The educator family is a bee family that provides feeding of uterine larvae during artificial breeding of uterus. The family-educator must be strong, which is ensured by its correct formation. This process is carried out according to the rules, taking into account a number of features. Forming a family-educator can be done in different ways.
Functions
The main task of the family-educator is the cultivation of queens, which will be used in the future for the formation of layering. Such goals determine the following functions of the family teacher:
- detuning of uterine cells;
- feeding future queens;
- providing future uterus with perfect care;
- providing future uterus with good physical development.
For the high-quality performance of all these functions, it is necessary to form a strong family-educator.
Formation Conditions
The identification of a strong family, which will become a teacher, is organized by the beekeeper in the fall. Formation will occur in the spring, and the success of this process depends on the following factors:
- selection of a strong bee colony;
- the presence of a large number of nurse bees;
- the presence of several frames with printed brood (you can take from other bee families);
- the presence of abundant stocks of honey with bread;
- good insulation of the hive - from the side and above, and on cold nights and from below;
- different age composition of bees.
Features and stages of the formation of the family-teacher
The family from which the larvae are taken to hatch the uterus is called the mother. For pedigree work in the apiary, high-quality drones are also required, so they prepare the father's family. The removal of a large number of drones in it is ensured by the creation of special conditions.
When choosing a future family-teacher, it is necessary to focus on economically useful signs that you want to get from future offspring. It should be borne in mind that the uterus grown by the family-educator will transmit to the offspring not only its signs (acquired), but also the signs of the family, from where the larva was taken for such education.
When preparing foster families, it is important to observe several points:
- to establish dividing lattices on letki - this provides protection against the penetration of foreign queens, which orphaned bee colonies attract;
- use the selected uterus - it can be planted in layers (formed from another strong bee colony), to increase the additional mass of bees, used for honey collection, raising uterus;
- correctly place the honeycombs in the nest of the teacher's family: put honey on the edges, then the honeycomb on the honeycombs on both sides, after the brood (mostly closed), in the middle open brood with a large street-well (35 mm) between the frames setting the vaccination frame with tribal larvae;
- place feeders near grafting frames.
For closer contact between the larvae and brood combs, it is recommended to make a narrow grafting frame (compared to a conventional frame) without dividers. At the same time, this design simplifies the work.
The algorithm for the formation of the family-teacher is determined by the selected method. The process is usually carried out in the following order:
- Preparation of the father's family. This should be done at least 2 weeks before the preparation of the family-teacher, as the drones develop 8 days longer than the queens. Feeding with a honey-protein mixture is organized, on the 16th day drone seeding is checked.
- Selection of fetal bees from foster families and formation of layering. On the same day, honeycombs with one-day larvae are cut.
- Teacher families are fed. For this, a honey-protein mixture is used. It is given at night every day for 10 days.
- The day after the selection of the uterus, check the condition of the layers, release the uterus from the cells.
- Prepare the hive where the growth will be located. Provide honeycombs, proper insulation, feed.
- Discard queen cells.
- Isolate mature mothers in a kindergarten (using cells).
- Form layering and cores.
- Plant uterus in layering.
- Dissolve foster families.
Less than a month passes from the laying of a drone brood to the dissolution of a kindergarten. All work is recommended to be carried out in accordance with the calendar of beekeepers.
Watch the video about the beginning of the family-teacher assembly cycle:
Possible methods of formation
Forming a family-educator can be done in different ways.
Bezmatochny family with a brood of different ages
This option is especially good for Central Russian bees and can improve the reception of larvae with a small number of fistulous queen cells. Formation of a family-teacher is carried out according to the following algorithm:
- Uterus selection.
- An orphaned caregiver will start to worry. This is expressed by their running along the front wall, which occurs after about 6 hours. Such a time beekeepers call the golden hour. It is necessary to give the family-teacher larvae.
- After feeding the larvae and sealing the queen cells, wait 5-6 days and place another batch of larvae in the kindergarten family with the simultaneous removal of all fistulous queen cells.
- If desired, after another 5-6 days, you can run the third batch of larvae. Due to the sealing of the whole brood, the quality of this batch will be lower.
When using this method, each batch of queen cells must be selected on the 10th day. After the removal of the uterus, the educating family should return the fetal uterus. Its restoration will take several weeks, after which it can be used for honey collection or re-growing of queens.
Formation by separation of the family with the subsequent unification
In this case, it is necessary to prepare the hive and install a blank partition in it. Half should be of different sizes. Each part of the hive requires its own notch, and they must be turned in different directions. Such a hive is set instead of the previous day of the formation of the family-educator.
The process is carried out according to the following algorithm:
- Set the hive so that the summer of its smaller part is turned in the same direction as the summer of the old hive.
- Transfer the uterus and open brood frame to a smaller part of the new hive.
- In most of the hive, a family will form. To do this, put the framework only with printed brood.
- Divide the food supply between both parts of the hive so that honey and bee bread are in sufficient quantities in each of them.
- All old bees will flock to a part of the hive with the uterus, therefore, to strengthen the kindergarten, you need to shake the bees from the frames that will be installed in the other half of the hive. Additional insects should be shaken off here - 2-3 frames are enough, which are taken from other strong bee colonies (must be healthy, take only one frame from one family).
- When the uterus is grown, it is necessary to remove the partition from the hive so that the family can unite. There should be only one summer.
Formation of non-flying bees
This method of forming a family-educator implies the following algorithm:
- Prepare an empty hive. Place in it a printed brood (2-3 frames) and food - honey with bee bread (3-4 frames).
- Shake the prepared beehive with 8-10 frames that are well hatched. Frames can be taken from different bee families - the main thing is that they are strong and healthy.
- Some of the bees that were shaken off on a new hive will return to their original places. Only young non-flying individuals will remain.
- Provide a new hive for 5-6 days with water or liquid sugar syrup. To do this, put the frame-feeder.
Type of uterine-free family, print brood formation
This method of forming a family-educator was previously widespread. After choosing a strong bee colony and selecting a uterus from it, one must act according to the following algorithm:
- Wait 8 days, on the 9th day only print brood should remain.
- A thorough inspection of the honeycomb (it is better to sweep away insects). Destruction of all fistulous queen cells.
- The premises of the party of larvae for their further education.
- On the 10th day, the removal of queen cells from the bee colony, followed by its intended use.
- Provision of the fetal uterus to the former parent family.
Today, this method has been modernized. Before hatching, the bee in this family is isolated by placing it in the lateral compartment (pocket). For insulation use a separation grid, in the insulator should be 3 frames. In addition to the uterus, brood is placed at the exit (1 honeycomb), which is surrounded by light brown honeycombs, where eggs will be laid.
Formation of a kindergarten family with artificial swarming
Finding a bee colony in a swarm state provides a larger quantity and better quality of larvae. The size and weight of the removed uterus also increases, which immediately after leaving the mother cell can fly.
The advantages of this option also include the increased strength of the removed uterus, their high egg production and winter hardiness. The formation of a family-teacher is carried out according to the following algorithm:
- The selection of most of the open brood.
- Sharing a family with a closed brood at the exit.
- Squeezing the nest.
- Introduction of the bee colony into a swarm state.
- Obtaining eggs in artificial bowls from the mother bee colony, in working condition.
- The fastening of these bowls on the vaccination frame and installation in the bee family, which is introduced into the swarm state and began to lay swarm mother liquors.
- Destruction of the laid queen cells.
- Deposition of the uterus in the layers or in the insulator (part of the hive without a notch, limited by a dividing grid).
The competent formation of a strong family-educator allows you to grow high-quality queens, which are used in the future to organize layering. The process is performed according to a specific algorithm and has a number of features. Work with the family-educator in the apiary is carried out first on a common basis, and then escalated.