a sharp increase in temperature in the nest and to reduce the bees pumping out of the hive during the selection of poison, insulation is removed from the hives, and the openings of the upper and lower entrances are increased.

The following mode of action on bees by electric pulse current is considered optimal: pulse duration - 2 s, pause - 3 s, voltage - 24-30 V, pulse frequency - 1000 Hz.

The duration of the pause should always be longer than the duration of the pulse, which gives the bee the opportunity to escape from repeated exposure.

The poison-collecting devices selected from the hive are transferred to the laboratory. The poison is cleaned off with a razor blade or a scraper in a special glazed box. If necessary, before this, forced drying of the poison-collecting devices is used in a chamber with an electric fan heater at a temperature of not more than 40 ° C.

Dry poison is sifted through a nylon sieve (0.3 mm) into dark glass jars with ground stoppers, sterilized with 70% ethyl alcohol and labeled “Raw bee venom, weight ... g”. Jars are stored in desiccators (dry poison is hygroscopic) at 15 ° C for a day, at - 20 ° C - more than a day.

In all operations with bee venom, avoid exposure to sunlight and contact with it by working operators. Mandatory protection of mucous membranes and upper respiratory tract gauze bandage, respirator and dust goggles. Scraping, sifting and packaging of bee venom should be carried out in sterile manual boxes.

The rules for obtaining bee venom in apiaries and testing it in laboratories are presented in the following regulatory documents: “Regulations on working in apiaries in the production of bee venom”, “Regulations on working with venom in a field testing laboratory”, “Safety instructions for working with bee venom poison and storage of its samples.

During the season, they receive 1-2 g of poison from a family without reducing its honey productivity or up to 10 g with a loss in honey production.

In the Republic of Moldova, when sampling poison in the morning hours (from 5 to 9 am) with a session duration of 45-60 minutes and a frequency of 1 selection in 12 days, the maximum productivity was 767 mg of poison per session and 3.5 g of poison per season with 1 bee families.

The quality of the resulting poison is determined by the breed of bees, the strength of the colony, the timing of selection, the daily supply of nectar, the number and location of the poison-collecting frames or cassettes, and the frequency of electrical stimulation. The largest amount of poison with maximum hemolytic activity can be obtained from bees of the Central Russian race. The maximum venom productivity of bees and the biological activity of the venom are ensured when strong colonies are kept under conditions of a long beekeeping season, in the presence of a constant supporting nectar, with 2 poison-collecting frames or cassettes placed inside the nest between the outer honeycombs. Installation of poison-collecting cassettes near the entrance, above or below the nest, as well as "total electrical stimulation" are less effective.

At present, a lot of experience has been accumulated in the use of bee venom. Based on it, medicines are produced: apifor (tablets for electrophoresis); ointments apizartron, virapin, apirovene, melivenon; for subcutaneous injections - venapiolin, apitoxin, apicain. Bee venom preparations relieve acute pain and inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis, sciatica, are used in the treatment of sciatica, inflammation of the trigeminal and sciatic nerves, various neuroses, have a tonic effect on the heart muscle, reduce blood clotting, increase the hemoglobin content in the blood.

ROYAL JELLY

Royal jelly is the secret of the pharyngeal and mandibular glands of young worker bees (from 4-6 to 12-15 days of age), which is secreted for feeding the queen larvae. In relation to bees, royal jelly has a directed morphogenetic effect on changing the exterior features of bees and, unlike milk, which is used to feed the larvae of worker bees, it contains about 10 times more pantothenic acid, as well as biopterin and neopterin heterocyclines. The mother liquor contains from 200 to 400 mg of royal jelly, a creamy light creamy liquid that the larva feeds on.

Royal jelly contains 34% solids and 66% water. Proteins are represented by enzymes, lipoproteins, albumins, globulins and other protein substances (the amount of proteins is about 50%), as well as non-protein substances (peptides, amino acids). According to the content of amino acids (alanine, lysine, methionine, valine), royal jelly produced by bees of different races, as well as from queen cells and bee cells, is different. Carbohydrates are represented by glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, ribose and other sugars, the content of which ranges from 915 to 20%. Lipids (fatty acids, saturated and unsaturated mono- and dicarboxylic acids, including decenoic, succinic, adenic, palmitic, lauric, etc.) make up from 1.5 to 7%. Royal jelly is rich in B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, etc.), contains pantothenic and ascorbic acids. Nucleotides (adenine, urocil), nucleic acids, acetylcholine, sterols, lactic and pyruvic acids and minerals were found in the composition of royal jelly.

The chemical composition of royal jelly determines its healing properties, its biologically active substances increase the tone, human performance, stimulate the activity of the central nervous system, regulate the metabolism of lipids and cholesterol, and normalize blood pressure. Royal jelly retards the growth of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, the causative agent of anthrax, and in a diluted form promotes the development of these microorganisms. Small doses stimulate, and large ones inhibit metabolic processes, the central nervous system, tissue respiration, and oxidative phosphorylation.

The biological basis for obtaining royal jelly is the ability of honey bees, in the absence of a queen in the family, to lay a large number of queen cells (from 9-10 to 150 queen cells at the same time, depending on the race of the bees) and raise queen larvae in them, highlighting the necessary amount of royal jelly for this. Royal jelly fills the entire volume of the cell, and the larva "floats" freely in it. During the period of swarming (reproduction of bee colonies), the upbringing of new queens is a natural function of the bee colony. An artificial increase in the production of royal jelly by worker bees is achieved by weaning the queen and open brood and providing the family with the opportunity to feed the larvae planted in the nest to raise a new queen.

Raw royal jelly is obtained in apiaries by selecting it from bowls in which there are larvae no older than three days of age. The quality of royal jelly must meet the requirements of the pharmacopoeial article FS 42-792-75 “Apilak. Native royal jelly”. The product prepared for processing for food purposes must comply with the requirements of GOST 28888-90 "Royal jelly". In appearance, it should be an opaque creamy mass of white with a yellowish tint or slightly creamy color with a pleasant honey hue, slightly burning, astringent smell. Mechanical impurities and signs of fermentation are not allowed. The mass fraction of solids is from 30 to 35%, wax - no more than 2%. The concentration of hydrogen ions (pH) of an aqueous solution of royal jelly with a mass fraction of 1% should be 3.5-4.5; oxidizability of the product - no more than 10 s. The mass fraction of decenoic acids - an indicator of the naturalness of the product - must be at least 5%. Confirmation of the authenticity of royal jelly is a light blue fluorescence at an excitation wavelength of 366 nm (high pressure mercury-quartz lamp), indicating the presence of biopterin produced by the pharyngeal gland of worker bees. The mass fraction of crude protein, reducing sugars and sucrose is from 31 to 47, not less than 20 and not more than 10.5%, respectively. According to the standard, the contamination of the product with non-pathogenic microbes should not exceed 1.5 thousand/g. An indirect indicator of the microbial purity of royal jelly is pyruvic acid, the content of which increases during the vital activity of acidophilus bacillus and mold fungi. Normally, its content ranges from 0.08 to 0.15%, it is not regulated by the standard.

The antimicrobial activity of the product is determined by the minimum concentration of royal jelly, which stops the growth of the standard strain of Staphylococcus aureus (strain 209P), according to the standard, it should be no more than 14 mg/cm3.

The biological activity of royal jelly is determined by the number and weight of live bee larvae grown on it. According to the standard, the average weight of grown larvae should be at least 180 mg.

Non-absorbed natural royal jelly retains its properties at temperatures below 0 o C, but at 3.. .5 o C after 12-24 hours it is not able to ensure the development of the uterus.

Rational ways to preserve royal jelly are mixing it with a sorbent (lactose with a small amount of glucose) or freeze-drying (dehydration by freezing water). Drying provides a product with a moisture content of 2-6%, but leads to the loss of active volatile substances.

In accordance with the standard, raw royal jelly is stored in refrigerators at a temperature not higher than -6 ° C and not lower than -10 ° C. At the same time, the shelf life of the product guaranteed by the manufacturer is 6 months and not more than 2 hours if the storage temperature corresponds to the ambient temperature air.

However, in accordance with the recommendations of the Research Institute of Beekeeping, freshly harvested royal jelly is stored until dried for no more than 24 hours at -6 ° C; adsorbed raw milk matter before drying is stored for up to 3 months at 4 ... 6 ° C; dry adsorbed milk is stored for 3 or more years at ambient temperature in central Russia; dry milk (lyophilized) with a residual moisture content of about 2% is stored for 3 years at a temperature of about 6 ° C (with the preservation of basic nutrients) or about -6 ° C (with the preservation of biologically active compounds).

Raw royal jelly should be packaged in cooled dark glass bottles with a capacity of 50-300 cm3, tightly closed with stoppers or screw caps, which are filled with hot wax. The bottles are wrapped in paper and placed in a thermos or refrigerated isothermal bag at a temperature not exceeding -6 ° C. For shipment, bottles with milk are placed in plank boxes for parcels, the free space of which is clogged with chips.

In the production of royal jelly, it is necessary to observe sanitary and hygienic rules, since the resulting product itself is characterized by the absence of microorganisms and is used mainly in medicine. For this, a special laboratory is equipped, the room of which can be easily disinfected and protected from direct sunlight. Before work sterilize the tool, utensils and hands. The staff is provided with white coats and gauze four-layer bandages covering the mouth and nose. The laboratory maintains a temperature of 25 ... 27 o C and high relative humidity. In the laboratory, larvae are vaccinated and royal jelly is selected.

The technology for obtaining royal jelly includes a number of standard operations, each of which may have its own variations. First, the bees are made to feel orphaned by taking away the queen from the family. Then a grafting frame with 1-1.5-day-old larvae (about 60 larvae) is placed in the colony, forcing the colony to raise them, feeding them with royal jelly. Three days later, when the amount of royal jelly in the cells reaches a maximum (200-250 mg), the grafting frames are removed from the nest and royal jelly is taken from the cells under laboratory conditions.

Methods for preparing grafting frames can be different and are divided into 2 groups: without transfer of larvae and with transfer of larvae.

The technology without the transfer of larvae according to the Miller method consists in the fact that 3-4 triangles of artificial foundation are attached to the upper bar of an empty frame with their bases, the length of which is about 5 cm, so that their tops do not reach the lower bar of the frame by 5 cm. This frame is placed in a bee family, in the nest of which all combs have been removed, except for feed and 2 with brood, between which it is placed. A week later, this frame with the built-up combs and the cells deposited in them is taken out, cut horizontally on? the heights of the triangles, the larvae are thinned out at the place of the cut, leaving the larva in every third cell. The grafting frame prepared in this way is placed in the nest of the caregiver family.

According to the Alley method, the grafting frame is prepared from old empty honeycombs, cutting them from one side bar to the other in the form of a smooth arc, with the convex part facing down. The height of such a cut out “window” is from 5 to 8 cm. A strip is cut out of the combs with young bee larvae in one row of cells. This strip is attached to the arc-shaped cut of old honeycombs in the upper part of the “window”, cutting the cells to half their height with a heated knife. The top of the cells is expanded with a stick and the larvae are removed from them, leaving in every third cell.

According to the Zander method, a grafting frame is prepared by attaching 10-15 cells with larvae cut from young combs with one-day-old brood to horizontal rails inside the frame. To obtain cells, combs with larvae are cut with a heated knife to half the height of the cells and individual cells are cut out, each of which is slightly expanded.

Artificial honeycombs are also used to collect royal jelly without transferring larvae. The constructive basis is "Jenter" honeycombs, designed by the German beekeeper K. Jenter. The kit consists of a double-sided plastic box, a lattice cover for isolating the uterus, a plastic lattice (body) on which the beginnings of the cells are marked and plastic bowls with a device for fixing them. In the classic "Jenter" combs, the bowls are collapsible, consisting of plugs with bottoms, bowls and conical plastic cups. The body of the honeycombs is cut into the middle of the rebuilt frame and the bottom plugs are inserted. Such a frame is placed in the hive, after sprinkling with sugar syrup. A day later, the uterus is placed on this frame, isolating it with a lid in the area of ​​artificial honeycombs for 3-4 hours. After the hatching of the larvae in the cells of artificial honeycombs (3.5 days after the isolation of the uterus), the frame is transferred to the laboratory, where the bottom plugs are removed and replaced with bowls that form the basis of future queen cells. Then these artificial cells with larvae are fixed on the slats of the grafting frame.

Currently, the most common way to obtain royal jelly with the transfer of larvae in plastic or wax bowls.

The technology for obtaining royal jelly includes the following operations: preparation of bowls, inoculation of larvae into bowls, preparation and use of host families, collection of royal jelly and its preparation for transportation to a pharmaceutical plant.

Preparing bowls. Food-grade plastic bowls are used or they are prepared in the laboratory from wax. The bowls are attached with melted wax to wooden squares, which are attached to the rails of the grafting frame. The rails can be either rotating around their axis or removable, their width is 20-25 mm, they are mounted in a frame at a distance of 2-3 cm from the top bar and then every 7 cm. Original devices for the manufacture and fastening of wax bowls have been developed and are used. - PIM-1 (Vasiliadi G.K., 1966) and PIM-2 (Vasiliadi G.K., 1977).

For the manufacture of wax bowls, wooden templates 810 cm long with a rounded polished end with a diameter of 8.5-9 mm are used by hand, which are immersed in cold water 30 minutes before work, then lowered 4-5 times into melted water bath (wax temperature is about 70 o C) wax (preferably drip wax) by 7-8 mm, each time reducing the immersion depth so that the base of the bowl is thicker than its walls. The finished bowl is cooled in water and removed from the template by rotating it.

Grafting of larvae. Combs with coeval larvae are obtained using a frame insulator from a separate grid. They are installed in the laboratory on a special stand in an inclined position. The larvae are removed from the cells with a spatula from the dorsal side along with a small amount of milk and transferred to the prepared bowls, placing them on the bottom or on a drop of pre-poured food so that the position of the larva in the bowl does not change, that is, it corresponds to its position in the honeycomb cell. By inserting the slats with bowls and larvae into the frame, if the slats are removable, or by turning the rotating slats with bowls and larvae 90°, a finished grafting frame is obtained, which contains about 60 larvae. Immediately after the end of the inoculation of the larvae, the inoculation frame is placed in the host colony.

Preparing the caregiver family. Nurse bees should perform the function of nurses. Therefore, the strength of the colony and the number of young bees in the colony, as well as the quantity and quality of food in the nest, are of decisive importance. In this regard, it is preferable to use colonies occupying 2 buildings and place them in a nest reduced to 10-12 frames, which can provoke a swarm state. Before inoculation of larvae, the host family should have at least 10-14 kg of honey and 2-3 frames with bee bread. The presence of a supporting nectar promotes the development of a large number of potential food bees, as well as a better acceptance of larvae by nurse families. The host family is deprived of the queen and open brood, excluding the possibility of removing the queen from their larvae. 9 days before this, the nest is divided into 2 parts with a Hahnemannian lattice, leaving all open brood in the queenless part. Combs with printed brood and for sowing are placed where there is a queen, which, after sealing the brood in the queenless part of the nest with open brood, is removed from the hive. The selection of the uterus and frames with open brood is carried out on the day of the formation of the nurse mother.

Royal jelly is obtained from the foster family in 3 ways.

1. Out of 3 families located nearby, 1 is isolated, from which royal jelly is obtained within 15 days. To do this, the queen is taken from the family and the next day they put grafting frames with larvae in the nest; they are taken away and replaced with new ones every 3 days. Fistulous queen cells are destroyed in the nest. After 15 days, the uterus is taken from the 2nd family and transferred to the 1st family. The 2nd family receives royal jelly for 15 days, then she is given a uterus from the 3rd family, where they receive royal jelly for the next 15 days. While working with the 2nd and 3rd families (within 30 days), the 1st restores its strength and can be reused.

2. Out of 3 families, 1 is allocated as a teacher for the whole season. The uterus is removed from it and the grafting frame is changed every 3 days. From 2 other colonies, frames with printed brood without bees are transferred to the host colony for its reinforcement and better acceptance of larvae. At the same time, combs freed from brood (without bees) from the host family are transferred to these families.

3. When keeping bees in 12 frame hives-beds, the caregiver families are divided into 2 groups. In the families of the 1st group, the nest is divided as follows: one half with the queen is opposite the notch, the second half with mature brood is fenced off with a dividing board with a passage for bees from below. Grafting frames are placed in the queenless half for 15 days, fistulous queen cells are destroyed. Then 2 halves are combined after 15 days. The next 15 days, in the same way, royal jelly is collected from families of the 2nd group. During this time, the families of the 1st group are being restored.

Grafting frames in the host family are placed in the middle of the nest, on the 2nd day after weaning, without using a smoker.

The selection of the grafting frame is carried out 3 days after placing in the hive. Bees are swept from the selected frames, placed in a portable box and transported to the laboratory. Royal jelly is immediately taken from the queen cells, after cutting them to a third of the height with a hot sterile scalpel. Selection is carried out with a glass spatula, pipette or vacuum pump, placing royal jelly in prepared jars or vials. Fill one container for no more than 1 hour, to the top in order to avoid contact of the milk with air.

To prevent loss of biological activity of royal jelly, it can be conserved at the place of selection. To do this, immediately after removing from the bowl, royal jelly is ground in a porcelain mortar with an adsorbent in a ratio of 1:4. A mixture of 97-98% lactose and 2-3% glucose is used as an adsorbent. The adsorbed milk is dried without heating for 1.5 hours to a moisture content of 1-2%, then dried under vacuum for 45 minutes to a residual moisture content of 0.7%. The result is dried adsorbed royal jelly, a product called apilac adsorbed.

The domestic drug apilac in the form of tablets from dried royal jelly mixed with a preservative is used in the form of tablets under the tongue and in the form of powder for the preparation of suppositories. It is a biological stimulant with a tonic, trophic and antiseptic effect. Apilaka increases appetite, improves tissue tone and turgor, normalizes blood pressure, stimulates lactation and hematopoiesis in the postpartum period.

Domestic preparations are known, which include royal jelly: - PMM - propolised milk (1% propolis + 99% royal jelly); APTK-apitonik (93% honey + 2% royal jelly + 4% bee pollen + 1% propolis); drink (honey + 2% royal jelly + 1% propolis); apifititonus (honey + 2% royal jelly + 20% bee pollen). In Romania they produce Vitadon, Melcacit, in Germany - Apifortel, in France - Apiserum, in Bulgaria - Lac-Apis, in Canada - Longivex, in the USA - Super Strengs Royal Jelly (super royal jelly concentrate). Preparations containing royal jelly are used in the treatment of many diseases of the digestive, cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine systems of the human body.

Royal jelly is used in the cosmetic and perfume industry as an ingredient in creams, aerosols, cosmetic masks, and lipstick.

HOMOGENATE OF DRONE LARGARS

Drone larvae homogenate (GTL) or bee "baby" is a product of crushed bee larvae with a small amount of their food. This bee product has been used in folk medicine to promote health.

To obtain a homogenate of drone larvae, a 5-10-day-old drone brood is removed from the combs, homogenized to a homogeneous mass in glass or other homogenizers. The homogenate is filtered through a nylon sieve. Store in cooled sterile dark glass bottles.

The homogenate is a homogeneous opaque liquid of white or slightly creamy color with a slightly acidic reaction (pH 5.47-6.52). Within 1 - 2 hours at room temperature, the homogenate of drone larvae turns gray, then blackens. Changes are observed after 24 hours at a temperature of 4 ... 8 o C and after 30 days at -8 ... -4 o C and consist in the darkening of the upper layer, the appearance of a sour smell, and the folding of proteins.

The native homogenate of drone larvae is characterized by the following physicochemical properties. Mass fraction of water - 75-79%; mass fraction of solids -20-24%; mass fraction of crude protein - 36-47% of dry matter, mass fraction of decenoic acids - 1.23-4.47% of dry matter; oxidizability - 7-12 seconds.

With rapid freezing to -20 ° C, the homogenate of drone larvae is stored for 3 months without a significant change in properties.

The adsorbed drone larvae homogenate is a white, slightly creamy powder. The adsorbent does not change its physico-chemical parameters and allows storing GTL at a temperature of 4.. .8 o C for up to 1 year.

When analyzing the homogenate of drone larvae obtained from Carpathian bees, the content of protein is 10-13%, fat is 0.9-1.2%, vitamins of group B, P-carotene, tokaferol

The biological activity of the homogenate of drone larvae is determined by the reaction of ciliates (Tetrahimenae piriformis) to the medium enriched with the homogenate.

Currently, studies are underway on the use of drone larvae homogenate in apitherapy. Positive results of the use of GTL as a biologically active substance in the composition of food additives have been obtained.

Large beekeeping farms have an indisputable advantage over small apiaries and farms. Provided with a rich food base, they allow you to get a significant amount of honey, wax and other bee products. Large farms have more opportunities for the use of high-performance equipment and mechanisms, advanced technology for caring for bees.

The effective use of bees for pollination of entomophilous agricultural crops stimulates the increased interest of industrial apiaries, as they receive additional income in the form of rent for bee colonies delivered to the arrays of these crops.

The cost of production construction and the purchase of equipment per family of bees is also lower than in small apiaries.

The growth of the productivity of apiaries largely depends on the selection and breeding work with bees. On large beekeeping farms, the possibilities of carrying it out at a high level are greater and the effect of the introduction of selection results is higher than on small apiaries. (Fig. 1).

The possibility of creating special services (zootechnical, veterinary, supply and marketing), as well as ancillary industries (carpentry and locksmith workshops, shops for preparing food for bees, packaging honey, processing wax raw materials, etc.), their organization and work efficiency are much more in large industrial apiaries.

Concentration and specialization of beekeeping

The accelerated development of the productive forces, due to scientific and technological progress, caused a further deepening of the social division of labor and, as a result, the specialization of production.

The development of specialization leads to an increase in the concentration of production of homogeneous products, which creates favorable conditions for the introduction of advanced technology and technology, and improves the organization of labor. Therefore, the specialization and concentration of agricultural production are important factors in ensuring high rates of agricultural development and increasing its economic efficiency.

The concentration of public beekeeping provides for the enlargement of beekeeping farms to optimal sizes, taking into account local conditions. The minimum size of a profitable farm is 300-500 bee families, the optimal one depends on the climatic and economic conditions of the area. The determining factor in the degree of concentration is the stocks of melliferous vegetation and the nature of its placement: the more melliferous vegetation, and consequently, the nectar reserves per unit area, the higher the concentration of beekeeping. However, in apiaries located over a large area, it is more difficult to control and organize production.

The concentration of public beekeeping can be carried out by enlarging apiaries and beekeeping farms through their own reproduction, the acquisition of bees from bee nurseries, nearby farms and from the population. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the veterinary condition of the apiaries of the given area, since with various diseases of bees, all bee colonies quickly become infected.

In order to increase the production of beekeeping products, the effective use of bees for pollination of entomophilous agricultural crops and more rational beekeeping, this industry should continue to be concentrated in those farms and areas where there are appropriate conditions and, above all, a good honey base, as well as create specialized beekeeping farms and inter-farm beekeeping enterprises.

Specialization is the most progressive system of farming. The production direction of specialized farms is determined by local natural and economic conditions and leading industries. Specialized farms are divided into several types. A large group of enterprises has a main industry (cereals, horticulture, sheep breeding, beekeeping, fur farming, etc.), which accounts for 60-70% of cash receipts. In some state farms, two or even three main branches are distinguished (meat and dairy, vegetable and dairy, fruits and vegetables, beekeeping and seed production, etc.).

Along with the main (leading), additional and subsidiary industries are developing. The size and number of them should help strengthen the main industry, increase its efficiency, as well as more rational use of all resources available in the economy.

In many specialized state farms, several additional industries are developing in parallel, producing marketable products, as well as auxiliary industries.

In contrast to diversified farms, specialized state farms and collective farms have more opportunities for concentrating production in individual branches or crops, increasing the output of one product or another, improving the organization of labor and raising its productivity.

In order to increase the production of honey, wax and other beekeeping products, the reproduction of bee colonies and queen bees, as well as to effectively use bees for pollination of entomophilous agricultural crops, it is advisable to focus on the development of beekeeping in farms that have favorable conditions for creating large industrial beekeeping farms.

The most effective form of organizing high-quality beekeeping is a specialized beekeeping state farm. In such a farm, for the needs of beekeeping, transport is planned and used, auxiliary production is created (for example, workshops for the manufacture of beehives, frames and small bee equipment; sewing workshops for the manufacture of insulating pillows and facial nets), construction teams are organized for the construction of apiary buildings, housing and other objects of industrial and cultural purposes.

Inter-farm cooperation in beekeeping

Along with the organization of beekeeping state farms, an effective form of specialization and concentration of public beekeeping at the present stage of agricultural development is cooperation, i.e. organization of inter-farm beekeeping enterprises. They are created by collective farms, state farms and other state enterprises and organizations by cooperating their own material, financial and other resources in order to increase the production of honey and other bee products, as well as to increase the profitability of production.

Inter-farm enterprises plan their activities according to the needs of participating farms and on the basis of economic accounting, they have an independent balance sheet and are a legal entity. Production and profits, as well as bee colonies, belong to the participating farms.

The creation of inter-farm enterprises, the management of their activities and economic relations with farms participating in cooperation are carried out in accordance with the general regulation on an inter-farm enterprise (organization) in agriculture.

When organizing an inter-farm beekeeping enterprise, the participating farms should be responsible for providing bee colonies with a honey base and allocating places for their placement in different periods of the season, as well as for sowing entomophilous crops in places convenient for apiaries. It is necessary to create beekeeping farms on the basis of one of the participating farms, so that during the period of formation the enterprise is provided with warehouses, vehicles, materials, etc.

A long-term plan for the development of beekeeping is drawn up for the next 15-20 years and approved by a higher organization. It includes: master plan for the construction of industrial and cultural facilities; projects for the development of new honey lands; measures for further concentration and specialization of production, strengthening of the material base, for the prevention and control of bee diseases, improvement of breeding work, etc.

The efficiency of work of inter-farm beekeeping farms is manifested already in the second or third year after the creation: the productivity of beekeepers increases due to the introduction of a link system for servicing apiaries and industrial technology for caring for bees, breeding work, conditions for feeding and keeping bees are improved, timely migrations of apiaries for honey collection and pollination. For example, if on most apiaries of collective farms they collected 5-7 kg of marketable honey per bee colony, then after the creation of bee farms, productivity increased to 12-15 kg.

Many inter-farm beekeeping enterprises have established workshops for conditioning and packaging of honey, the production of artificial carbohydrate-protein food for bees, etc.

Forms of specialization in beekeeping

There are several forms of specialization in beekeeping: intra-industry, intra-farm and technological. With an intra-industry form, the farm is engaged in obtaining certain types of beekeeping products (for example, in the southern regions of the country - queen bees and bee colonies, in the eastern regions - honey and wax, in areas of intensive farming - bee pollination of entomophilous crops and honey production); with on-farm primary production units (apiaries) receive different types of products (for example, in a honey-commodity beekeeping state farm, a pedigree apiary is organized for growing and breeding queen bees to supply them to all industrial apiaries that produce honey); in the technological - in a specialized economy, primary production units are created to perform individual production processes, which together provide a certain kind products (for example, in a specialized farm for breeding bees, an apiary is organized for the centralized removal of infertile queens to supply them to all other apiaries of this farm engaged in obtaining fetal queens).

Due to the fact that the regions of our country are distinguished by a variety of natural and climatic conditions, an opportunity is created for a narrower intra-industry specialization in beekeeping. This opens up additional prospects for the effective development of the industry.

Beekeeping farms (state farms) can specialize in the following areas: honey-commodity, pollination-honey, pollination, breeding and complex.

honey direction

Honey-commodity specialized beekeeping state farms were first organized in the Far East in the 30s. Being located in a zone with rich melliferous vegetation, the farms specialized in the production of honey and wax.

Beekeeping state farms, located in areas with rich melliferous vegetation and specialized in honey production, usually have 6-8 thousand bee colonies (8-12 thousand bee colonies are considered optimal). In some state farms, animal husbandry (fatting of young animals) and horticulture are being developed as additional branches. In a number of farms, grain crops are cultivated on small areas and seeds of fodder honey crops (clover, alfalfa, sweet clover, sainfoin, phacelia, etc.) are grown. In addition, beehives, frames, feeders, small inventory and beekeeping accessories are made; honey is packaged in small containers, centralized processing of wax raw materials; artificial protein-carbohydrate feed for bees is prepared.

Additional and ancillary industries in beekeeping state farms make it possible to use labor more evenly, to eliminate seasonality in the work of beekeepers and their assistants. The most appropriate is the combination of beekeeping with seed production of fodder honey herbs, so many beekeeping state farms have arable land for cultivation. The output of marketable honey per bee family in specialized farms is 1.5-2 times higher than in the apiaries of collective farms and diversified state farms (under the same natural, economic and honey collection conditions).

Beekeeping farms and apiaries of the honey-commodity production direction prevail mainly in the mountain-forest and taiga regions of the Far East, East Kazakhstan and the Urals, rich in natural honey-bearing vegetation. Many large beekeeping farms of the Volga-Vyatka economic region, some regions of Central Asia and Transcaucasia have a honey-commodity direction. This also includes apiaries located in the forest-steppe regions, where, along with a rich natural forage base, large areas of agricultural honey crops (buckwheat, sunflower, etc.) are sown.

Despite the fact that the bee colonies of large beekeeping farms, along with their main purpose, are used for pollination of agricultural crops, these apiaries still belong to honey beekeeping, since the production of honey and wax is predominant in its economy.

Pollination and honey direction

Most beekeeping farms located in areas with intensive agriculture, where perennial fodder melliferous herbs, buckwheat, sunflower, mustard, coriander, fruit, berry, melon and other insect-pollinated crops are cultivated on large areas. Their main task is the effective use of bees for pollination of agricultural crops, since the cost of additional products obtained as a result of pollination of entomophilous crops by bees is several times higher than the cost of honey collected from these plants. Therefore, to ensure the necessary profitability of beekeeping in this area, it is recommended to attribute part of the costs of apiaries to the cost of production of the corresponding pollinated crops. Farms with pollinating honey apiaries should be excluded from the total cost of beekeeping and attributed to pollinated crops in the amount of 20-40% (for fruit and berry plantations, clover and alfalfa seed plants 40-60%), depending on the area of ​​pollinated crops and their productivity.

Many collective farms and state farms of Ukraine, Belarus, the Soviet Baltic republics, the Central, North-Western and Volga economic regions of the RSFSR, Moldova, the Caucasus, Central Asia and some other regions of our country have beekeeping farms of the pollination and honey direction.

In order to increase the material interest of beekeeping workers in the preparation and use of bee colonies for the pollination of entomophilous crops, the work of beekeepers working in apiaries of the pollination-honey direction is paid at a higher five-tariff category.

pollinating direction

It develops in farms where bees are used exclusively for pollination of greenhouse vegetable growing areas.

The use of bee pollination in greenhouses makes it possible to obtain high yields of vegetables at the lowest cost and avoid labor-intensive work on artificial pollination. At the same time, the cost of vegetables includes all costs associated with the maintenance of pollinated apiaries. Pollination apiaries are mainly located in the regions of the Far North, where large greenhouse plants for the production of vegetables have been built and are being built around many industrial centers to supply the population with them in the winter-spring period.

The most important insect-pollinated agricultural plants primarily include buckwheat, sunflower, and cotton; seed plants of clover, sainfoin, alfalfa and vegetable crops; fruit and berry, melon and other crops.

Saturated pollination by bees of entomophilous agricultural crops in combination with advanced agricultural technology can increase yields by an average of 20-30%. Using bees for pollination, farms receive additional production. It is estimated that the cost of increasing the yield of all insect-pollinated crops (total area over 15 million hectares) is about 3 billion rubles. This significantly exceeds the annual income from direct bee products.

When organizing the pollination of plants by bees, it is necessary to use only strong bee colonies, bring hives directly to the crops of pollinated areas and within strictly defined terms, correctly place them on the areas of flowering plants.

For complete pollination of the most important agricultural plants, the following approximate norms of bee colonies per 1 ha are recommended:

The number of bee colonies taken out for pollination and honey collection is increased if they are not strong enough and there are few flying bees in the hives, if the apiary is not brought to the pollinated area and is located at a distance of 1.5-2 km or when pollinating small areas of agricultural crops.

When bees pollinate poorly visited agricultural plants (red clover, alfalfa, flax), they organize their training by daily feeding with sugar syrup with the smell of flowers of the plant they want to send to. To do this, freshly picked corollas of flowers are infused in warm 50% sugar syrup overnight (up to 30% of the volume occupied by the syrup). In the morning flavored syrup is distributed to the hives (100 g for each family of bees).

Kolkhozes and state farms that cultivate large areas of insect-pollinated crops and do not have their own apiaries or have an insufficient number of bee colonies for complete pollination can rent bees from other farms on a contractual basis. Renting apiaries for pollination is beneficial both for farms supplying bees and for those who need them. At the same time, plant breeders reduce the cost of year-round maintenance of apiaries, and bee owners increase their income. In order to create a material interest of beekeeping farms in the supply of bees for pollination of entomophilous crops to state farms and collective farms in need of bees, it is recommended to pay the costs for the preparation and timely transportation of apiaries. Prices for renting bees on contractual terms are set by the union republics. In the RSFSR, for example, it is recommended to pay farms supplying bees for pollination of buckwheat, mustard, sunflower, sainfoin at the rate of 10 rubles, vegetables, melons and fruit and berry crops - 15, clover and alfalfa seeds - 20 rubles. for each exported bee colony.

Rent of bees for use on pollination is made out by the contract.

Breeding direction

It is concentrated in the southern regions of the country - the North Caucasus, Transcaucasia, Central Asia, southern Ukraine, Moldova, where climatic and honey-collecting conditions allow growing bee colonies and fertile queen bees in early spring to sell them to collective farms, state farms and amateur beekeepers.

A mild, short winter contributes to a good wintering of bees with low feed costs, and early spring - to the rapid strengthening and growth of bee colonies. Already in the first half of May, it is possible to breed queens and form layering from strong bee colonies.

Beekeeping farms in these areas specialize in breeding bees. Bee colonies are sent to destinations in different regions of the country in special plywood bags, and queens - in cells. Batch bees are used to create new apiaries and complete small bee farms; they are also supplied to greenhouses and northern forest areas with rich honey vegetation (for use in honey collection). Queen bees, sold by breeding farms, are used to form new bee colonies in apiaries and obtain hybrid colonies.

Breeding beekeeping farms, until recently, were mainly engaged in the reproduction and sale of bees of the gray mountain Caucasian breed. However, these bees were characterized by unsatisfactory winter hardiness in the central and northern regions of the country. Carpathian bees do not have this disadvantage, they tolerate winter well and have high productivity. Distribution of bees to the regions is carried out taking into account the plan of their pedigree zoning.

Thanks to the well-established selection work, breeding farms supply honey-commodity and pollination apiaries with purebred breeding material, which makes it possible to increase the productivity of beekeeping farms.

However, the southern breeding farms are not able to satisfy the ever-increasing need for bees of local breeds in the regions of the Urals, Siberia and the Far East, therefore, many apiaries of commercial honey bee farms specialize in the breeding direction.

Complex direction

In the structure of productive integrated beekeeping, there is no pronounced one or two production areas: different types of beekeeping products occupy approximately the same share in the total volume of its production. It develops in most regions of the country, where there are conditions for obtaining honey, wax, pollen, royal jelly, propolis, bee venom; breeding bee colonies and queens for sale. In addition, bees are used to pollinate agricultural honey crops.

Despite industry specialization, the complex use of bees is increasingly expanding. This is dictated by the need for cost-effective beekeeping, even in areas with a poor food supply. Complex farms annually receive large incomes from the sale of honey, wax, propolis, flower pollen, royal jelly, bee venom, as well as from high yields of agricultural crops and orchards pollinated by bees.

Experience in the integrated development of beekeeping has been accumulated on collective farms and state farms in Belarus, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Ukraine, and some regions of the RSFSR. In the Byelorussian and Latvian SSRs, for example, integrated beekeeping follows the path of producing honey and seeds of melliferous forage grasses (due to their rich pollination by bees), as well as the organized production of flower pollen and other biologically active beekeeping products. In most inter-farm beekeeping enterprises in Belarus and Ukraine, in addition to honey production, the reproduction of bee colonies and fetal queens for sale, the production of flower pollen, honey grass seeds are organized. Under agreements with other farms, apiaries are rented for an additional payment; leased for pollination of agricultural crops.

Organization of industrial beekeeping

The size and structure of beekeeping farms are determined: depending on the climatic, honey collection, economic conditions of the area and the direction of production specialization. The following approximate standards for the optimal size of farms specialized in beekeeping have been established.

1. Beekeeping state farms and inter-farm enterprises of honey-commodity and pollination areas - 8-12 thousand bee colonies. Farms specializing in breeding bees can have from 3 to 6 thousand bee colonies.

2. Industrial beekeeping farms, beekeeping complexes of diversified state farms and collective farms, inter-farm enterprises and large specialized beekeeping state farms, operating as primary production units:

honey-commodity and pollination-honey areas - 2.5-5 thousand bee colonies;

bee-breeding direction - 1.2-1.5 thousand bee colonies.

3. Industrial apiaries of honey-commodity and pollination-honey directions - 600-1200, bee-breeding - 600 bee colonies. Transitional apiaries (from existing to industrial) may have fewer bee colonies.

The main indicators characterizing the size of the beekeeping state farm and the economic efficiency of its production activities are: the volume of production of gross and marketable beekeeping products; the number of workers employed in the sphere of material production; the amount of fixed production assets; the number of bee colonies, etc. Therefore, these indicators should be the basis for the development of a plan for the organizational and economic structure of beekeeping.

When organizing new beekeeping state farms and inter-farm enterprises, it is not always possible and advisable to immediately have the optimal number of bee colonies on the farm. Therefore, new farms can be created even with a smaller number of bee colonies, provided that in the next two or three years, through their own reproduction (due to accelerated reproduction), the number of bee colonies will be brought to the optimum.

Experience shows that large farms make better use of their fixed production assets and labor force, increase labor productivity and produce high-quality products with minimal outlays. The size of production assets is interconnected with the production of products: the higher the provision of farms with fixed assets, the higher the level of output and the lower its cost. However, according to this indicator, there is an optimal size, expressed in 100-120 rubles. for each bee family (without their cost). In this case, the payback of fixed assets is 1.5-2 times higher than in those farms where the size of fixed assets goes beyond the optimal ones.

The best ratio of fixed and working capital in specialized beekeeping farms is 1.5:1 or 2:1, i.е. for 1 rub. fixed assets accounts for 0.5-0.7 working capital.

The number and management structure in beekeeping farms should be closely related to the planned volume of production and not go beyond the rationally established sizes in the structure of the total costs of other farms. The best structure is single-stage, i.e. a beekeeping brigade, consisting of 8-10 apiaries and headed by a foreman (a beekeeping specialist), who reports directly to the management of the state farm, as well as linkmen with a link service system. With such a structure, the costs for managerial personnel are minimal, and foremen and chain leaders have constant contact with specialists and the head of the farm, which makes it possible to quickly resolve all issues.

Creation of new and additional staffing of existing bee farms

The available reserves of natural melliferous vegetation and the need for bees for rich pollination of entomophilous agricultural crops require an increase in the number of bee colonies in many parts of the country. This problem can be solved by creating new beekeeping farms in collective farms, state farms and other farms and completing small apiaries. A bee farm must have at least 600 bee colonies.

Before starting a new farm, it is necessary to determine the number of bees for pollinating crops, as well as the possibility of producing marketable honey, wax and other bee products. The need for bees is calculated from the norm of the number of bee colonies per 1 ha of flowering arrays of pollinated honey crops. At the same time, crops that bloom at different times and on different arrays can be pollinated by the same bee colonies (transportation of hives from one area to another). The maximum number of bee colonies required for pollination is calculated for the crop that requires the largest number of them.

In addition, funds should be provided for the purchase of bee colonies, hives, honeycombs, beekeeping equipment, for the construction of winter quarters and other apiary premises, and for the training of qualified beekeepers.

A new industrial apiary may initially have 200-300 bee colonies, with its subsequent expansion due to its own reproduction of bees through the formation of layering. It is better to buy bees in the spring at neighboring apiaries. The acquired colonies must be strong (seven or more frames with bees, three or four with brood and at least 12 spare combs) with three to five kilograms of food per colony.

When buying, families are examined directly at the apiary of the supplier farm (the strength of the families, the presence of feed, combs and, of course, the fetal uterus are determined). If the farm does not have the opportunity to purchase strong basic colonies on the spot, then in the southern regions layering or bee colonies (in packages) are bought. To complete small apiaries (in May-June), honeycomb-free packages are used, each of which must contain at least 1.3 kg of bees of all ages, the fetal queen is not older than two years, 1.4 kg of feed (60% sugar syrup) .

It is best to transport hives or packages with bees in the spring before the onset of hot weather: during this period, there is little brood in the nests and fresh honey with high water content, which ensures good delivery of bees to their destination. Bee colonies must be placed in areas with rich honey vegetation, so that they increase in honey flow, give marketable products and provide themselves with food for the winter (according to established standards). Under normal weather and honey collection conditions, in the year of the spring acquisition of bees, 15-20 percent or more of the growth of new bee colonies can be obtained from them without a significant decrease in productivity.

Logistics base and beekeeping buildings

Industrial beekeeping farms should be provided with appropriate production buildings, equipment and mechanization. Special requirements are imposed on the choice of location for the central estate. The site where the construction of the estate facilities is planned is located near the main sources of honey collection. It is desirable that the forage base of beekeeping also be represented by good spring honey plants, which ensure the cultivation of strong bee colonies for the main honey collection.

From the apiaries to the central estate of the farm, access roads are being laid for the passage of motor vehicles. It is better to build a farmstead on the outskirts of the village, which has the necessary cultural and community facilities (school, shop, hospital, club, kindergarten, etc.).

When drawing up standard documentation for construction, the experience of other beekeeping farms and local natural and economic conditions are taken into account. In places where bees can overwinter in the wild, it is possible to abandon the construction of winter huts, which will reduce construction costs and reduce the cost of production by reducing depreciation for their operation.

The planning of the construction of the central estate or its branches (beekeeping farms), the placement of production and other facilities are carried out taking into account the prospects for the development of the enterprise and the convenience in the economic operation of various premises. For example, it is advisable to build a winter hut in a large apiary in the center of the estate, which will save working time and money when setting up and exhibiting bees. It is better to block the cell storage with the main production room, which will reduce the distance when transporting cells from one room to another.

To facilitate the production of loading and unloading operations (for example, loading and unloading of honey, cases with honeycombs, containers, etc.), ramps should be provided in all rooms in height at the level of the platform of car bodies, and doors and support columns of wintering houses and honeycombs should be made in such a way that a car with beehives freely enters the room.

Hive selection

When organizing an industrial apiary, the right choice of hive design is of great importance. The most rational is a multi-hull hive with reduced nest frames (435x230 mm) and extensions, as well as a single-hull hive with a nest frame (435x300 mm) and two extensions (frame 435x145 mm). In many bee-breeding farms, bee-bed hives are widely used.

The design of the hives must meet the requirements of industrial technology: interchangeability of bodies, frames and other parts; ease and convenience in work; the possibility of quick preparation for transportation, as well as effective control of bee diseases, etc.

When choosing a hive, preference should be given to a hive with extensions, which allows you to: prolong the use of combs (they usually do not hatch brood); to receive high-quality mature honey, since honey extracted from nesting combs, where brood and bee bread are placed, has other impurities, darkens and crystallizes faster; increase labor productivity by lightening the bodies, using multi-frame radial honey extractors for honey extraction and honey pumping at the end of the season.

Means of mechanization

The efficient operation of industrial apiaries is unthinkable without high-performance mechanization tools: loading and unloading machines, equipment for pumping honey and processing wax raw materials, and preparing artificial feed.

A UAZ-452D car is assigned to an apiary with a size of at least 600 bee colonies. It is served and driven by one of the members of the beekeeping unit, who has the rights of a driver. Sometimes a farm is allocated a tractor with a trolley, and in case of mass transportation of bee colonies for honey collection and pollination, additional transport (ZIL-133 car).

To load the hives into the body, a crane mounted on the chassis of a ZIL-130 car or a 40-30P hydraulic crane is used. The crane lifts four beehives at once, placed in special metal container frames. Hives in the same container should be painted in different colors, and the entrances should be located in different directions. In the back of a ZIL-133 car, 80 three-body beehives are placed (frame size 435x230 mm).

Sugar syrup for bees is prepared on an installation mounted on the basis of a 50-frame honey extractor, in the tank of which a vertical shaft with an impeller is inserted. To distribute the syrup, a container with dispensing hoses installed on the car is used. The preparation of honey-sugar dough is mechanized. Stirring of feed is carried out by a mechanical dough mixer. Wax raw materials are processed using steam wax melters, wax presses or centrifuges such as TV-600, TsP M-50.

Organization of labor in industrial beekeeping

One of the progressive forms of labor organization in a large industrial beekeeping farm is a link system for servicing apiaries. Several apiaries are assigned to a link of beekeepers, consisting of several people. The number of workers in the link, as well as the number of bee colonies served by them, depends on local natural and economic conditions, the qualifications of beekeepers, the degree of concentration of beekeeping, the availability of mechanisms, apiary buildings and other means of production. The maintenance system should be based on industrial beekeeping technology using high-performance mechanization tools, as well as well-planned production processes. The main advantage of the link system is the implementation of cooperation and division of labor between the members of the link, which helps to increase its productivity.

With a minimum size (500-600 bee families) and good material and technical support, an industrial apiary is served by three to four people, one of them (link) is a financially responsible person.

The division of labor in the link should be carried out taking into account the abilities of each beekeeper. For example, one of the members of the link is good at unpacking combs and is engaged in this work while pumping out honey, the other specializes in building frames, the third - in the removal of queens, etc. However, in all cases, the division of labor should be aimed at the rapid completion of urgent seasonal work, the full workload of each member and consistency in work. This requirement is especially necessary in beekeeping, which is characterized by seasonality in work. For example, the expansion of the nests of bee colonies that is not done in a timely manner can lead to the transition of the apiary to a swarm state and a sharp shortage of products; late autumn feeding of bees - to the massive weakening of bee colonies and their death, etc. Therefore, the work of beekeepers in the link should be organized so that all work on caring for bees is carried out in a qualified, high-quality and timely manner, taking into account the biological needs of the development of bee colonies in a particular period of the year.

The efficiency of the link system depends on the size of the beekeeping farm and the link itself. The larger the industrial apiary and the greater the number of links, the more effective the application of this system as a whole, since a large link has more opportunities for the division and cooperation of labor. For example, even when performing such labor-intensive operations as loading and unloading operations during the transportation of apiaries for honey collection and pollination, the exhibition of bees from winter quarters, large links manage on their own. Along with master beekeepers in the industrial technology of caring for bee colonies, the composition of a large link can include an experienced driver or tractor driver, a qualified queen breeder, and a specialist for the maintenance and operation of the technological line.

Basic principles of industrial bee care technology

The choice of breed of bees

For the intensive development of industrial beekeeping, bee colonies must have high productivity and adapt well to local climatic conditions.

An error in choosing a breeding breed leads to a decrease in the profit received by the farm, and in some unfavorable years - to the mass death of bee colonies. For example, for many years in the central and northern regions of the country they tried to breed gray mountain Caucasian bees. Long-bodied, enterprising, well taking honey collection from forbs with a predominance of legumes, plants, they turned out to be of little use for forest areas and are completely unsuitable for long wintering without overflights. In most cases, apiaries with Caucasian bees that overwintered on honey in the middle zone with a long winter were greatly weakened by spring, and in some years they almost completely died. This led to a sharp shortage of honey and other bee products, to a reduction in the number of bee colonies. Packages with Caucasian bees were again delivered to apiaries. However, the results remained the same.

The choice of breed of bees for breeding them in a particular area is helped by a plan of breed zoning. In our country, which is distinguished by a huge variety of natural, climatic and honey collection conditions, there is not and cannot be one universal breed that is equally adapted to various local zonal features and has high productivity.

A scientifically based choice of a breed of bees or bee colonies of the first generation from industrial crossing of two breeds can increase their average productivity by 20-25%. The introduction of progressive methods of keeping bee colonies into production depends to a decisive extent on the level of selection work in industrial apiaries. For example, the mass selection of bees for productivity and the selection of queens for fertility help to improve the quality of bee colonies, their uniformity in different periods of the season, which simplifies care, increases labor productivity and beekeeping production. Therefore, on large industrial beekeeping farms and inter-farm beekeeping enterprises, it is recommended to specialize one of the apiaries in the breeding of queens and the selection of bees, freeing beekeepers from other apiaries from this painstaking work.

Group bee care

The industrial technology of caring for bees in the apiary requires beekeepers to timely perform a wide variety of work, without which it is impossible to get high profits.

A prerequisite for industrial technology is the maintenance of only strong bee colonies in apiaries and the culling of weak, unproductive ones. Culling is carried out after the end of the season during the autumn inspection of the apiary. Up to 20-25% of bee families are culled from their total number. With the systematic implementation of such work, the general level of strong bee colonies rises, in addition, they are significantly aligned in spring and summer. To replenish the number of culled bee colonies in the spring, an additional (in excess of the planned increase) an equal number of layers from strong colonies is organized.

Due to the fact that only strong bee colonies are kept in the apiary, the expansion and reduction of nests is carried out not by separate combs, but by whole buildings or extensions. Bees are kept all year round on complete sets of combs in brood boxes. Manipulating individual frames in the hives is generally not allowed. Strong colonies also overwinter on a full set of combs, which saves time on reducing and expanding nests.

The group method of caring for bees consists in the next work in the hives at once throughout the apiary. This is possible only where the alignment of bee colonies (autumn culling) is carried out beforehand and their replenishment in the spring due to the organization of layering. The necessity and urgency of this or that work is determined by a selective inspection of several bee families (the state of the nests, taking into account the weather and honey flow).

Group care for bees in combination with apiary service link system can significantly increase labor productivity, reduce costs and increase production. For example, a random inspection found that the apiary should expand the nests of bee colonies. To do this, on the central estate, cases are prepared in advance with completed combs, frames with honeycombs, food, etc. The required number of such buildings (according to the number of bee colonies requiring expansion of nests) is loaded onto a car or tractor cart and taken to the apiary. The car slowly moves between the rows of beehives. One beekeeper opens the hive, another - standing in the back, gives the body, and the third - installs it on the hive and closes the lid. The work is carried out quickly and immediately throughout the apiary.

In addition to the main work directly related to the care of bees, beekeepers have to perform preparatory (for the season) work, which is carried out at the central estate of the apiary (farm) in a special production facility.

Each bee colony should be provided with a complete set of nesting combs and extensions. In addition, by the onset of the season, it is necessary to prepare a certain number of frames, with wax for rebuilding the combs, so that as the bee colonies strengthen, expand their nests, not retard development and prevent swarming. The stock of combs during the honey collection makes it possible to continuously replace the honey frames, and pump out the honey only after the honey collection. This encourages the bees to constantly work to collect nectar and process it and thus increase the production of honey.

To increase the strength of combs and prevent their breakage during transportation of bees and pumping out honey on honey extractors, it is recommended to use a thickened foundation (12-13 sheets per 1 kg). The bees build up such foundation faster, and the honeycombs are of high quality.

The most important condition for progressive beekeeping technology is the high availability of food for bees. Certain norms have been developed and established for each zone of the country. However, it should be borne in mind that they are designed for average spring and autumn conditions, when bee colonies are developing (excluding lean years when there is not enough food).

Particular attention should be paid to providing bees with natural honey and pollen in the spring, when bee colonies are growing and growing bees involved in the collection of the bulk of marketable honey. In each hive at this time there should be at least 4-6 kg of honey and 2-3 frames with bee bread. With less food available, bee colonies, as if saving it, lag behind in development, slow down growth and lose strength, which affects the honey flow.

For ease of maintenance on beekeeping farms, a group arrangement of hives with bees (pas three or four together) is used. This allows the beekeeper to work simultaneously with several families without unnecessary transitions and carrying inventory. When a family is eliminated (autumn culling), the bees are distributed to neighboring hives. In addition, with a group arrangement of hives, mechanized loading and unloading during their transportation is easier.

Features of caring for bees at different times of the year

spring work

After a long winter, bees should be given the opportunity to fly around as soon as possible and create conditions for the normal development and growth of bee colonies. The first spring work begins with the selection of spring camps, which should be located in tracts protected from the winds on the edges of forests next to thickets of willow or other spring honey plants. In addition, good access roads should lead to them. Apiary areas and entrances are cleared of snow in advance.

Large apiaries are transported in cool weather, without waiting for warm days. During this period, the bees tolerate the move more easily and, having calmed down, with the onset of warm days, they begin to fly around.

The work of transporting an apiary of 600 bee colonies from the winter hut to points is carried out by a link of three people in two to three days without additional labor. However, one should take into account the climatic conditions, the distance to the apiaries and the condition of the entrances. On the day of the exhibition, the hives are well insulated.

The first inspection of bee colonies is carried out only after their complete flight on a warm, calm day (air temperature in the shade is not less than 12-15°C).

It is better to check the condition of the bees without disassembling and cooling the nest. The strength of colonies is determined by the number of frames incubated by the bees, and the presence of a queen is determined by the brood present in the combs. In this case, attention should be paid to feed stocks. If there is enough food, then there will be sealed honey in the extreme frames and upper veins of the nesting combs. In addition, with a good wintering and normal autumn stocks, at least 6-8 kg of honey always remains in the hive by spring. If during the check it turned out that there is no honey in the outer combs, they are quickly replaced with frames prepared in advance and warmed in the room with honey and bee bread. Strong and medium-strength families are left with a full set of combs. In weak colonies, the extra combs not covered by bees are removed, and the empty space is fenced off from the nest with an insert board and insulated inside. After inspection, a brief note about the strength of the family and the approximate amount of food is applied on the wall of the hive with chalk.

Transplanting bee colonies to other hives, cleaning and disinfecting contaminated hives and frames is necessary only in case of unfavorable wintering and in case of bee disease.

Spring feeding of bees

Immediately after the transportation of bees from winter quarters, sometimes without waiting for the first flight and inspection of bee colonies, and also regardless of the availability of food, they begin spring feeding: on top of the frames in each hive, 500-800 g of honey-sugar dough with soy flour and pollen are laid out . To prepare 100 kg of the mixture, 54 kg of powdered sugar, 18 kg of honey, 10.5 kg of skimmed flour, 10.5 kg of pollen (ground dry puffs) and 7 l of water are taken. Pollen can be replaced with milk or yeast. Carbohydrate-protein cakes 2-3 cm thick are placed on a grate and covered with plastic wrap or paper paper on top, they can also be distributed in plastic bags with holes for the passage of bees. Cakes weighing 500 g are enough for a bee colony for 7-10 days. Then protein feeding (in the absence of pollen in nature) is repeated.

Spring feeding stimulates the development of bee colonies, regardless of natural conditions.

With a lack of honey in the hives, the bees are fed with sugar syrup through the upper, ceiling feeders (1 kg of sugar is diluted in 1 liter of heated water). Top dressing is carried out as follows: a car on which a container with syrup is installed moves between the hives, and two beekeepers pour it into the feeders with a hose and close the hives again.

All spring work is carried out with the calculation: less dismantling and cooling of the nests of bee colonies, and after the final inspection, do not disturb them for at least three to four weeks.

Formation of layers and prevention of swarming

The formation of spring layering contributes to an increase in the number of bee colonies in the apiary, increases honey yield, prevents swarming, allows you to effectively combat bee varroatosis, and serves as a reliable way of breeding highly productive bee colonies.

The time of formation of layers depends on climatic conditions, honey flow, the strength of bee colonies and the possibility of obtaining fetal queens. However, the sooner the layers are received, the more effectively they will be used.

Layers are formed into hives prepared in advance and placed near strong families (it is advisable to do this work on a good summer day). From two strong colonies occupying nest boxes and having at least seven frames with brood, 6 frames with brood and bees sitting on them are selected for layering. Here, bees are additionally shaken from two or three frames, and on both sides they are placed in a frame with honey and bee bread. The remaining space in the hive is filled with combs and waxed frames. Instead of selected families, frames with honeycombs are placed, and if there is a honey collection, frames with honeycombs are placed. From strong colonies, more frames with brood are taken in layers, and less from medium colonies, thus aligning colonies. A small notch is left in the hive with a layer, which expands after three to four days. After 4-5 hours after the formation of layers, queens in cells are planted in the hive. They are released the next day, when the flying bees fly off the layers. When forming layering, a lot of time is spent looking for the uterus, which remains in the old family.

After the release of all the bees from the brood, the layer is a full body of a twelve-frame hive and is almost equal in strength to the main colonies. At subsequent inspections, care for them will be the same as for the rest of the bees.

In colonies preparing for swarming, the flight activity of bees weakens, and productivity decreases sharply. Swarms often fly away from apiaries. Therefore, in order to prevent swarming (except for the formation of layers), it is necessary to constantly select bees for non-swarming (bring queens from non-swarming bee colonies), protect the hives from the sun, ventilate the nests intensively and load the bees with the construction of combs.

Nest expansion

In practice, the second enclosures are placed in two ways: with the transfer of brood to the second enclosures and without transfer. If the expansion of the nests is carried out ahead of time and the climatic conditions allow the bees to provide at least a small honey flow, the frames with brood from the lower body are not transferred to the second one. At the same time, several (six-seven) light brown low-copper frames are necessarily placed in the middle of the upper case. On both edges of the nest, it is set along a frame with honey and bee bread. The rest of the volume is filled with wax frames. With this simplified method, the cases are filled with frames in advance and transported to apiaries on the day the nests are expanded. If the bee families have a normal development, the hives are well insulated and low-copper combs with bee bread are installed in the second buildings, the bees quickly master the upper buildings and the queens begin to lay eggs there. Therefore, with industrial technology of housekeeping and the presence of a non-roiling breed of bees, preference should be given to the method of setting up second buildings without transferring frames with brood from the lower housing into them, which significantly saves labor costs and almost does not disturb the bees (an increase in the volume of the nest is close to natural).

If the expansion of the nests is carried out with a delay, and the climatic conditions do not allow the bees to collect honey and lack the necessary supply of low-copper combs, the setting of the second buildings is carried out with the transfer of three frames with brood and the bees sitting on them from the lower housing. The lower body is complemented by frames with empty honeycombs. Then the second body is installed on the first. The frames with brood in the upper body are placed above the frames in the lower one. A frame with honey and bee bread is placed at the edge of the brood, as well as three or four - for laying eggs and one or two - with foundation (the latter are not placed in the absence of a honey collection).

With any method of setting the buildings and good insulation of the hives in the upper buildings, the most favorable temperature regime is created: the bees quickly master the combs, the queens intensively lay eggs, the colonies continue to develop well and are in working order. After 7-10 days, rebuilt frames or frames with honeycomb (depending on the honey collection) are added to the second buildings up to (the complete set).

The laying of eggs by the queen and rearing of the brood after the setting of the second buildings will mainly take place in the upper buildings. Further care of the bees is reduced to periodic (rearrangement of frames with open brood from the upper body to the lower one. In the upper case there should be mainly frames suitable for laying eggs by the queen (built-in combs, frames with printed brood from which bees will emerge, frames with foundation ) This work with interchangeable brood boxes can be simplified by periodically swapping the upper and lower boxes.

With a long period of growing bees, one or two extensions are placed on the second buildings in order to prevent swarming of bees and the need to place a large amount of nectar to the honey collection (late stormy honey collection).

To expand bee nests in multi-hull (four-hull) hives, three types of housings are pre-assembled: fodder (filled with frames with honey and bee bread; 6-8 kg), construction (five frames of empty combs and five with foundation, interspersed) and housings with ready-made empty frames. Strong colonies of bees winter in two buildings. In the spring, when their main body and brood move to the upper body, the bodies change places. If, after the selection of the cuttings, the second building is again filled with bees and brood, then a third anti-swarm building is installed across the buildings. If during this period there is absolutely no honey collection, then instead of building buildings, aft buildings are placed.

Before the start of the main honey collection, the hulls should be swapped again (upper - down, lower - up) and a fourth hull filled with honeycombs should be placed on top to collect nectar.

Features of using extensions

The use of extensions contributes to the laying of eggs by queens only in nest boxes, facilitates the work of beekeepers in the selection, unpacking and pumping out of honey, improves the quality of honeycomb (sectional) honey. Rebuilding a large number of extensions enhances swarming, so the latter should be warned in a timely manner. It is better to put extensions a little earlier than the bees occupy the upper housings (they will quickly master them and will swarm less).

To prevent the uterus from laying eggs in extensions, the latter are fenced off from the nest with a dividing grid. In the absence of a lattice, not the full number of frames is placed in the extensions when detuning the honeycombs (in a twelve-frame extension - 10, and in a ten-frame extension - 8, at an equal distance from each other). As a result, thickened honeycombs are formed in which the queens do not lay eggs. With a good honey flow, strong bee colonies quickly fill the extensions with thickened combs with honey, there is no brood in them, which greatly speeds up and simplifies the selection of honey.

With abundant honey flow for strong bee colonies, two or more extensions can be installed, but only as they are mastered by bees and filled with honey (the second and subsequent ones are placed on the nest box).

Transportation of bees for honey collection and pollination

To increase the collection of honey and saturated pollination of entomophilous agricultural crops, apiaries must be transported several times during the season. In early spring, bees collect honey well from spring honey plants (willow, maple), then apiaries are located in gardens, near wild raspberry thickets, on meadow forbs, near linden massifs. Later, bees are transported to fields with late buckwheat and sunflower, to autumn forbs.

When preparing the hives for transport, it is important that the frames have permanent dividers. Then (with a complete set of them in the hive) they will not swing. The ceiling is removed from the hive, and the components are fastened together with special devices; the notch is closed, and the hive is ready for transportation. Two-hull hives are installed on the platform of the machine in two tiers, single-hull hives - in three or four.

In order for the hives to be well blown by the wind when moving; transport, they are installed so that the frames are located across the body. Between them along the car are laid; wooden slats. Protruding arrival boards create longitudinal air gaps between the rows of hives.

Transportation is carried out mainly at night. However, in cool weather, bees can be transported during the day, which facilitates the work of beekeepers and drivers, speeds up the transfer of apiaries to a new place.

When transporting strong bee families in hot weather, additional free space must be created above the nest (put empty extensions or cases on the hives). The latter are sometimes filled with frames, which, during the honey collection, are stuffed in a new place and placed in the hives to rebuild the combs. In this case, no additional space is required for transporting empty frames.

Particular attention should be paid to the presence in the hives of a large amount of freshly brought nectar, which evaporates a lot of moisture in hot weather, which can lead to steaming and death of the bees, therefore, within two to three days, it is necessary to give them the opportunity to process the nectar. Frames with liquid honey can also be removed from the hives and transported separately. It is impossible to pump out immature honey, as it will ferment.

Selection and pumping of honey

The selection of honey in large industrial apiaries is carried out during the honey collection. Filled frames with sealed mature honey are selected from the hives, and frames with foundation and empty combs are installed in their place.

To remove bees from honeycombs, when selecting filled cases or extensions, various repellents are used (purified carbolic acid, propionic anhydride, benzaldehyde), as well as special devices - bee removers. When using carbolic acid, wooden frames are prefabricated (according to the size of extensions or cases) 3-4 cm high. Several layers of thick soft fabric (baize) are stretched over the frames, and on top they are covered with oilcloth or plastic wrap. The stretched fabric is evenly moistened with a 50% solution of carbolic acid (dissolve 100 g of acid crystals in 100 g of water). At the same time, waterlogging of the fabric and acid on the wooden parts of the frame should not be allowed. It is most effective to apply carbolic acid in warm, dry weather. Moistened frames are superimposed on top of extensions and bodies. After 2-3 minutes, when the bees go to the lower part of the hive, the extensions filled with honey are removed. To completely remove the bees from the honeycomb frames, they are additionally fumigated with smoke from a smoker. Each beekeeper working on the selection of honey should have three or four such frames.

Honey is pumped out after the end of the honey collection. Such a division of work on the selection and pumping of honey can significantly increase the productivity of beekeepers and improve the quality of the honey obtained.

Preparing bee colonies for wintering

After the end of the honey collection and pumping out of honey, a mandatory autumn inspection of all bee colonies is carried out with a complete analysis of the nests. Queenless, rotten and weakened bee colonies are culled and replaced by layers formed in spring from strong bee colonies.

Experience shows that only strong colonies (at least seven frames) with bees of autumn hatching, which did not participate in the collection of honey and rearing the brood, tolerate wintering well. At the same time, bees must be provided with at least a small autumn honey flow, stimulating their development. To do this, the apiary is transported to the honey collection from late honey plants or the bees are periodically fed with sugar syrup.

The final assembly of the nests and autumn top dressing are carried out before the apiary is transported to the central estate in such a way that the bees have time to process the sugar syrup and seal the bulk of it in honeycombs.

During the assembly of the nest, strong bee families (seven or more frames) contained in twelve-frame hives are left for the winter with a full set of combs; bee colonies in multi-hull hives - in two buildings, the main supply of food is in the upper building. Each hive should have at least 25 kg of feed (2-2.5 kg per frame of bees), and in the regions of Siberia, the North and the Far East - 28-30 kg. It is not necessary to leave all this feed norm in the hives, part of the honeycombs is stored until spring in the honeycomb storage. It is recommended to replace fodder honey (no more than 6-8 kg per family) with sugar top dressing for the winter, which will increase marketability, reduce the cost of apiary maintenance and improve wintering of bees. Quickly crystallizing and honeydew honey is completely removed from the nests.

Before feeding the bee colonies, the nests are formed as follows. On the edge of the nest, the most full-weight frames with honey and bee bread are placed, and in the center - light brown combs containing 1-1.5 kg of honey. Considering that the bees try to place the autumn sugar feeding in the central part of the nest, it is necessary that after feeding in each frame left in the hive there should be at least 2 kg of food. This amount will be enough so that the bees do not move to other combs in winter in search of food. It is not recommended to leave in the center of the nest for the winter light combs in which the brood was not hatched, as well as frames completely filled with honey from the top to the bottom bar. The central part of the nest (bee bed), where the main part of the bees is located for the winter, should consist of combs that are more than half filled with food and have empty cells in the lower part of the frames.

Feeding of bees in normal terms (no later than the beginning of September) is carried out with sugar syrup (1 kg of sugar per 1 liter of hot water). Bees take food well and quickly process it (invert it). With late top dressing, a thicker syrup is prepared (3 kg of sugar per 2 liters of water). Due to its insufficient inversion, such food often crystallizes in combs, which has a bad effect on the wintering of bees. Therefore, for every 100 kg of sugar, it is recommended to add 40 cm3 of 70% acetic acid (essence) to the cooled syrup.

The bees put the main part of the top dressing for nutrition in winter in the lower parts of the central combs of the nest and in the cells freed from brood, and natural flower honey remains for spring brood rearing.

Wintering bees

The method of wintering bees is selected depending on the climatic conditions of the area. In the southern regions of the country (the republics of Central Asia, Transcaucasia, Moldova, southern Ukraine), where bees can fly around during thaws, wintering takes place in the wild. This method is also practiced in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, in many farms of Belarus, Central, Volga-Vyatka and a number of other regions of the RSFSR.

When wintering bees in the wild, there is no need to build expensive winter houses, bee colonies begin development earlier in the spring and gain strength faster. In case of unfavorable wintering, bee colonies, especially at the end of winter, can be provided with the necessary assistance. However, overwintering in the wild, bee colonies spend more feed (by 2-3 kg) than when wintering indoors, and the hives wear out faster.

In areas with long cold winters, only strong bee colonies (at least 8-10 frames) can be left for wintering in the wild. In this case, the hives should be well insulated and sprinkled with snow. Bees of southern breeds (Caucasian, Italian) and their crosses are kept only in winter houses, as they do not tolerate winter well in cold climate zones (north of Moscow and east of the Volga).

During the wintering of bees in the wild, especially if the hives are covered with snow, great harm is brought not so much by cold weather as by the condensation of water vapor in the nests of bee colonies. As a result, dampness forms in the hives, honeycombs and perga grow moldy, honey ferments and turns sour. All this greatly worsens the wintering of bees and contributes to the occurrence of the disease (nosematosis). To prevent such phenomena, nests must be heavily ventilated. To do this, it is recommended: to use horizontal diaphragms with slotted in the middle and barred windows about 100 cm2 in size; leave gaps between the ceiling planks; cover the nests on top with fresh, non-propolised canvases that pass water vapor well; throughout the winter, keep the upper entrances and ventilation valves in the roofs open (limit the clearance of the lower entrances to 2-3 cm). Pillows with moss, straw mats and other materials that pass moist air well are used as upper insulation. To prevent rodents from entering the hives, barriers are inserted into the entrances.

In addition, with high humidity, the increased air space under the nest (air cushion) justifies itself well. To do this, an empty extension is placed on the main socket body. If the nest boxes are separated from the bottoms and interchanged with other boxes and extensions, then the empty box is substituted under the nest box. The increased air space under the nest is a good heat insulator, reducing fluctuations in air temperature and helping to remove water vapor and carbon dioxide from the hive.

If circumstances force the bees to spend the winter in the wild in areas with cold winters, then in late autumn wide inclined planks are attached to the front walls of the hives, which cover the lower and upper entrances. Then the hives are wrapped with roofing felt or roofing material, capturing the inclined boards, but leaving the top of the roof with a ventilation valve free, through which damp air will escape when the fallen snow fills the hives. Through a dry, loose layer of snow, air passes slowly, and snow is a good insulator.

By spring, with sharp changes in the outside temperature near the hives, on the snow, a dense crust often forms, preventing gas exchange between the hives and the external environment, which should be periodically destroyed. During spring thaws, the snow from the front walls of the hives is completely removed, allowing the bees to fly around with the onset of warm days.

When wintering bees indoors, the hives are set in a winter hut after the onset of stable cold weather (in the second half of November or early December). If the air temperature in the room throughout the winter is 0-2 ° C, and the relative humidity is 80-85%, roofs and top insulation must be removed from the hives.

With any method of wintering bees, you must remember the following rule: in the fall, do not rush to bring the bees into the room, but in the spring, hold an exhibition as early as possible and transport the apiary to the upcoming honey collection site.

Package beekeeping

Many areas of the forest zone have rich arrays of wild honey plants: linden, raspberry, angelica, fireweed, etc. However, due to the insufficient development of beekeeping, these natural resources are poorly used. In order to increase the production of beekeeping products, the effective use of bees for pollination of entomophilous crops, special plywood packages (boxes) with bees are sent from the southern regions of the country to the northern and eastern regions in spring.

Package beekeeping is well developed in the republics of Transcaucasia, Central Asia, in the southern regions of the RSFSR and the Ukrainian SSR, where there are favorable conditions for the reproduction of queen bees and colonies. In recent years, package beekeeping has been developing in Belarus.

By the time of the mating of the queens, bee-breeding farms perform all the preparatory work for the formation of packages (they make package boxes, funnels for shaking bees into packages, feeders filled with sugar syrup, cages for queens). Sending bees is carried out in packages of two types: with honeycombs and without honeycombs.

Honeycomb packages (Fig. 2) are divided into four-frame and six-frame. The family of bees supplied in a honeycomb package must meet the following basic requirements (Table 1).

A honeycomb-free package (rast. 3) is a box measuring 230x150x430 mm with three side walls made of plywood and one covered with a metal mesh. The bottom and ceiling are made of boards 10-15 mm thick. A hole was drilled in the ceiling for a feeder and a cage with a queen. The uterus and five or six accompanying bees are placed in a mesh cage. Feeders for bees are metal or plastic cans (capacity 1 liter). After settling the bag with bees, two holes with a diameter of 0.8 mm are pierced in the lid of the feeder filled with sugar syrup, the feeder is turned upside down and placed in the bag.

The family of bees supplied in a honeycomb-free package must meet the following basic requirements (Table 2).

The formation of packages is carried out on a good spring day with an active summer of bees, so that mainly young ones get into the packages. Using a special funnel made of tin, the required number of bees is shaken into the bag. On the lid of each package prepared for mailing, a label with an address and a warning inscription is pasted: “Caution! Living bees! Do not keep in the sun! Do not turn!"

Transportation of packages with bees is carried out by various means of transport. From the apiary to the airport, railway station or post office, packages with bees are transported by car, preferably in the morning and evening. Cellular packages are transported by car and by rail, and it is better to send non-cellular packages by plane. For ventilation and stability, honeycomb-free packages are fastened with rails into batteries (three or four packages at intervals of 10-15 cm, Fig. 4). To prevent the syrup from leaking out during takeoff and landing of the aircraft, the bags are installed with the openings of the feeders up.

It is most expedient to deliver bees to the northern regions six to eight weeks before the onset of the main honey flow (first half of May). In this case, in 1.5-2 months, the package colony will develop into a strong bee colony (weight 4-5 kg) and, under favorable conditions, will be able to produce at least 35-40 kg of honey.

Relocation of bees from packages to the hive. Before the arrival of honeycomb-free packages to the beekeeping farm, the required number of beehives is prepared in apiaries, containing four to five frames with honeycombs and two or three frames with honeycomb (in the combs of each hive, 5-6 kg of honey and pollen). With a lack of honey, sugar syrup is fed to the bees or honey-sugar cakes are placed on top of the frames.

Work on the resettlement of bees in the hives is carried out in the following sequence: the packages are carried to the hives; then the lid is removed from the bag and placed in the hive next to the combs (Fig. 5); the cell with the uterus is taken out and placed in the street next to the package; a feeder is taken from the bag, and the bees sitting on it are shaken onto the frames into the hive; the latter is closed and insulated. The bees left in the bag are not shaken off into the hive, as they can scatter.

A day later, when all the bees from the package go to the comb, the upper hole of the uterine cell is opened and sealed with foundation, in which three or four holes are pierced. The cage with the queen is left between the combs in the center of the nest so that the bees can gnaw through the foundation and release the queen. At the same time, the package is removed from the hive, the space between the hive and the frames with bees is separated by a diaphragm and internal insulation is installed.

The nest in the hive is completed as follows: a frame with honey is placed against the southern wall, then combs and foundation are interspersed, the last will be a frame with honey and pollen.

The process of relocation of bees from honeycomb packages differs from the relocation of bees from non-comb packages only in that the bees are transplanted into the hive in combs.

Further care for package bees is carried out depending on climatic conditions and the development of bee colonies. On hives with strong colonies, before the onset of the main honey collection, when there are eight to nine frames of brood in the hives, extensions with honeycombs and foundation are placed.

If batch bees are used seasonally (to collect honey) for complete wear and tear with subsequent destruction (smoking), then approximately 21 days before the complete cessation of honey collection, the queen is placed in a cage or in a single-frame insulator from a dividing grid. This restriction of queen egg-laying stimulates the switching of all bees to collecting nectar, increases the productivity of bee colonies, frees combs from brood and facilitates the preparation of colonies for smoking.

The selection of honey is made at the end of the honey collection, when there are already few bees left in the hives. To do this, all frames with honey and bee bread are removed from the hives for pumping out, the hive with bees is closed. In the evening (after the end of the summer of bees) or in the morning (before it begins), sulfur dioxide is pumped into the entrance from the smoker and the entrance is tightly closed. To obtain sulfur dioxide, put 1 tbsp. a spoonful of sulfur Dead bees are buried. Honeycombs are stacked in hives and stored until next summer.

Products: honey, wax, pollen, perga, bee venom, propolis, homogenate, royal jelly, death of bees, live bees.

Honey production technology:

1) collection of nectar by bees;

2) Ripening of honey - begins from the moment the nectar enters the honey stomach of the bee and ends with the sealing of the cells by the bees. When ripe, honey is enriched with the diastase enzyme;

3) Selection of cells - cells are taken if they are 2/3 sealed. The moisture content of honey should be 19% for cotton and 21% for other honeys;

4) Unpacking honeycombs;

5) Extraction of honey is the process of extracting honey from combs on honey extractors of various designs. In addition, there is pressed, sectional, and comb honey;

6) Purification of honey: - filtration - two-section filters silk, lavsan, gauze are used. - Settling takes place in the settling tanks.

7) Honey cupping is the mixing of different varieties of honey to give it certain qualities (color, aroma) - this operation is not always used.

8) Packing of the media container: linden barrel, glass jar, iron flask, etc. Honey must comply with the requirements of GOST 197922001. Diastase number in RF-7, in UR-12.

Apiary wax production technology -

1) Collection of wax raw materials;

2) Sorting of honeycombs by quality (4 grades: 1,2,3, marriage);

3) Soaking for 1-2 days in soft water, at a temperature of 30-49 ˚С;

4) Heat treatment - can be dry - solar wax melting and wet - water, steam, hot pressing and centrifugation.

5) Prolonged settling under water. Wax can be extracted using solvents: gasoline, ether - factory wax is obtained.

Getting pollen - Three types of pollen traps are used: preflying, bottom, and magazine. Efficiency of pollen selection is not less than 30%. Families must be clinically healthy, have at least 1.5 kg of bees. The pollen is dried to a moisture content of at least 10% at a temperature of 38-41˚C.

Perga - bee honey combs are dried up to 14-15% at a temperature of 40 ° C for 8-10 hours. The dried raw materials are cooled to a temperature of -1˚C and crushed in a honeycomb crusher. The distance between the rollers is 4.9 ±0.1 mm. The crushed raw materials are sieved using a seed cleaning machine at an air speed of 7.5-8 m/s, through a sieve with a hole diameter of 2.6 mm. Bee pollen is disinfected with gamma rays, then packaged in glass jars or plastic containers.

Propolis - bee glue is collected mechanically or with the help of mesh canvases or special uneven structures: stepped, corrugated. Canvases are frozen and passed through the SIP-UP machine. Up to 200 g are obtained from the hive, on average 80 g. Propolis cannot be heated, washed.

bee venom - obtained by electrical stimulation on average 700 mg per hive. From families with at least 2.5 kg of bees, clinically healthy.

55. Use of working horses for agricultural work.

At the beginning, young horses were used for light transport work, then, as they were drawn in, they were transferred to medium work, but not more than 5-6 hours per day (taking into account the condition). Work on young horses should be entrusted to more experienced workers. The optimal mode of operation is considered to be in which it works during the day with normal

traction force and speed. In transport work, it is recommended to use horses with variable gait (10-20 minutes the horse should trot, and 5-10 minutes walk, etc.). In the autumn-winter period, the duration of the working day is no more than 8 hours. In spring-summer work - 10-12 hours. In the daily routine indicate the beginning

and end of work, breaks and feeding times for horses. Within an hour they should work (at any work) 45-50 minutes and a 10-15 minute break.

Pregnant mares up to 6 months of gestation are used in medium jobs, after 6 months in lungs. 2 months before foaling and 2 weeks after foaling, they are released from all work, but they are provided with walks.

Horses of saddle breeds are widely used in servicing farms in the steppe and mountainous regions, the nominal loading of horses is 25-30% of its fl.m. An important condition when working with a horse, there must be a serviceable harness, wagons, agricultural implements and the correct harness. To introduce the horse after a long break, as well as

stop using it gradually.

Breeding stallions are used for medium-heavy transport work.

Drawing up plans for breeding work for breeding farms.

The plan of breeding work is more expedient comp. 5-10 years. Material for comp. plan are the data of the primary zootechnical and breeding report. Annual reports of households, current regulations, instructions and scientific recommendations, etc. Plan of comp. the main specialists of the household, but the employees of scientific research institutes, universities are involved in the work with this breed. Responsibility for the implementation of the plan rests with the head of the household. The plan consists of:

1) state of the industry and analysis of the implementation of the previous plan.

2) measures to improve the herd, planned parameters.

3) organizational and economic measures for the future.

1) make a brief analysis of the results of activities to implement the previous. Incl. obstacle factors and contributors to its performance. A brief description of the structure of the herd by types of lines and families is given. Har-Xia veterinary epizootic comp.

2) in this part, determine, for example, the tribe of work, outline the prospects for further breeding in the household, types, lines, families, and methods of their perfection. Planning creation of new breeding achievements and productivity parameters. Establish step-by-step standards that determine the level of average development of a trait across generations

animals in the herd for 5,10,15 years to achieve the target standards by the deadline, determine the minimum requirements for replacement young animals, first-calf heifers, mothers of bulls.

3) lead, indicating V and terms, planned general economic

measures for the future aimed at increasing the efficiency of the tribes. Provide for the work of the control and breeding yard, but if it is not there, then construction and commissioning. Taking into account the consumption of livestock in feed, the sowing plan for forage crops was complied with. The system of carrying out veterinary san is stated. Events

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Book Information

Reviewers:

E. K. Eskov, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor, Dean of the Faculty of Game Science and Bioecology of the Russian State Agrarian Correspondence University, Honored Worker of Science and Technology of the Russian Federation;

L. Ya. Moreva, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor of the Department of Zoology, Kuban State University.

In a comparative aspect, the design features of the hive frames and the biological capabilities of modern hives are presented. The positive effect of an improved ventilation system based on a modernized frame, which ensures the maintenance of optimal temperature conditions in the streets of the hives of the Dadan-Blatt and Ruth system, which contributes to optimal feed consumption at any time of the year, has been studied. The need to modernize the hive frame is substantiated, taking into account the compliance of the parameter of the bee space or street and the structural basis of the combs with the natural standard. Information is presented on the influence of the shape of the base of the cells on the productivity of bee colonies.

The created and presented technology for caring for bee colonies based on the use of natural standard parameters makes it possible to control the life of honey bees and is acceptable for all categories of beekeeping farms.

© LLC "Prospect", 2015

Introduction

In Russia and abroad, the largest number of bee colonies is concentrated in private farms. The number of people wishing to start an apiary is constantly growing. Many are familiar with the main factors that determine the productivity of bee colonies. At the same time, every beekeeper wants to get as much honey from bees as possible, which is not always possible.

The technique of keeping and breeding bees is one of the oldest achievements in the development of beekeeping. A very long time ago, methods were developed that were passed down from generation to generation and which, in a number of areas, have survived to the present. These are dwellings with nesting buildings of bees, which serve to shelter colonies, which, depending on the climate, vegetation and traditions, are distinguished by a wide variety of forms, methods of placement and materials used. Based on the traditional type of hive, they developed in three different directions until the creation of a modern hive with movable frames, retaining the basic principle [Ruttner F., 1979; Avetisyan G. A., 1982; Kosarev M. N., Mannapov A. G., 2000; Senyuta A. S., 2004; 2005; Zharov V., 2007; Mannapov A. G. et al., 2011].

After the invention by P. I. Prokopovich in 1814 of a hive with “movable boxes”, in which the selected movable comb frames were located, the hives enabled beekeeping to take a big step forward in improving the technology of keeping and breeding bee colonies. As for the life of bees in modern hives, it is compared with the life of a person in a light garden house, where in winter there is frost on the walls, and in summer it is hot and stuffy in the sun. The shape of the hive can be narrow, wide, low, high, but comfortable conditions cannot be achieved without special measures. To do this, it is necessary to insulate the ceiling, floor, walls and arrange ventilation [Senyuta A. S., 2004; Soklakov Yu. S., 2006; Zharov V., 2007; Stepanets I.P., 2007; Mannapov A. G. et al., 2011].

To get more honey, you should choose the right breed of bees, have strong bee colonies, be able to maintain a certain ratio between different age groups of bees, keep young queens in colonies, and provide the bees with additional space for empty combs in a timely manner. In various editions of educational literature on beekeeping, descriptions are given of 10 to 15 factors that a beekeeper should know. According to the authors of manuals for beginner beekeepers, the development of these factors makes it possible to have large incomes from the apiary for sure. However, they do not mention the need to modernize the hive frame, taking into account the compliance of the parameter of the bee space or street with the natural standard. The organization of ventilation and reduction of heat production through the use of waste products of the organism of bees and the bee colony, the number and types of combs built by bees, and the use of high-quality foundation by the beekeeper are not described. The works of Root, devoted to the movement of the club in winter and the work of bees when building combs in summer, are not taken into account. Moreover, for practicing beekeepers, there is no information on the influence of the shape of the base of the cells on the productivity of bee families [Markin I.I., 2006; Soklakov Yu. S., 2006; Mannapov U. A., Mannapov A. G. 2010; Mannapov A. G. et al., 2011].

The authors of this manual believe that the answers to the above questions will allow the beekeeper to take control of the life of the bees into their own hands, forcing them to do the work that is beneficial for the family, and therefore for the owner.

Describing scientific inventions in the world, E. Kolosov (2002) gives brief results ... “When gunpowder was invented, it seemed that nothing could be more lethal. And suddenly - the explosion of the atomic bomb!

A man took off in an airplane, it seemed that the dream of conquering the sky had come true. And suddenly - into space!

It took thousands of years before a person came, it would seem, to perfection in beekeeping - a hive. And suddenly… you need a 21st century hive!”

What should he be? The 21st century hive must be perfect both in form and as well as in content. Here it is appropriate to note that the transition from hollows and sides to beehives took place without taking into account the compliance of the structural components of the nest with the natural standard. So, for example, in hollows, bees do not recognize the location of wax buildings for cold and warm drift. Moreover, in the natural environment, they orient the cells along the magnetic poles of the earth. And the bee gap in hives with the use of modern frames with separators is unreasonably increased by 25% and is 12 mm, although in the natural standard it is 9 mm [Kolosov E.V., 2002; Mannapov A. G. et al., 2011].

In recent decades, beekeepers have been actively engaged in improving the existing structures of bee dwellings, but they have not brought anything radically new to the industry. Modern hives and developed technologies do not suit beekeepers, because they do not combine the continuity of nest construction with natural parameters [Kolosov E.V., 2002; Shapkin V.F., 2005; Stepanets I.P., 2007; Mannapov A. G. et al., 2011; Mannapov A. G. et al., 2014].

Orientation to the main honey collection in recent decades is also not always justified, as honey collection conditions have changed and continue to change. If in the XX century. (especially in the first half) the main bribe was from the honey plants of the fields (garden thistle, field thistle, cornflower, etc.), then with the introduction of intensive farming technologies, large arrays of them disappeared. There are practically no sown honey plants in many areas of the middle lane, and abandoned fields quickly lose their food value for bees. The use of pesticides, fertilizers, widespread infection of apiaries with ticks Varroa destructor and concomitant diseases, the lack of industrial production of fetal queen bees in central Russia leads to a steady decrease in the number and productivity of bee colonies. As a result, their numbers in Russia decreased over the period from 1991 to 2013. by 1.2 million pieces, and the production of marketable honey does not exceed 57.5–64.5 thousand tons per year [Krivoshey S. F., 1997; Senyuta A. S., 2004; 2005; Zharov V., 2007; Krivtsov N. I. et al., 2007; Mannapov A. G. et al., 2011; Borodachev A. V., Savushkina L. N., 2012].

The situation is complicated by the death of bee colonies in Russia in the winter-spring period, which averages 12.6–13.0% of the total [Rodnova V.A., 2004; 2005]. The economic damage from poor wintering of bees is approximately equal to the cost of all marketable honey received from them.

At the present stage of development of agriculture, the intensification of agriculture in the 21st century will only increase. In addition, all over the world, genetically modified crops will be introduced more and more, including seeded honey plants, the demand for honey from which will sharply decrease [Senyuta AS, 2004; 2005; Zharov V., 2007; Mannapov A. G. et al., 2011].

For Russia, not everything is so gloomy, since most beekeepers, assessing the natural food supply, believe that honey should be taken always and constantly when it is in nature, and not to prepare an apiary based on the main honey collection. In the conditions of a short beekeeping season for the Central Strip of Russia, one must learn to use the earliest honey plants, starting from willow, create nectar-bearing conveyors and combine them with the capabilities of modern hives, regardless of what material they are made of.

In connection with the foregoing, every beekeeper must know and firmly grasp not only how the body and body of a bee is arranged, how bees live, work and reproduce, but also the features of bee nutrition in summer and winter, the arrangement of a tap hole and the organization of “bee ventilation”, nest assembly for wintering and in spring and summer.

In the age of scientific and technological progress, it is obvious that the more knowledge the beekeeper acquires, the easier and more correctly he will manage the bees, the greater his income will be and the cost of production will decrease.

Without improving knowledge, one cannot interfere in the life of bees, because it is easy to bring harm instead of good. Many manuals on beekeeping note that in the Central zone of Russia, the queen bee in colonies begins to lay eggs already in February. Some beekeepers, registering printed brood after the exhibition of bee colonies, do not understand that these are sick colonies. Here, first of all, nosematosis, varroatosis and ascospherosis take place. The family, trying to survive, begins to grow brood. As a result, there is repeated wear of the body of working individuals and a strong weakening of the bee colony [Kulikov Yu. N., 2006]. No wonder it says folk wisdom that only a knowledgeable beekeeper leads bees, and an unknowing one wanders in the dark.

Even the hive of helmsman beekeeping - P. I. Prokopovich was a mystery in terms of technology. The main elements of his industrial technology were not presented in it: what were the frame and bee gap in his retractable “boxes” with a slatted bottom, the ventilation system, how many entrances and cases were in it. Some of these questions are answered by Solomko V.A. (2014), who, when creating a technology for the production of beekeeping products, analyzes the heritage of scientists and beekeeping practitioners.

The current stage of development of the agrarian sector of the Russian economy, including beekeeping, is characterized by a variety of forms of ownership. It is beneficial to engage in beekeeping with the creation of personal subsidiary farms (LPH) and peasant farms(KFH) [Giniyatullin M. G. et al., 1994; Chepik A. G., 2003–2007; Kolosova E. P., 2005; Lebedev V.I., Prokofieva L.V., 2005; Zhilin V.V., Mannapov A.G., 2006; Petrikov A.V., 2007; Zalilova Z. A., 2012].

PSF and KFH represent a form of free enterprise, carried out on the principles of economic benefit. These types of farms eliminate all intermediate links between the worker, the means of production and the results of labor, and ensure its high productivity and profitability. Therefore, rationally sized private household plots and peasant farms have great prospects. The viability of these forms of agricultural production is due to the specifics of the industry, the way of life of the peasant, the feeling of the owner and the opportunity to fully realize their creative abilities. These forms of management are more flexible and agile in responding to all innovations, are able to quickly and effectively implement progressive scientific recommendations and best practices. Currently, there are more than 27 thousand farms and cooperatives in Russia, where a significant number of people are engaged in productive labor. They have vehicles for cultivating the land and transporting agricultural products [Giniyatullin M. G. et al., 1994; Bilash G. D., 1995; Kolosova E. P., 2005; Lebedev V.I., Prokofieva L.V., 2005].

Beekeeping, as an industry for the state, has a multiplier effect: bees pollinate entomophilous crops and increase their productivity, they biologize the environment (including the land) and contribute to the conservation of biodiversity in nature. Bee products derived from honey bees are environmentally friendly and support human health. At the same time, beekeeping allows you to create jobs and do business.

In the world beekeeping, there are two approaches to the organization of honey production, which are conventionally called European and American. The first is mainly distributed in the Old World, and the second - in the New [Chepik A.G., 2003–2007; Kolosova E. P., 2005; Lebedev V.I., Prokofieva L.V., 2005; Senyuta A. S., 2005; Khoruzhy L.I., 2005; Petrikov A.V., 2007; Zalilova Z. A., 2012].

In the interests of the organization of medium and large businesses with the European approach, a significant part of the working time is aimed at ensuring the maximum productivity of each bee colony. For this purpose, various technological methods are used that dramatically increase the ability of bees to collect nectar. This system provides for the maintenance of one beekeeper from a few dozen to two or three hundred bee colonies.

The American approach is that beekeeping is viewed from the position of big business. Therefore, a professional beekeeper, not striving to achieve record productivity from each family, keeps them up to several thousand, while simplifying and mechanizing all production processes as much as possible.

The use of one approach or another is usually determined by the economic policy of the state in the field of agriculture, the conditions of honey collection, as well as the historically established stereotypes of beekeeping. Two examples can be given to compare their effectiveness. In Russia, the European system is almost universally used. One beekeeper serves on average 150-180 families. At the same time, with the commercial productivity of each, for example, 100 kg of honey, he will receive about 15–18 tons of honey [Kolosova E.P., 2005].

In comparative terms, in the US, the average industrial beekeeper with one seasonal worker serves 2,400 families. On average, he receives about 41 kg of honey from the family, but its total amount reaches 97 tons. Consequently, in the second case, obtaining 1 kg of honey is much cheaper than in the first, since the cost of production decreases in accordance with an increase in labor productivity. Based on two ratios (price-quality and cost-technology), it seems quite possible to organize cost-effective honey production in the Russian Federation [Kolosova E.P., 2005].

However, the process of formation of beekeeping farms is hindered due to the lack of economic, organizational and legal literacy of the future leaders of beekeeping organizations, their lack of professional knowledge and skills, accounting and controlling, evaluation of finished agricultural products at fair value [Khoruzhy L.I., 2005, 2012; Khoruzhy L. I., Sergeeva I. A., 2006]. In this regard, the purpose of this manual is to provide them with methodological assistance in organizing an apiary and servicing bee colonies. It provides the necessary information to determine the rational size of the apiary, its specialization, technical equipment, and the acquisition of bees. It is aimed at introducing beekeepers of all categories to the created scientifically based technology for keeping bee colonies based on the continuity of the parameters of nesting structures available in the natural standard, in relation to modern hives and natural honey collection conditions in Russia.

The high demand for bee products makes this business very profitable and profitable in Russia. By carefully preparing the equipment, standardizing and optimizing the production of honey, one beekeeper will be able to serve a huge apiary, receiving a high-quality product for marketing and personal use.

The main difference between industrial beekeeping and amateur beekeeping is its large scale, designed to meet the massive demand for honey and other products, as well as the high standardization of production. This type of economic activity makes it possible to consistently receive a quality product at a lower price. And, most importantly, with less resource consumption. When the work of the apiary is put on a conveyor type of doing business, there will be no time for admiring the flight of bees and the sights of the area. Industrial production is pragmatic, efficient and maximally rational work on the verge of the capabilities of one person. An example of successful standardization and optimization of production can be some massive apiaries in Russia, the USA or France, in which one person is able to serve hundreds and thousands of families.

Features of industrial beekeeping in Russia

Development of industrial beekeeping technology

And although a large period of time has been lost, for the development of this industry at the moment it is possible to use the rich experience of domestic beekeepers and foreign practice in order to establish full-scale commercial production. Russia has all the necessary conditions to independently produce honey to meet the needs of the country's citizens. Moreover, due to the unique natural and climatic conditions, our country has the opportunity to become the largest exporter of such a product in the world, displacing other exporters. With proper organization, bee farms and other enterprises in this area can make a significant contribution to the federal budget. For example, in the United States, approximately $4.8 billion is earned annually from bees out of the total value of the entire crop.

Implementation methodology

In order for this sphere to work with us on a full scale, one should strictly adhere to the basic rules for automating the sphere. All processes to improve the methods of growing honey insects should be carried out after the launch of the project. However, some points must be reformatted to fit the national characteristics of the climate, the transport system and the physiology of local families, etc.

Here are some of the most significant steps for Russian industrial beekeeping, by implementing which you can reach the mass production of the product:

1. Use of factory equipment.
2. Optimization and standardization.
3. Selection and use of only special bee colonies.
4. Continuous supply of feed and consumables.
5. Anti-swarm techniques.
6. Complete change of queens.
7. Sufficient continuity with other branches of the national economy.
8. Improving the legal framework and changing the outlook of beekeepers.

Equipment

If we are talking about mass production, then the equipment must correspond to the conveyor type of work. The use of amateur technology is unacceptable in this industry. Professional equipment should be used for:

• frame extensions and hardware;
• for printing honeycomb frames;
• for collecting pollen, bee bread, propolis, comb honey and royal jelly;
• honey extractors;
• for the processing of wax and the manufacture of foundation.

Simplification of work

Volumetric production is based primarily on the maximum high performance labor. The number of hives in an enterprise that can be called industrial should not be less than 500. However, this is not the limit for one person to serve. An average apiary of 3000-4000 families is processed by no more than 4 people. These are modern requirements in this segment of agriculture. An important aspect in mechanization is the method of division of labor. So, the employee involved in the transportation of beehives should not worry about the issues of breeding queens or pumping out honey. With this activity, some workers may not be beekeepers at all and perform purely mechanical work. At each stage of production there should be a minimum of human effort. Most devices should operate automatically. The worker can only monitor this and turn on only when mechanization is not possible.

Industrial bee colonies

Some types of bees are completely unsuitable for making a product in large volumes. There are several types that best meet these requirements. These include:

• grain;
• carpathian;
• Central Russian;
• Italian;
• some species of English bees.

It is worth noting that all breeds realize their effectiveness in specific conditions. So for our area, the native "Ukrainian bee", "Carpathian" and "Central Russian bee" are well suited. They have both positive and negative features. Therefore, sometimes they use “Italian” and “krainka” modified for the conditions of our climate.

Timely supply

The conveyor method is good because all its links work smoothly and continuously. Beekeeping should be completely cyclical and not open at any stage. So, at present, absolutely all the waste products of honey insects are used in the food industry, medicine and animal husbandry. The products of agriculture and other industries can be used for our purposes. They need only two main points. This is the supply of feed and consumables. Providing them is not difficult. Also, it does not require a lot of time and financial costs.

Anti-swarm techniques

Swarming is a natural instinct of insects, the purpose of which is reproduction and the emergence of new families. This makes the work of beekeepers very difficult and reduces the efficiency of honey collection. There are basic principles for combating swarming. Their use allows you to increase the efficiency and time of each individual.

Anti-swarm measures

• sufficient dimensions of the internal space;
• timely expansion of families;
• proper honeycomb design;
• full-fledged breeding work;
• removal of excess drones and the correct temperature regime;
• seasonal migrations and anti-swarm layers.

Complete queen change

The uterus plays a decisive role in the strength of the entire family. It is known that after 2 years it loses its properties. If you do not replace the uterus during this period, then many of the positive qualities of the entire population will fall. Growing queens is a product of modern breeding. Successful hatching will guarantee high yields. Change the uterus should be at the beginning of the season. There are many ways to do this. So, for example, in Finland, the old uterus is simply killed and a new one is launched in its place. It is important to prevent two queens in the hive and an alien queen liquor.

The use of bees in other sectors of the economy

Honey is not the only product of these unique insects. In developed economies, all the results of the apiary's activities are used without exception. In addition to the well-known ability to pollinate and, thus, to a key influence on the cultivation of crops, honey insects also have a huge arsenal of products useful to humans. Medicine, food industry, agriculture and many other industries need substances and materials produced in the apiary.

Other bee products

• zabrus;
• propolis;
• perga;
• pollen;
• royal jelly;
• bee venom;
• chitin.

The implementation of only these components can bring huge incomes. In general, apiary farms are among the fastest paying back farms in agriculture and are very tempting from a business point of view.

Improving the legislation and worldview of Russian beekeepers

Large-scale transformations are impossible without the fundamental participation of the state. To date, a lot of legislative acts regulating the sphere of beekeeping have been adopted. Local programs are being introduced to stimulate private large farms and state industries. However, one of the most important aspects for change is to change the way our native beekeeper looks at this type of activity. It is necessary to bring this business out of the shadow of amateur work to a high professional path. Implement the basics of marketing and mechanization. Then Russian beekeeping will have a future on the world stage, and it will be able to push out such giants as the USA, Canada, Australia and France. Our country has all the possibilities, resources and technologies.

"Honey" regions of Russia

In our country, there are several regions typical for the production of this product. Successfully develop the production of honey on an industrial scale in Altai, Krasnodar, Perm, Bashkiria and Udmurtia. The largest volumes can be obtained in the Altai Territory and Perm. Honey of Altai and Udmurtia is considered to be of the highest quality. The Perm Territory deserves special attention. It is here that major government programs are being implemented. Not so long ago, the implementation of the state agrarian franchise "Beekeeping Development" began. Particular attention is paid to the stimulation of profitable farms by private entrepreneurs. In the Perm Territory there are large enterprises for the implementation of breeding and selection work. There, at the present level, they are engaged in improving the breed of Central Russian bees.