Beekeeping method for controlling swarming and doubling honey

Abstract

To develop and provide a beekeeping technique for collecting a larger amount of pure honey than conventional methods by controlling and suppressing swarming, the scattering and escaping of honeybees, and constantly securing a certain number of honeybee colonies, without requiring labor of beekeepers by a non-complex and as simple as possible method in the beekeeping industry.SOLUTION: There is provided a method for controlling swarming and doubling honey yield, for rearing honeybee colonies by dividing them into two types, hives for egg-laying / larva-rearing colonies and hives for honey-collecting colonies without larvae, and combining the two types to suppress swarming and increase honey yields, the method for controlling swarming and doubling honey yield by rearing the hives of the egg-laying and larva-rearing colonies and the hives of the honey-collecting colonies without larvae, using the rearing method shown in steps described above.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention is a technical invention in the beekeeping industry for breeding and honey collection of honeybees. In particular, it utilizes the natural habits of honeybees to control swarming and other factors that are disadvantageous for honey collection, and performs special beehives and arrangements to increase the honey collection amount (also referred to as honey yield or honey gathering amount) by honeybees.

Background Art

[0002] Honeybees are insects belonging to the genus Apis in the family Apidae, and are known to produce and store honey in the hive. Honey and other products (such as honey wax and bee wax) can be collected from the hive. In the beekeeping industry, honeybees are widely bred using artificial hives such as hive boxes (breeding boxes), and honey and the like are recovered.

[0003] In a honeybee hive box, it has an internal space that is substantially closed except for the hive entrance, and a plurality of hive frames and the like are arranged side by side therein. Honeybees form a honeycomb-like honeycomb plate on the hive frame. In the description of the present invention, in order to describe the names of special structures inside the hive box in beekeeping and special names related to honeybees, explanations will be provided each time.

[0004] In beekeeping around the world including Japan, the Western honeybee is most commonly used. The Western honeybee used in beekeeping has characteristics such as being able to collect a large amount of honey and being easy to maintain a large population. Note that the Japanese honeybee has a lower honey yield compared to the Western honeybee and is also prone to escaping, so it is rarely used for medium-scale or larger beekeeping. However, since many people prefer the taste and quality of the honey of the Japanese honeybee, beekeeping of the Japanese honeybee is mainly carried out by individuals or on a small scale.

[0005] Generally, honeybees form a colony consisting of one queen bee and a large number of worker bees. The queen bee continuously lays eggs in the hive, and they mainly become worker bees. Each worker bee has a specific role. Nurse bees secrete beeswax to build comb plates and cells, clean the hive, and take care of the larvae. Other bees (foraging bees) collect pollen and nectar, process them into honey, and store it. Additionally, worker bees create rooms called queen cells on the comb plates, where they feed royal jelly to the larvae to raise the next generation of queen bees.

[0006] For example, when the number of worker bees increases and the scale of the honeybee colony expands, swarming occurs when the next generation of queen bees is born. The queen bee and about half of the worker bees leave the hive they have been using and search for a new nesting site. The remaining about half of the worker bees stay in the original hive and maintain it with the newly born queen bee.

[0007] About two months after the first spring feeding (the first spring feeding means feeding the larvae to increase the number of honeybees by the queen bee laying eggs), when approaching the honey flow period (the honey flow period means that the nectar source plants bloom, and it is the best honey collection period within a year, which varies by region), it is also a time when the number of adult worker bees, eggs, larvae, and pupae increases smoothly. A little before this, the queen bee starts laying eggs of male bees, and preparations for swarming (swarming means that, as described above, the queen bee leaves the current hive box with about half of the colony and moves to a new place in search of a new world) begin in the bee colony.

[0008] The queen bee lays more than 3,000 eggs a day during the peak of the honey flow period. Therefore, swarming also occurs frequently during this peak. When the queen bee swarms, about half of the worker bees in the hive box also decrease, resulting in a reduction in honey collection by the honeybees and a decrease in the honey collection amount in the hive box, which is not a favorable phenomenon for beekeepers. For many beekeepers, if there is a way to raise honeybees to collect honey firmly without swarming, the above-mentioned significant damage can be avoided.

[0009] The cause of swarming starting is considered to be affected by multiple stimuli to the bee colony, and the main ones are shown below. 1. Overcrowding within the bee colony (due to an increase in the number of individuals and no room for nest expansion). 2. Decrease in the concentration of queen bee pheromone (related to the state of the queen bee and the size of the bee colony). 3. An increase in the number of plants that become nectar and pollen sources in the surroundings. 4. Extension of daylight hours 5. Age of the queen bee 6. Insufficient spawning space

[0010] In addition, when the bee colony grows larger and the bee density increases, there is a tendency to swarm, which is related to the number of bees relative to the size of the hive box. That is, if the number of bees exceeds the space available as a hive box, they are encouraged to swarm. A normal hive box (single box) in beekeeping has 10 comb frames, and each comb frame can form approximately 6,400 cells (hexagonal bee nests) on both sides, resulting in 64,000 spawning spaces. However, since the queen bee lays more than 3,000 eggs per day, a normal hive box (single box) will be full in about 21 days. In reality, there are also cells used for pollen and honey storage, so the number of spawning cells is considerably reduced, and sufficient spawning space cannot be ensured in a single box. Therefore, swarming is encouraged. Even when a single box is made into a two-story colony, the bee density within the colony increases, and swarming will occur in any case. During the peak season, a large amount of honey enters from the outside, so there is a shortage of comb frames, and it becomes even more difficult to ensure spawning space, which encourages swarming. The present invention focuses on the fact that the large number of bees, that is, the size of the honeybee colony, is a major factor promoting swarming, and presents a method of swarming control and swarming management as an invention.

[0011] Swarming occurs when the bee density within the bee colony reaches its limit as described above. 50% to 70% of the worker bees, together with the old queen bee, leave the hive and form a cluster of bees on a nearby tree branch or the like outside the hive box. Generally, beekeepers collect this cluster and place it in a new empty hive box. However, when the collected swarming colony is provided with a comb foundation frame (a comb foundation is a thin plate made of honeydew (formally "bee glue") with the honeycomb structure engraved on it. A frame is a wooden frame and a base plate for the hive that holds the comb foundation, and the combination of the frame and the comb foundation is called a comb foundation frame. After the cells that form the bee hive are created, the entire frame including the cells may also be referred to as a comb plate, and this term is also frequently used in the description of the present invention), or an empty hive, they immediately start building a hive. The old queen bee also exhibits strong egg-laying ability, so the new hive box will be filled within a few days. With such repetition, the number of cells as the honey and pollen storage space within the hive box does not increase easily from a certain amount, and thus the honey collection amount does not increase compared to the rate at which the bee colony and the hive box increase.

[0012] Here, the meanings of the above terms will be explained. A comb foundation is a thin plate made of honeydew with the honeycomb structure engraved on it. The presence of a comb foundation makes it easier for honeybees to build cells. A frame is a wooden frame and a base plate for the hive that holds the comb foundation, and the combination of the frame and the comb foundation is called a comb foundation frame. After the cells that form the bee hive are created, the entire frame including the cells may also be referred to as a comb plate, and this term is also frequently used in the description of the present invention.

[0013] Conventionally, various proposals have been made in response to the above-mentioned demands of beekeepers by several prior art documents listed below.

[0014] For example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-108635) discloses the following technology.

[0015] That is, the beehive has an internally open box body with an internal space for arranging a plurality of honeycomb frames, a box lid that can open and close the box body with an upper opening, and an automatic shutter structure at the entrance and exit where bees enter and exit formed in the box body. The automatic shutter structure includes a shutter mechanism for opening and closing the entrance and exit, an electric motor for driving the shutter mechanism, a control unit for driving the electric motor to open and close the shutter mechanism at a predetermined time, and a power supply unit for supplying electricity. The control unit includes a timer unit for setting the operation time of the shutter mechanism, a motor control unit for rotatably controlling the electric motor based on an operation signal from the timer unit when a predetermined time is reached, and a limit switch for stopping the opening and closing operation of the shutter mechanism. There is a technical disclosure about a beehive equipped with an automatic shutter structure characterized by this.

[0016] However, the above Patent Document 1 is provided with a shutter entrance and exit for preventing pests such as sparrows and Japanese honey buzzards from invading the beehive, and aims to contribute to the maintenance of the bee colony. Regarding increasing the honey collection amount of the honeybees of the present invention, it is only an indirectly occurring additional effect.

[0017] That is, the technical disclosure according to the above Document 1 is far from solving the problem of the present invention aiming at a simple and cost - free effective increase in the honey collection amount.

[0018] Also, in Patent Document 2 (KR Publication No., 2020200000138), there is a technical disclosure about a beehive structure of a bee colony composed of four stages. In the beehive of the bee colony composed of four stages, the beehives of 2 (a, b) - 3 (a, b, c) groups of bees, which can bury 6 - 8 small honeycombs in the first stage, are installed horizontally on the side. When there are 2 groups of bees from the second floor, 12 - 16 small honeycombs are installed in one stage, and when there are 3 groups of bees, 18 - 24 small honeycombs are installed in one stage. It is installed on top of the beehives of 2 - 3 groups of bees with the same size as the external beehive placement platform of the connected beehives of 2 - 3 groups of bees.

[0019] The above Patent Document 2 is a technology related to the structure of a breeding box for preventing death and extinction by healthy breeding of bee colonies in beekeeping, improving the honey collection amount, and particularly increasing the honey amount during acacia honey collection. It is different from the beekeeping technology aimed at controlling swarming, which is the object of the present invention, and increasing the honey yield of bees by utilizing the natural habits of bees.

[0020] As described in the above Documents 1 and 2, in the prior art, not only are they far from solving the objects and problems of the present invention, but they do not even mention them. The objects and problems of the present application will be described later.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0021]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0022] The present invention aims to solve such problems and issues in the prior art. That is, the present invention in the beekeeping industry is to control and suppress swarming, which is the scattering and escape of bees, in a simple way as much as possible without causing trouble to beekeepers, and thereby ensure a constant number of bee colonies. As a result, the problem is to develop a beekeeping technology that can collect a large amount of pure honey more than the conventional method, and the purpose is to widely provide the method and the beekeeping system.

[0023] That is, in the present invention, in swarm control, under the condition that the bee colony does not grow (less than about 7 comb boards in a single hive), while maintaining an appropriate density of the bee colony, sufficient spawning space is ensured, and the conditions for controlling swarming are maintained. And in honey collection, the object and purpose of the present invention is to provide a beekeeping method that can ensure sufficient comb boards and cell space as honey storage places for worker bees, which are the honey-collecting bees of the bee colony, and increase the honey collection amount.

[0024] Also, it is an important issue to add here that the means for solving the object and problem of the present invention must be rearing beekeeping that maximally utilizes and applies the natural habits of honeybees as described above and below without using machinery or power.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0025] (Claim 1) To solve such a problem, the invention of the method according to Claim 1 of the method for swarm control and honey volume doubling beekeeping according to the present invention is A method for swarm control and honey volume doubling beekeeping that divides a honeybee colony into two types: a brood-rearing colony (a honeybee colony of a queen bee that lays eggs and worker bees specialized in brood-rearing) hive and a broodless honey collection colony (a state without bee larvae, that is, a honeybee colony in which worker bees that are brood-rearing bees are released from brood-rearing work and many worker bees participate in honey collection work) hive, and raises (keeps) them separately. It is a method for swarm control and honey volume doubling beekeeping that increases the honey collection amount while suppressing swarming by combining the two types, and it is an invention of a method for swarm control and honey volume doubling beekeeping according to the following breeding method (keeping method) for each of the hive of the brood-rearing colony and the hive of the broodless honey collection colony. "Steps of the hive of the brood-rearing colony" Step 1. In the nest box of the egg-laying and brood-rearing group, the number of nest boards in the nest box (the nest board includes the nest board, nest frame, and foundation frame and is collectively referred to as the nest board.) is suppressed to 50% to 80% of the full board, preferably in a single box of a Langstroth-type nest box for 10 pieces or a nest box of the same scale, and the nest board is suppressed to 50% to 80% of the full board. Ensure a certain nest board interval of about 6.5 mm to 9.5 mm required by bees, which is the bee space between the nest boards and between the nest board and the inner wall of the nest box, and make as many frontal brood frames as possible. (The frontal brood frame refers to the nest board and nest frame in which both sides of the nest board in the nest box are filled with brood cells.) Step 2. When the frontal brood frame made in Step 1 becomes an emerging brood frame (the emerging brood frame refers to the nest board and nest frame immediately before the brood emerges), extract the emerging brood frame. If there is a queen cell on the emerging brood frame, delete the queen cell and move it to the nest box of the bee-less honey-gathering group. Step 3. After Step 2, add new nest boards to the nest box of the egg-laying and brood-rearing group in the same number as the extracted emerging brood frames. Step 4. Repeat from Step 2 to Step 3. "Steps for the nest box of the bee-less honey-gathering group" Step 1. Arrange the nest boards, which are the honey storage parts inside the nest box of the bee-less honey-gathering group, at an interval of about 12 mm to 15 mm for honey storage. Step 2. Install a queen bee isolation cage or a queen cage, or queen bee pheromone in the nest box of the bee-less honey-gathering group. Step 3. Increase the emerging brood frames moved from the nest box of the egg-laying and brood-rearing group according to the repetition of Step 2 of the nest box of the egg-laying and brood-rearing group, increase the bee-less honey-gathering group, and let it concentrate on honey collection. Step 4. When honey accumulates and matures on the nest boards in the nest box of the bee-less honey-gathering group, extract the nest boards for honey collection. After the honey collection, the nest boards are sorted and returned to the original nest box of the bee-less honey-gathering group. Step 5. Repeat from Step 3 to Step 4. The above is the invention of the method according to claim 1 of the method for swarm control and honey volume doubling beekeeping according to the present invention.

[0026] When replacing the queen bee of a bee colony, etc., there may be a time when there are no broods (bee larvae) in the hive of the bee colony temporarily until queen cells (queen cells: the cells for queen bee larvae, which are larger than the cells of other worker bees or male bees) are formed, the queen bee pupae emerge, and the new queen bee finishes mating and starts laying eggs. This is due to the queen bee stopping egg laying.

[0027] Worker bees are divided into brood-rearing bees specialized in brood-rearing and foraging bees specialized in collecting honey. During the period when the above-mentioned broods disappear, the worker bees no longer need to rear broods, so the honey collection ability of this bee colony improves. That is, all brood-rearing bees become foraging bees, and the honey collection ability increases.

[0028] Also, when the number of individuals in the bee colony increases, the bee density in the hive increases and the internal density of the bee colony reaches the limit, that is, when it becomes necessary to add a new hive, as described above, the queen bee tries to form queen cells for rearing new queen bees in order to start swarming. Swarming means that the bee colony will temporarily escape outside, the bee colony will decrease and the honey collection amount will also decrease. Therefore, it is necessary to isolate the queen bee in a queen excluder (a box for isolating the queen and controlling egg laying, made of a grid where worker bees can enter and exit, but the large-sized queen bee cannot enter and exit) etc. to control swarming that is disadvantageous for beekeepers in honey collection.

[0029] Based on these habits and principles of honey bees, the method for swarm control and honey volume doubling beekeeping according to the present invention is to divide the bee colony into two types: an egg-laying and brood-rearing colony and a broodless honey collection colony, and let them focus on their respective specialties in the specialized bee colonies for egg-laying, brood-rearing and honey collection by their combination, and at the same time, to significantly improve the honey collection amount while suppressing swarming.

[0030] That is to say, the method for swarm control and honey production doubling beekeeping according to the present invention skillfully utilizes the habits of honeybees, divides the bee colony into a hive box filled with an egg-laying and brood-rearing (brood supply group) and a hive box filled with a bee-free honey collection group consisting only of worker bees specialized in honey collection, and separately breeds and manages each of them. By maximizing the advantages of both and minimizing the disadvantages, it is a beekeeping invention that ultimately improves the honey production amount. (Refer to FIG. 2 as an example.)

[0031] Managing by dividing into two types, namely the hive box of the egg-laying and brood-rearing group and the hive box of the bee-free honey collection group, specifically means raising the bee colony with two types of hive boxes, namely the hive box of the egg-laying and brood-rearing group and the hive box of the bee-free honey collection group, as a set, without mixing and overlapping each of the two types of hive box groups, and without being in close contact, but by arranging them adjacent to each other in the vicinity.

[0032] Next, each step of the hive box of the egg-laying and brood-rearing group and the hive box of the bee-free honey collection group of the invention of the method for swarm control and honey production doubling beekeeping according to claim 1 of the present invention will be described.

[0033] "Regarding each step of the hive box of the egg-laying and brood-rearing group"

[0034] Step 1. In the hive box of the egg-laying and brood-rearing group, the number of comb plates (comb plates, including comb frames and foundation frames, are collectively referred to as comb plates) in the hive box is suppressed to 50% to 80% of a full plate. Preferably, in a single box of a Langstroth-type hive box for 10 combs or a hive box of the same scale, it is suppressed to 50% to 80% of a full plate. The purpose of ensuring a certain or more comb space of about 6.5 mm to 9.5 mm, which is required by bees, between the comb plates and between the comb plate and the inner wall of the hive box, is to make as many brood frames on the comb plates, that is, as many cells for honeybee larvae (brood), on both sides of the comb plates, let the queen bee lay eggs, and raise a large number of larvae that will become worker bees, which is the optimal configuration in the hive box.

[0035] It utilizes the habit of honeybees that the above-mentioned egg-laying and brood-rearing are sufficiently promoted by having a sufficient space margin in a certain hive body and a frame interval suitable for the cell size for raising worker bee larvae. Also, due to the sufficient space margin in the hive body, it is possible to avoid the density of the honeybee colony becoming excessively overcrowded, and it is possible to avoid the habit of the honeybee colony preparing for swarming.

[0036] The single box of the Langstroth-type hive for 10 frames is a hive for honeybees invented by Mr. Langstroth of the United States, which is widely used. Currently, a single box with 10 frames inserted has become a common ordinary hive (standard hive).

[0037] Ensuring the bee space accurately includes the following meanings. The bee space is the interval used by honeybees as a passage. For example, if the space between the frame and the wall of the hive body is kept as the bee space, no unnecessary comb will be built there, so the frame and the comb sheet can be easily lifted from the hive body, and the work becomes easier. Conversely, if it is widened more than the bee space, the space between the frame and the wall of the hive body will be filled with unnecessary comb, so the frame will stick to the wall of the hive body, and the work and management will become very complicated. Therefore, it is very important that the interval between the frame and the wall of the hive body is between 6.5 mm and 9.5 mm. In the case of adjacent frames or comb sheets, an interval of 8 mm to 9 mm is recommended, and preferably 8 mm is good. This is the importance of ensuring it accurately.

[0038] In step 2, when the frontal brood frame made in step 1 becomes an emerging brood frame, the emerging brood frame is taken out. If there is a queen cell in the emerging brood frame, the queen cell is removed and it is moved to the hive body of the non-brood honey-gathering colony. The frontal brood frame refers to a comb sheet in a state where a large number of cells for bee larvae are made on both sides of the comb sheet.

[0039] In step 2, most of the bee larvae in the face-value bee frame created in step 1, which are in the pupal state just before eclosion, i.e., the emerging bee frame with capped cells just before eclosion, are removed from the brood box for egg-laying and rearing (including the frame and the foundation), and placed into the brood box of the bee colony without brood for honey collection. Then, in step 3, new frames or frames with foundation are added to the brood box of the egg-laying and rearing colony in the same number as the number of emerging bee frames removed in step 2. Even if the frame is a single box for about 10 frames, the number of frames is kept to about 6 to 7, without increasing the number of bees. This is to appropriately remove the emerging bee frames and always add new frames (frames with foundation) or empty frames to ensure sufficient space for brood bees and the egg-laying space for the queen bee. Using new frames or frames with foundation for the egg-laying and rearing colony also helps prevent the propagation and spread of pathogens.

[0040] That is, by not increasing the number of bees (bee colony) in the brood box of the egg-laying and rearing colony without restraint, maintaining the space for brood bees and the bee density, it helps control swarming while ensuring sufficient egg-laying space for the queen bee. In the brood box for egg-laying and rearing, the bees are allowed to focus solely on egg-laying and rearing. If the bee density becomes excessive, the bee colony will build queen cells for new queen bees and start preparing for swarming, so this is also to avoid that.

[0041] In the emerging bee frames transferred to the brood box of the bee colony without brood for honey collection, worker bees immediately emerge. Since it is a broodless box, i.e., a box without larvae, they work as worker bees specialized in honey collection without rearing brood.

[0042] Here, in the brood box of the egg-laying and rearing colony, it may not be necessary to move all the emerging bee frames to the brood box of the bee colony without brood for honey collection. This is when the activities of the egg-laying and rearing colony are low, and this is to maintain the number of bees in the brood box of the egg-laying and rearing colony so as not to be too crowded while observing them sequentially. This can be done by sequentially adjusting during the repetition of steps 1 to 3 in step 4. That is, swarming control and the activities of the egg-laying and rearing colony can be managed and controlled simultaneously. Since the bee colony is not enlarged in the egg-laying and rearing colony, it is difficult to form queen cells for making queen bees. Therefore, swarming does not occur. Not enlarging the bee colony is an important condition for preventing swarming.

[0043] When supplying a brood comb frame to a honey - collecting colony without brood, there may be a small number of eggs or young larvae in the cells of the comb frame, and queen - rearing cups may be formed in the honey - collecting colony without brood where the frame is supplied. This is because there is no queen bee in the honey - collecting colony without brood, so the bees try to create a queen bee. To avoid this, marks can be made on the queen - rearing cups of the brood comb frame and then removed. Also, as will be described later, in the invention of the method described in claim 2, the invention that addresses the problem of the formation of queen - rearing cups for rearing queen bees in the above - mentioned honey - collecting colony without brood is a two - stage egg - laying and brood - rearing colony hive (claim 3), and it is described as a rearing method using the same.

[0044] "Regarding each step of the hive of the honey - collecting colony without brood" A honey - collecting colony without brood is a bee colony in a state where there are no bee larvae, and thus it is a worker bee colony that only performs honey - collection.

[0045] In step 1, the comb plate interval, which is the honey - storing part inside the hive of the honey - collecting colony without brood, is arranged to be about 12 mm to 15 mm of the honey - storing interval. This is the most suitable comb plate interval for worker bees to collect and store honey.

[0046] In step 2, a queen - separating cage or a queen cage, or queen bee pheromone, is installed in the hive of the honey - collecting colony without brood. In a honey - collecting colony without brood, it is necessary to control the development of the ovipositor of worker bees by putting the queen bee in a queen - separating cage or a queen cage or using queen bee pheromone. This is because when there is no queen bee, that is, when the queen bee pheromone cannot be detected, the worker bee colony has the habit of developing the ovipositor in an attempt to rear a queen bee. Conversely, if the queen bee is present in a queen - separating cage or a queen cage as shown in step 2 and the worker bees can detect the queen pheromone, the worker bee colony will no longer need to lay eggs and rear the queen bee. In addition, since there is no egg - laying by the queen bee, it becomes a colony without brood, so the worker bee colony will basically concentrate on honey - collection without being involved in brood - rearing.

[0047] If a queen bee cage or a queen cage for isolating the queen bee is not installed, queen bee pheromone is used. In this case, the queen bee pheromone is an article in which a rod-shaped plastic about 3 mm in diameter and 40 mm in length is impregnated with synthetic queen bee pheromone, and it can be purchased and used.

[0048] In Step 3, the brood frames moved from the brood box of the egg-laying and brooding colony are increased according to Step 4 of the brood box of the egg-laying and brooding colony, the bee colony in the brood box of the non-brood honey-gathering colony is increased, and the bees are made to concentrate on honey collection. In Step 4, when honey accumulates and matures, the beekeeper extracts the honeycomb board and harvests the honey. The honeycomb board after honey collection is sorted and returned to the brood box of the original non-brood honey-gathering colony. In Step 5, Steps 3 and 4 above may be repeated.

[0049] In the brood box of the non-brood honey-gathering colony, when several brood frames from the egg-laying and brooding colony are put in, a non-brood honey-gathering colony brood box with two or three tiers will be formed soon. In this case, the brood frames are put in the lower tier as much as possible. Then basically, honey accumulates in the top tier. In the case of three tiers, the beekeeper harvests honey from the top tier. After honey collection, the second tier is placed on the top tier, and the emptied honeycomb frame is put into the second tier. As will be described later, this is the same as performing the content of the handling method of the brood box of the non-brood honey-gathering colony described in the invention of the method according to Claim 2.

[0050] The brood frames from the egg-laying and brooding colony put into the brood box of the non-brood honey-gathering colony may be removed from the brood box of the non-brood honey-gathering colony after the young bees have emerged, disinfected with hypochlorous acid water or the like, and then returned to the brood box of the egg-laying and brooding colony again. Also, in the brood box of the non-brood honey-gathering colony, the honeycomb frames after honey collection are sorted to remove waste honeycombs and returned to the brood box of the original non-brood honey-gathering colony. However, a part of them can also be returned to the brood box of the egg-laying and brooding colony. At this time, it is advisable to dispose of the old honeycomb frames and try to use new honeycomb frames as much as possible.

[0051] Specifically, the above-mentioned sorting process involves removing unnecessary cells, disinfecting them with hypochlorous acid water, etc., and using them as clean honeycombs. As described in step 3 of the beehive for the egg-laying and brood-rearing group, using a new honeycomb frame for the egg-laying and brood-rearing group also helps prevent the breeding and spread of pathogens. That is to say, keeping the honeycombs to be used in a clean state is the basis of beekeeping. Needless to say, it is advisable to dispose of old honeycombs and honeycomb frames and use new ones as much as possible.

[0052] As described above, the invention of the method according to claim 1 of the method for swarm control and honey yield doubling beekeeping according to the present invention also skillfully utilizes the habits of honeybees even in the beehive of the bee-less honey collection group. Generally speaking, the bee colonies are divided and managed into a beehive filled with an egg-laying and brood-rearing (bee brood supply group) and a beehive filled with a bee-less honey collection group consisting only of worker bees specialized in honey collection. In the beehive of the egg-laying and brood-rearing group, the bee colony is made to concentrate on egg-laying and brood-rearing, concentrating its ability on the supply of bee broods, and controlling swarming. On the other hand, in the beehive of the bee-less honey collection group, the bee colony is made to concentrate only on honey collection and honey storage to maximize the honey collection amount. This is the essence of the invention of the method for swarm control and honey yield doubling beekeeping according to the present invention. The same applies to claim 2 described below.

[0053] Incidentally, the following shows the result of actually practicing beekeeping using the method for swarm control and honey yield doubling beekeeping according to claim 1 of the present invention described above, and the honey collection amount increased dramatically compared with the conventional method. Form of bee colony Honey collection amount (Kg) Honey collection amount per group (Kg) Bee-less honey collection group of the present application (3 groups) 118.1 39.37 Conventional honey collection group (4 groups) 29.8 7.45 Comparing the honey collection amounts from April to June between the bee-less honey collection group of the present invention and the bee colonies of the normal beekeeping style, and summarizing the honey yield per group, as described above, the bee-less honey collection group showed a remarkable effect that the honey collection amount was about 5 times that of the normal honey collection group.

[0054] (Claim 2) The method according to claim 2 of the method for swarm control and honey yield doubling beekeeping according to the present invention is A method for controlling swarming and doubling honey production in beekeeping, which divides bee colonies into two types: a brood-rearing colony hive box and a honey-gathering colony hive box without brood, and increases honey production while suppressing swarming by combining the two types. It is an invention of a method for controlling swarming and doubling honey production in beekeeping according to the following breeding methods for each of the brood-rearing colony hive box and the honey-gathering colony hive box without brood. "Steps of the brood-rearing colony hive box" Step 1. The brood-rearing colony hive box is a two-story hive box. A queen excluder (a plate with a width entrance and exit frame through which only the queen bee cannot pass) is installed between the lower hive box and the upper hive box (a closed super without a bottom board). Step 2. In the lower hive box of the brood-rearing colony, the number of comb frames in the hive box is suppressed to 50% to 80% of a full board. Preferably, in a single box of a Langstroth-style hive box for 10 frames or a hive box of the same scale, it is suppressed to 50% to 80% of a full board. A certain hive space of about 6.5 mm to 9.5 mm, which is necessary for bees and is the bee space between comb frames and between the comb frame and the inner wall of the hive box, is accurately ensured. The queen bee is allowed to lay eggs only in the lower hive box to make as many brood frames as possible. Step 3. When the frontal brood frame in the lower hive box becomes a capped brood frame (a comb frame and a hive frame in a state where bee larvae have become pupae and each cell is covered with a lid) before becoming an emerging brood frame, it is transferred to the upper hive box. Step 4. After Step 3, add as many new comb frames as the number of transferred capped brood frames to the lower hive box of the brood-rearing colony. Step 5. When the frontal brood frame in the upper hive box becomes an emerging brood frame, or when one week has passed since the frontal brood frame was transferred to the upper hive box, extract the emerging brood frame. If there are queen cells in the emerging brood frame, remove the queen cells and transfer them to the hive box of the honey-gathering colony without brood. Step 6. Repeat Steps 3 to 5. "Steps of the honey-gathering colony hive box without brood" Step 1. Arrange the spacing between the comb boards in the honey storage section inside the hive box of the queenless honey - collecting colony to be approximately 12 mm to 15 mm, which is the honey storage spacing. Step 2. Make the hive box of the queenless honey - collecting colony into two or three tiers vertically. Step 3. Install a queen - isolating cage or a king cage that isolates the queen bee, or queen bee pheromone, inside the hive box of the queenless honey - collecting colony and / or between the upper and lower hive boxes. Step 4. The emerging bee frame moved from the hive box of the egg - laying and brood - rearing colony is increased from the lower - tier hive box of the queenless honey - collecting colony according to the above - mentioned Step 5 of the hive box of the egg - laying and brood - rearing colony, increasing the queenless honey - collecting colony and enabling it to concentrate on honey collection. Step 5. When young bees have finished emerging from the cells of the emerging bee frame from the egg - laying and brood - rearing colony placed in the hive box of the queenless honey - collecting colony, remove it from the lower - tier hive box of the queenless honey - collecting colony and transfer it to the upper - tier hive box to make it a honey - collecting frame. Step 6. When honey has accumulated and matured in the top - most hive box of the queenless honey - collecting colony, remove the comb board from the top - most hive box for honey collection. After honey collection, the comb board is sorted and returned to the original hive box. After honey collection, for a two - tier hive box, place it in the upper tier, for a three - tier hive box, place it in the second tier, and place the original second - tier hive box in the top - most position. Step 7. Repeat Steps 4 to 6 above. The above is the invention of the method according to Claim 2 of the method for swarm control and honey - volume doubling beekeeping according to the present invention.

[0055] The invention of the method according to Claim 2 of the method for swarm control and honey - volume doubling beekeeping according to the present invention is characterized in that, in addition to Claim 1, a two - tier egg - laying and brood - rearing colony - specific hive box is used for the hive box of the egg - laying and brood - rearing colony. (For the two - tier egg - laying and brood - rearing colony - specific hive box: refer to Figure 3.) Also, the invention of the method according to Claim 2 of the method for swarm control and honey - volume doubling beekeeping according to the present invention is characterized in that, in addition to Claim 1, the hive box of the queenless honey - collecting colony is made into a multi - tier stack of two or three tiers.

[0056] The invention of the method according to claim 2 of the method for swarm control and honey volume doubling beekeeping according to the present invention is to deliberately make the egg-laying and brood-rearing group into a two-stage group (a two-stage hive body), and install a queen excluder (a plate of the entrance and exit frame through which the queen bee cannot pass) between them, and let the queen bee lay eggs only in the lower hive body, and move the capped brood frame (the hive frame in a state where the bee larvae turn into pupae and lids are placed on each honeycomb cell), which is about to become the emerging brood frame, to the upper part, and after waiting for several days until there are no young larvae forming queen cells, it is intended to move the hive frame to the honey collection group without brood.

[0057] The "step of the hive body of the egg-laying and brood-rearing group" described in claim 2 will be explained.

[0058] In step 1, the hive body of the egg-laying and brood-rearing group is a two-stage hive body consisting of an upper and a lower part, and a queen excluder is installed between the lower hive body and the upper hive body. The upper hive body can be a super without a hive entrance or the like and is sealed, and since the super has no bottom plate, the brood bees can enter and exit from the lower hive body. As described in step 2, the queen bee isolated in the lower hive body by the queen excluder is made to lay eggs only in the lower hive body, and it is a mechanism to make as many brood frames as possible.

[0059] Then, as described in step 3, when the brood frame formed in the lower hive body becomes a capped brood frame (the hive frame in a state where the bee larvae turn into pupae and lids are placed on each honeycomb cell) before becoming the emerging brood frame, it is moved to the upper hive body. This upper hive body is called a super for capped brood rearing (see Figure 3). In step 4, as many new hive boards as the number of the transferred capped brood frames are added to the lower hive body of the egg-laying and brood-rearing group. The lower hive body, as described in claim 1, controls swarming by appropriately maintaining the space for brood bees and the bee density, and maintains a state of sufficiently ensuring the egg-laying space for the queen bee. And the brood bees are made to concentrate on brood rearing.

[0060] In step 5, when the brood frame in the upper hive body becomes the emerging brood frame, or when one week has passed since the brood frame was moved to the upper part, the emerging brood frame is taken out, and if there is a queen cell in the emerging brood frame, the queen cell is removed and moved to the hive body of the honey collection group without brood.

[0061] Here, for the invention of the method according to claim 2 of the method for swarm control and honey volume doubling beekeeping according to the present invention, the reasons and effects of using a two-stage egg-laying and brood-rearing colony hive box, and in step 5, the reasons and effects of moving to the hive box of the bee-less honey-gathering colony when the frontal bee brood frame in the upper hive box becomes the emerging bee brood frame, or one week after moving the frontal bee brood frame to the upper part, will be explained.

[0062] When supplying the emerging bee brood frame from the hive box of the egg-laying and brood-rearing colony to the hive box of the bee-less honey-gathering colony, there may be a small number of eggs or young larvae in the cells of the comb plate and comb frame. This is because not all the bee larvae in the numerous cells in the emerging bee brood frame will emerge as emerging bees at the same time. If there are a few eggs or young larvae (queen bee candidates) in the emerging bee brood frame to be supplied, queen cells may be formed in the bee-less honey-gathering colony at the receiving end. This is because there is no queen bee in the bee-less honey-gathering colony, so it tries to produce a queen bee. This will occur even if there is queen bee pheromone in the bee-less honey-gathering colony. If a queen bee is generated in the bee-less honey-gathering colony, as already described, it will start laying eggs rapidly, and egg-laying and brood-rearing will start, resulting in a major failure. Therefore, the queen cells must be checked for several days after moving the emerging bee brood frame to the hive box of the bee-less honey-gathering colony. In order to avoid this troublesome work, it is necessary to completely remove the queen cells in the emerging bee brood frame in advance. There are inventions according to claims 2 and 3 that use a two-stage egg-laying and brood-rearing colony hive box for this purpose.

[0063] The honeycomb board that is likely to become the brood frame of the egg-laying and rearing colony's hive box is raised to the upper part partitioned by a queen excluder using a two-tier egg-laying and rearing colony hive box and stored until it becomes a brood frame or for one week. The purpose is to make sure that there are no young larvae or eggs (queen bee candidates) that can form queen cells when moving to a honey-gathering colony without brood. Even when referring to a brood frame, usually there are a few eggs immediately after laying or newly hatched young larvae. If these are directly taken to a honey-gathering colony without brood, queen cells will be formed there. As in the invention of the method described in claim 1, when moving a brood frame into a honey-gathering colony without brood, the task of thoroughly discovering and removing the presence of any young larvae or eggs that can form queen cells is a very careful task and a complicated task that requires time and concentration.

[0064] Bee eggs hatch in 3 days after being laid, and the larvae until the 3rd day after that can become queen bees. Therefore, by storing in the hive box (super for raising capped brood) above the queen excluder for about 6 days to one week and making it into a brood frame, a brood frame in a state where queen cells cannot be formed can be obtained. Of course, the upper hive box above the queen excluder is controlled to have 2 to 3 or fewer honeycomb boards, so that the presence of young larvae or eggs that can form queen cells and the presence of queen cells can be easily and surely discovered and completely removed, which has a great working effect. And this leads to never generating a queen bee in the honey-gathering colony without brood.

[0065] Next, the "step of the hive box of the honey-gathering colony without brood" of the invention of the method described in claim 2 will be explained.

[0066] "Step of the hive box of the honey-gathering colony without brood" In step 1, arrange the interval between the comb boards in the honey storage section inside the hive box of the queenless honey - gathering colony to be approximately 12 mm to 15 mm, which is the honey storage interval. In step 2, make the hive box of the queenless honey - gathering colony into two or three tiers vertically. In step 3, install a queen - isolating cage or a king cage that isolates the queen bee, or queen bee pheromone, inside the hive box of the queenless honey - gathering colony and / or between the upper and lower hive boxes. Then in step 4, starting from the hive box of the egg - laying and brood - rearing colony, increase the emerging brood frames moved from the hive box of the egg - laying and brood - rearing colony according to step 5 of the hive box of the egg - laying and brood - rearing colony, starting from the lower - tier hive box of the queenless honey - gathering colony, increasing the queenless honey - gathering colony, and making it concentrate on honey collection.

[0067] Steps 1 to 3 are the same as the steps described in claim 1. However, the method according to claim 2 of the method for swarm control and honey volume doubling beekeeping according to the present invention is also characterized in that the hive box of the queenless honey - gathering colony is made into two or three tiers vertically.

[0068] That is, as in step 4, it is intended to increase the emerging brood frames moved from the hive box of the egg - laying and brood - rearing colony starting from the lower - tier hive box of the queenless honey - gathering colony, increasing the queenless honey - gathering colony, and making it concentrate on honey collection in the upper - tier hive box. The comb board interval of the comb boards in the honey storage section, which is a hive box suitable for honey collection, is about 12 mm to 15 mm. Consideration is given to ensuring that the upper - tier hive box can maintain its honey storage space to the maximum extent. This is because honey - collecting bees have the habit of storing honey from the upper - tier hive box. The emerging brood frames (comb boards) moved from the egg - laying and brood - rearing colony cannot be used as honey storage space until all the pupae have emerged from the cells. Therefore, if placed in the upper - tier hive box, they will take up the honey storage space and reduce the honey storage efficiency.

[0069] In step 5, when the emerging brood frames moved from the egg - laying and brood - rearing colony placed in the hive box of the queenless honey - gathering colony have all the young bees emerged from the cells, remove them from the lower - tier hive box of the queenless honey - gathering colony and transfer them to the upper - tier hive box to make them into honey - collection frames. Of course, keep the comb board interval of the comb boards in the honey storage section suitable for honey collection at about 12 mm to 15 mm.

[0070] In Step 6, when honey has accumulated and ripened in the upper hive body of the honey collection group without brood, the comb frames of the upper hive body are removed for honey collection. The comb frames after honey collection are sorted and processed as previously described and then returned to the original hive body. After honey collection, in the case of a two-story hive, it is placed in the upper part, in the case of a three-story hive, it is placed in the second layer, and the original second-layer hive body is placed in the topmost layer. This is also a method considering workability so that beekeepers who store honey in the upper hive body can sequentially collect honey from the topmost honey collection hive body, because honeybees have the habit of storing honey from the upper hive body.

[0071] Some beekeepers have to handle dozens to hundreds of hive bodies, so it has a great advantage to simplify and facilitate operations such as honey collection during the busy period. Improving the work efficiency of beekeepers is also an object and purpose of the present invention, so the effect is significant.

[0072] Then in Step 7, Steps 5 to 6 are repeated.

[0073] As previously described, the invention of the method for swarm control and honey volume doubling beekeeping according to the present invention, which manages the hive bodies of the egg-laying and brood-rearing group and the hive bodies of the honey collection group without brood in two types as claimed in Claims 1 and 2, specifically means that each type of hive body group of the two types is not mixed, overlapped, or adhered closely, but is arranged adjacent to each other, and the honeybee colony is reared with one set of the hive bodies of the egg-laying and brood-rearing group and the hive bodies of the honey collection group without brood. That is, in the invention of the method for swarm control and honey volume doubling beekeeping according to the present invention as claimed in Claims 1 and 2, when the honeybee colonies in both the hive bodies of the egg-laying and brood-rearing group and the hive bodies of the honey collection group without brood increase and become excessive by repeating the above steps, a separate hive body is assembled, and one set of the hive bodies of the egg-laying and brood-rearing group and the hive bodies of the honey collection group without brood can be increased to two sets or three sets. The method of rearing each set is the same.

[0074] Incidentally, it should be noted that the honey-gathering colony will disband after the end of the honey-flow period. It becomes possible to create new colonies by dividing it into several parts and installing queen cells or introducing queen bees prepared in a mating box, etc. Also, if a new comb foundation frame is placed in a honey-gathering colony with a very large number of bees and no brood, a semi-filled comb foundation frame can be formed in a short time, so it can also be used as a new bee colony. Thus, the scope of the present invention also expands for its subsequent development and utilization.

[0075] (Claim 3) The invention according to claim 3 of the method for swarm control and honey volume doubling beekeeping according to the present invention is A beekeeping method for swarm control and honey volume doubling for breeding a bee colony by dividing it into two types: a brood box for egg-laying and brood-rearing and a honey-gathering box without brood, and increasing the honey collection amount while suppressing swarming by combining the two types. The brood box for egg-laying and brood-rearing used in the method according to claim 2, and the number of comb boards in the brood box is suppressed to 50% to 80% of a full board, preferably in a single box of a Langstroth-type brood box for 10 combs or a brood box of the same scale, and the space between the comb boards and between the comb board and the inner wall of the brood box is accurately ensured to be a certain distance of about 6.5 mm to 9.5 mm, which is the necessary space for bees. The brood box for egg-laying and brood-rearing in this state is used as the lower stage, and the upper brood box is used as a super for rearing capped brood without a hive entrance. In order to isolate the queen bee in the lower brood box of the egg-laying and brood-rearing colony, a queen excluder, which is a narrow entrance and exit frame through which only the queen bee cannot pass, is installed between the brood box of the egg-laying and brood-rearing colony and the super for rearing capped brood. It is an invention of a two-stage brood box for an egg-laying and brood-rearing colony for a method of swarm control and honey volume doubling beekeeping, characterized by this.

[0076] Although already described in the "step of the brood box of the egg-laying and brood-rearing colony" of the invention according to claim 2, the invention according to claim 3 of the method for swarm control and honey volume doubling beekeeping according to the present invention is an invention of a two-stage brood box for an egg-laying and brood-rearing colony, which deliberately makes the egg-laying and brood-rearing colony into a two-stage colony (two-stage brood box), installs a queen excluder between them, allows egg-laying only in the lower brood box, moves the capped brood frame, which is a little before becoming a brood frame with emerging bees, to the upper stage, and waits until there are no young larvae that will form queen cells after 6 to 7 days have passed, and then moves the comb frame to a honey-gathering colony without brood. (See Figure 3)

[0077] In beekeeping, it is a well-known technique to use a queen excluder to isolate the queen bee. However, the two-story egg-laying and brood-rearing colony hive according to the invention of claim 3 of the method for swarm control and honey yield doubling beekeeping according to the present invention has, as described in claim 2, a two-story structure and a structure inside the breeding box that are essential for implementing the invention of the method for swarm control and honey yield doubling beekeeping described in claim 2 of the special-purpose method and achieving its purpose.

[0078] The lower-layer egg-laying and brood-rearing colony hive suppresses the number of comb frames in the hive to 50% to 80% of a full set, preferably suppressing it to 50% to 80% of a full set in a single box of a Langstroth hive for 10 frames or a hive of the same scale, and ensures a proper bee space of about 6.5 mm to 9.5 mm, which is more than a certain amount required by bees, between the comb frames and between the comb frames and the inner wall of the comb hive. The upper layer partitioned by a queen excluder is a two-story stacked hive used as a super for raising capped brood without a hive entrance.

[0079] In the lower-layer egg-laying and brood-rearing colony hive, the importance of ensuring the structure and bee space of the hive properly, the structure and usage method of the upper-layer super for raising capped brood, and the importance of isolating the queen bee in the lower layer with a queen excluder are all as described in the description of the invention of the methods of claims 1 and 2.

[0080] That is, the invention according to claim 3 of the method for swarm control and honey yield doubling beekeeping according to the present invention is a special structure for use in the method for swarm control and honey yield doubling beekeeping described in the description of claim 2, and it is the invention of a two-story egg-laying and brood-rearing colony hive specialized for the method for swarm control and honey yield doubling beekeeping according to the present invention.

[0081] As described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made and implemented without departing from the gist of the present invention. All suitable forms according to their uses are included in the technical idea of the present invention. And it is claimed that all equivalent methods using the prior art are also included in the technical idea of the present invention.

Effects of the Invention

[0082] In the implementation test of the inventions according to Claims 1 and 2 of the method for swarm control and honey volume doubling beekeeping according to the present invention, in the brood box of the egg-laying and brooding colony, several queen cells were formed, but no eggs were laid therein, and the generation of new queen bees and swarming did not occur. Also, the queen bee laid eggs well overall and made a brood frame similar to or almost the same as the frontal brood. In addition, there was no swarming at all, and not even a sign of swarming was observed. It is considered that keeping the number of comb boards in the brood box at about 6 to 7 pieces and ensuring sufficient egg-laying space without increasing the size of the bee colony had a direct management effect of suppressing swarming.

[0083] Also, in the brood box of the non-brood honey collection colony, the honey collection ability was strong even after July, and in August, it was full of a large number of honeycomb frames. Comparing the honey collection amounts from April to June between the non-brood honey collection colony and the colonies with the normal beekeeping style, as already described for the honey yield per group, there was a clear difference that the non-brood honey collection colony was about 5 times that of normal honey collection.

[0084] That is, according to the present invention, in the beekeeping industry, it is possible to realize a beekeeping technology that is not complicated, does not require the beekeeper's labor, controls and suppresses swarming, which is the scattering and escape of honeybees, and thereby always ensures a certain number or more of honeybee colonies, and as a result, can collect a large amount of pure honey that is superior to the conventional method, and can widely provide the method and the beekeeping system.

[0085] In addition, in the present invention, in swarm control, while maintaining an appropriate density of the bee colony under the condition that the bee colony does not grow large, ensuring sufficient egg-laying space and maintaining the conditions for controlling swarming, and in honey collection, it is possible to provide a beekeeping method that can ensure sufficient comb boards and comb cell space as a honey storage place for the worker bees, which are the honey-collecting bees of the bee colony, and increase the honey collection amount.

[0086] Also, the present invention can realize breeding beekeeping that maximally utilizes and makes use of the natural habits of honeybees without using machines or power.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0087]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0088] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, the scope necessary for the description for achieving the object of the present invention is schematically shown, and mainly the scope necessary for the description of the corresponding part of the present invention will be described, and the parts where the description is omitted shall be based on known techniques.

[0089] FIG. 1 is a perspective conceptual diagram showing the overall image of a general beehive (breeding box). As shown in the figure, the comb plate or comb frame or foundation frame inserted into the beehive 1 for bees is generally composed of a comb plate 2, a comb frame 3, and a foundation 4. The comb plate 2 may also be referred to as the comb plate 2 including the comb frame 3, the foundation 4, and the made beehive cells. The comb frame 3 is a frame of a plate that covers the outer periphery. The foundation 4 is a thin plate made of beeswax (worker bees secrete beeswax to construct a comb plate (a beehive with formed cells)) with a honeycomb-shaped (hexagonal) engraving to make it easier for bees to make cells, and there is also a plastic one. The honeycomb-shaped size of the foundation 4 ranges from a small one for female bee larvae to a slightly larger one for male bee larvae. The comb frame 3 provided with the foundation 4 is also called a foundation frame.

[0090] As shown in Fig. 1, generally, the comb plate 2, or the comb frame 3, or the foundation frame has a depth dimension within the inner depth dimension of the hive box 1, a lateral dimension within the inner lateral dimension of the hive box 1, and a width dimension such that about 10 of them can fit within the inner length dimension of the hive box 1. The hive entrance 5 is the entrance and exit for bees, and except for the hive entrance 5, the inside of the hive box is sealed. The configuration of a single box of a general Langstroth-type hive box is also as shown in Fig. 1.

[0091] The perspective conceptual diagram showing the overall image of the general bee hive box (breeding box) shown in Fig. 1 is the form of the hive box basically used in one embodiment of the invention of the method described in claims 1 and 2 and the invention described in claim 3 of the present invention.

[0092] Fig. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the overall image and breeding method of the hive box for the egg-laying and brood-rearing group and the hive box for the bee-less honey-gathering group according to one embodiment of the invention of the method described in claim 1 of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the hive box 6 for the egg-laying and brood-rearing group is arranged, for example, on both the left and right sides, and the hive box 7 for the bee-less honey-gathering group is arranged, for example, in two tiers in the center. The top surface of each hive box is usually sealed with a lid, but it is not drawn in Fig. 2 for the purpose of explanation.

[0093] As will be described later, between the upper box and the lower box of the hive box 7 for the bee-less honey-gathering group arranged in the center, a queen bee pheromone 10 is installed. Also, near the approximate center of the lower box, a queen excluder cage or a queen cage 9 containing the queen bee is installed. It is sufficient that either the queen bee pheromone 10 or the queen excluder cage or queen cage 9 is installed.

[0094] Next, with reference to Fig. 2, one embodiment of the invention of the method described in claim 1 of the present invention will be described.

[0095] As shown in Fig. 2, one embodiment of the invention of the method according to claim 1 of the present invention is a method of swarm control and honey volume doubling beekeeping for dividing a bee colony into two types, namely, a brood-rearing colony hive 6 and a honey-gathering colony hive 7 without brood, and increasing the honey collection amount while suppressing swarming by combining the two types. The brood-rearing colony hive 6 and the honey-gathering colony hive 7 without brood are subjected to the method of swarm control and honey volume doubling beekeeping by the breeding method shown in the following steps.

[0096] "Steps of the brood-rearing colony hive 6 shown in Fig. 2" Step 1. In the brood-rearing colony hive 6, the number of comb plates 2 in the hive is suppressed to 50% to 80% of a full plate, preferably in a single box of a Langstroth-type hive for 10 combs or a hive of the same scale as shown in Fig. 2, and is suppressed to 50% to 80% of a full plate. The comb plates 2 are arranged in such a manner that the distance between each other and the distance from the inner wall of the hive are the bee space, and a certain comb plate interval of about 6.5 mm to 9.5 mm required by bees is accurately ensured. This is to create as many brood frames as possible. And it is to limit the swarming preparation by maintaining an appropriate bee colony density. Step 2. When the brood frame formed in Step 1 becomes the emerging brood frame 8, as shown by arrows A and B in Fig. 2, the emerging brood frame 8 is extracted and moved to the lower box of the honey-gathering colony hive 7 without brood. Here, if there is a queen cell (queen bee cell) in the emerging brood frame 8, it is removed before moving it to the honey-gathering colony hive 7 without brood. This is because when there is a queen cell and it is moved to the honey-gathering colony hive 7 without brood, the queen bee will emerge and start laying eggs. Step 3. After Step 2, new comb plates are added to and replenished in the brood-rearing colony hive in the number corresponding to the number of the extracted emerging brood frames 8. Step 4. Repeat from Step 2 to Step 3.

[0097] As shown in Fig. 2, in the hive box 6 of the egg-laying and brood-rearing group, since the queen bee repeats egg-laying, the worker bee group will concentrate on brood-rearing. That is, a large number of honeybee larvae are reared on both sides of the comb plate 2, turn into pupae, and eventually become the emerging brood frame 8 just before the cells are capped and the adults emerge. Also, in the hive box 6 of the egg-laying and brood-rearing group, the number of comb plates 2 is suppressed to 50% to 80% of the full plate as shown in Fig. 2, and new comb plates 2 are replenished by the number of comb plates 2 of the extracted emerging brood frame 8. Therefore, the density of the bee group in the breeding box does not become overcrowded and is kept appropriate. Thus, swarming that creates a new queen bee and forms a new bee group and heads to another new hive box is not initiated.

[0098] "Steps of the Hive Box of the Worker Bee Colony without Brood for Honey Collection" shown in Fig. 2 Step 1. Arrange the comb plate 2, which is the honey storage part inside the upper box of the hive box 7 of the worker bee colony without brood, at a honey storage interval of about 12 mm to 15 mm. Step 2. Install a queen bee isolation cage or a queen cage 9 that isolates the queen bee, or queen bee pheromone 10 inside the hive box 7 of the worker bee colony without brood. Step 3. Increase the emerging brood frame 8 moved from the hive box 6 of the egg-laying and brood-rearing group according to the repetition of step 2 of the hive box 6 of the egg-laying and brood-rearing group, increase the worker bee colony without brood, and especially let it concentrate on honey collection in the upper box. In the lower box of the hive box 7 of the worker bee colony without brood, in order to insert the emerging brood frame 8, the emerging brood will become adult worker bees. These worker bees will become honey-collecting bees and actively collect and store honey in the upper box where the cells are open. Step 4. When honey accumulates on the comb plate 2 in the upper box of the hive box 7 of the worker bee colony without brood and matures, extract the comb plate 2 for honey collection. After honey collection, the comb plate 2 is sorted and returned to the original hive box 7 of the worker bee colony without brood. The content and meaning of the sorting process have been described above. Step 5. Repeat steps 3 to 4.

[0099] As shown in Fig. 2, in the upper box of the hive box 7 of the honeybee colony without brood, since only worker bees specialized in honey collection are present, the honey collection amount doubles. That is, worker bees that can confirm the presence of the queen bee by the pheromone of the queen bee in the queen excluder cage or queen cage 9 or the queen bee pheromone 10 do not need to produce a queen bee, so their ovipositors do not develop and they concentrate on honey collection. Similarly, since there is no egg laying in the cells by the queen bee, they do not become nurse bees and concentrate on honey collection.

[0100] Fig. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing the hive box of the egg-laying and brood-rearing colony according to one embodiment of the invention of the method described in claim 2 of the present invention and the invention described in claim 3. This figure shows an example of the hive box of the egg-laying and brood-rearing colony used in the method described in claim 2, which is a method for controlling swarming and doubling the honey volume by breeding the honeybee colonies of the present invention in two types of hive boxes, namely the hive box of the egg-laying and brood-rearing colony and the hive box of the honeybee colony without brood, and increasing the honey collection amount while suppressing swarming by combining the two types.

[0101] As shown in Fig. 3, the entire hive box of the egg-laying and brood-rearing colony is a two-stage type hive box 11 for the egg-laying and brood-rearing colony with a two-stage structure. The lower hive box is the hive box 13 of the egg-laying and brood-rearing colony. The upper hive box is used as a super 12 for raising capped brood.

[0102] As shown in Fig. 3, in the lower hive box 13 of the egg-laying and brood-rearing colony, the number of comb plates 2 in the hive box is suppressed to 50% to 80% of a full plate, preferably in a single box of a Langstroth-type hive box for 10 combs or a hive box of the same scale, and the interval between the comb plates, which is the bee space, is accurately ensured to be about 6.5 mm to 9.5 mm, which is more than a certain amount required by the bees.

[0103] As shown in Fig. 3, the upper hive box is a super 12 for raising capped brood without a hive entrance, forming a two-stage stacked hive box of the invention of the method described in claim 2. And in order to isolate the queen bee in the lower hive box of the egg-laying and brood-rearing colony, a queen excluder 14, which is a width entrance and exit frame through which only the queen bee cannot pass, is installed between the hive box 13 of the egg-laying and brood-rearing colony and the super 12 for raising capped brood.

[0104] As shown in FIG. 3, in the hive box 13 of the lower egg-laying and brood-rearing group, the queen bee lays eggs actively, and the brood-rearing bee group raises bee larvae. Then, when the inside of the honeycomb cell becomes a pupa and a lid is placed on the honeycomb cell, the honeycomb board 2 is moved to the upper queenless capped brood-rearing super 12. Since there is no queen bee in this queenless capped brood-rearing super 12, the honeycomb board becomes only the capped brood honeycomb board 15 which is a honeycomb board with only capped brood, and the brood-rearing bees are not involved because the honeycomb cells are covered. Therefore, the beekeeper can move the capped brood honeycomb board 15 to the hive box 7 of the honey-gathering group without bees after easily observing the capped brood honeycomb board 15 and sufficiently confirming the presence or absence of queen cells that will become queen bees. That is, the workability is extremely improved. The two-stage egg-laying and brood-rearing group hive box 11 composed of the hive box 13 of this egg-laying and brood-rearing group and the queenless capped brood-rearing super 12 is the invention described in claim 3.

[0105] As described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made and implemented without departing from the gist of the present invention. All suitable forms according to their uses are included in the technical idea of the present invention. And it is repeatedly described that all equivalent methods using the prior art are also included in the technical idea of the present invention.

Industrial Applicability

[0106] As described above, according to the invention according to the present application, it is possible to realize an apiculture technology for controlling and suppressing swarming, which is a scattered escape of bees, without being complicated and without exerting the labor of beekeepers, and thereby always ensuring a certain number or more of bee colonies, and as a result, being able to collect a large amount of pure honey, and it is possible to widely provide the method and the beekeeping system to the beekeeping industry.

[0107] In addition, since the present invention can realize breeding beekeeping that performs the above without using machines or power and by maximizing the utilization and activation of the natural habits of bees, it is possible to significantly improve safety and workability while also significantly improving economic efficiency, and realize an improvement in beekeeping technology and honey collection amount.

[0108] Therefore, the present invention is applicable and can be utilized not only in the beekeeping industry but also for all applications related to the commercialization of honey. Thus, this application brings great benefits to various industries related to honey products.

Explanation of Signs

[0109] 1 Hive box (bee breeding box, rearing box) 2 Comb plate 3 Comb frame 4 Comb foundation 5 Entrance 6 Hive box for egg-laying and brood-rearing group 7 Hive box for honey collection group without brood 8 Frame for emerging brood 9 Queen excluder or queen cage 10 Queen bee pheromone 11 Hive box for two-stage egg-laying and brood-rearing group 12 Super for rearing capped brood 13 Hive box for egg-laying and brood-rearing group 14 Queen excluder 15 Capped brood comb plate (comb plate or comb frame with capped cells of bee pupae)

Claims

1. This method of beekeeping involves dividing and rearing honeybee colonies into two types: hives for egg-laying / nursing colonies (honeybees consisting of egg-laying queen bees and worker bees that specialize in child rearing) and hives for broodless honey-collecting colonies (honeybees in a state where there are no larvae, i.e., worker bees who are child-care bees are released from child-care work and many worker bees participate in honey-collecting work), and combining the two types to suppress swarming and increase honey yields.This method of beekeeping involves controlling swarming and doubling honey yields by using the rearing method (raising method) shown in the following steps for each of the hives for the egg-laying / nursing colonies and the hives for the broodless honey-collecting colonies. "Steps in the nest box for egg-laying and child-rearing groups" Step 1. In hives for egg-laying / raising colonies, the number of combs (combining combs, frames and foundation frames are referred to as combs) in the hive is limited to 50% to 80% of the full number of combs, preferably to 50% to 80% of the full number of combs in a single Langstroth-type hive for 10 combs or a hive of the same size, ensuring a comb spacing of approximately 6.5 mm to 9.5 mm between combs and between the inner walls of the combs, which is the bee space required by the bees, and allowing as many comb frames as possible to be created (combined comb frames are combs and frames in the hive with combs filled with brood cells on both sides). Step 2. When the brood frame created in step 1 becomes a brood frame (a brood frame is a comb board and frame just before the brood emerges), the brood frame is removed, and if there is a queen cell (a queen bee's cell) in the brood frame, the queen cell is removed and the frame is moved to a hive with a brood-free honey-gathering group. Step 3. After step 2, new honeycomb boards are added to the brood box of the egg-laying / nursing colony in the number equal to the number of brood frames removed. Step 4. Steps 2 to 3 are repeated. "Steps in a hive of broodless honey-gathering colonies" Step 1. The spacing between the honeycomb panels in the honey storage area inside the hive of the broodless honey-collecting colony is set to approximately 12 mm to 15 mm, which is the honey storage spacing. Step 2. A queen cage or king cage in which the queen bee is isolated, or a queen bee pheromone is placed in the hive of the broodless honey-collecting colony. Step 3. The number of brood slots moved from the egg-laying / nursing hive is increased by repeating step 2 of the egg-laying / nursing hive, and the number of broodless honey-collecting groups is increased and they are allowed to concentrate on honey harvesting. Step 4. Honey accumulates in the honeycomb panels in the hives of the broodless honey-collecting colony, and when the honey matures, the honeycomb panels are removed and the honey is harvested. After the honey harvesting is completed, the honeycomb panels are sorted and returned to the original hive of the broodless honey harvesting colony. Step 5. Steps 3 and 4 are repeated.

2. This is a method of beekeeping that controls swarming and doubles honey yield by dividing honeybee colonies into two types of hives, namely, hives for egg-laying / nursing colonies and hives for larval honey-collecting colonies, and combining the two types to suppress swarming and increase honey yields.The method of beekeeping that controls swarming and doubles honey yields is carried out by using the rearing method shown in the following steps for each of the hives for egg-laying / nursing colonies and the hives for larval honey-collecting colonies. "Steps in the nest box for egg-laying and child-rearing groups" Step 1. The hives for egg-laying / rearing colonies should be two-tiered, with a queen separator (a board which is an entrance and exit frame too narrow for only the queen bee to pass through) installed between the lower and upper tiered hives (which are airtight extension boxes with no bottom boards). Step 2. In the lower hives of the egg-laying / raising group, the number of combs in the hive is limited to 50% to 80% of the full number of combs, preferably to 50% to 80% of the full number of combs in a single 10-comb Langstroth type hive or a hive of the same size, ensuring a certain comb spacing of about 6.5 mm to 9.5 mm required by the bees as the bee space between combs and between the combs and the inner walls of the hive, and allowing the queen bee to lay eggs only in the lower hives to produce as many nominal value brood frames as possible. Step 3. The face value brood frames of the lower hives are moved to the upper hives when they become capped brood frames (comb boards and frames in which the bee larvae have pupated and each cell has been capped) before they become brood frames. Step 4. After step 3, new combs are added to the lower level hive of the egg-laying / raising group in the same number as the number of the brood frames that have been moved. Step 5. When the par value brood frame in the upper hive becomes an emergent brood frame, or one week has passed since the par value brood frame was moved to the upper hive, the emergent brood frame is removed, and if there is a queen cell in the emergent brood frame, the queen cell is removed and the frame is moved to a hive with a brood-free honey-gathering colony. Step 6. Steps 3 to 5 are repeated. "Steps in a hive of broodless honey-gathering colonies" Step 1. The spacing between the honeycomb panels in the honey storage area inside the hive for broodless honey-collecting colonies is set to approximately 12 mm to 15 mm (honey storage spacing). Step 2. The hives for the broodless honey-collecting groups are arranged in two or three layers. Step 3. A queen cage or king cage is placed in which the queen bee is isolated, or a queen bee pheromone is placed in the hive of the broodless honey-collecting colony and / or between the upper and lower hives. Step 4. The brood slots moved from the hive of the egg-laying / nursing group are increased from the lower hive of the broodless honey-collecting group according to step 5 of the egg-laying / nursing group hive, thereby increasing the number of the broodless honey-collecting group and allowing them to concentrate on honey collection. Step 5. The brood frames from the egg-laying / nursing group placed in the hive of the brood-free honey-collecting group are removed from the lower hive of the brood-free honey-collecting group when the young bees have finished leaving the cells, and moved to the upper hive to be used as honey-collecting frames. Step 6. When honey accumulates in the top hive of the broodless honey-harvesting colony and matures, the honeycomb panels of the top hive are removed and the honey is harvested. After honey harvesting, the honeycomb panels are sorted and returned to the original hive. After honey is harvested, the hive is placed on the top level if it is a two-level hive, or on the second level if it is a three-level hive, and the original second level hive is placed on the top level. Step 7. Steps 4 to 6 are repeated.

3. A method for controlling swarming and doubling honey yield by combining two types of bee colonies, one for laying and nursing bees and one for broodless bee colonies, in order to suppress swarming and increase honey yield by combining two types of bee colonies. The number of honeycomb boards in the hive is limited to 50% to 80% of the full number of honeycomb boards, preferably 50% to 80% of the full number of honeycomb boards in a single Langstroth-type hive for 10 honeycomb boards or a hive of the same size, and the honeycomb board spacing between the honeycomb boards and the inner walls of the hive is a certain amount of honeycomb board spacing between about 6.5 mm to 9.5 mm that is required by the bees. The lower level is a hive for egg-laying and rearing groups, and the upper level is a successor hive without a nest entrance for rearing the brood of capitate bees. In order to isolate the queen bee in the lower hive of the egg-laying / nursing group, a queen partition, which is an entrance and exit frame of a width that only the queen bee cannot pass through, is installed between the hive of the egg-laying / nursing group and the extension box for raising the larvae of the lid bee. A two-tiered egg-laying / nursing hive for a method of swarm control and honey doubling, characterized by the above features.

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