Головна Beekeeping Up to 40% of beehives may not survive wintering this year

Up to 40% of beehives may not survive wintering this year

The most difficult season in beekeeping is wintering. January is the midpoint of the winter dormancy period for bee families: in Ukraine, bees in 2021 carried the last autumn flights in the 20 dates of October (northern regions) – early November (south and southeast of the country).

This is reported by “Znatniy Med” Bee Estate, reports ProAgro Group, citing Agravery.

“By the New Year, weather conditions contributed to the stable passage of wintering: the daily temperature gradually decreased from +10°C to -5-7°C, without sharp fluctuations. Beekeepers noticed deaths of 5% to 10% of families in some apiaries. But then the weather prepared unpleasant surprises. The temperature rose by 10-15°C (-7°C to +5-8°C) on New Year’s Eve. This led to the expansion of beehive clusters and the spreading of bees into hives. Such differences adversely affect the state of hibernation,” said the co-owner of “Znatniy Med” Valeriy Kureiko.

According to him, another 5-7 temperature swings by the end of winter are expected, which may adversely affect the condition of families: temperature swings lead to the fact that by the end of March bees approach weaker, with less food reserves. As a rule, the colony moves further from the entrance, and a significant increase in temperature (up to +10°C in 1-2 days) can lead to the premature appearance of brood. Beekeepers cannot help bees during the flightless period (air temperature must be higher than +14°C for a full flight and family inspection).

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