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26.05.2016
Do people often think about the benefits of bees?
Many associate them with honey and other beekeeping products, which are used for various purposes: in the treatment of diseases, cooking, cosmetics, just in food or as a dietary supplement.
Of all the insects living on the planet, the bee is one of the most beneficial to humans. The hard worker bee not only gives medicinal and unique in its composition products, but also pollinates plants, contributing to the continuation of life on Earth.
All beekeeping products are natural antibiotics. They, unlike pharmaceuticals that destroy pathogenic and beneficial microflora with the same force, act selectively, preventing the growth and development of harmful microorganisms. A bee in the process of life produces the following substances: honey, bee bread, royal jelly, propolis, wax, bee venom. Even a dead bee has a number of medicinal properties. Medicinal tinctures are made from the bee plague. Thus, bees benefit humans by producing all these medicinal products.
But not every person knows about another value of honey insects in nature.
On planet Earth, the life of bees and flower plants is closely intertwined. Flowers supply the bees with nectar and pollen, and they pollinate them in return. It is estimated that the benefits of bee pollination of entomophilous plants are many times greater than the cost of all honey harvested worldwide.
Pollination requires more than 200 thousand species of our flora. First of all, these are those that cannot bear fruit and produce seeds without insects.
Entomophilic crops are the main source of vitamins and minerals. They provide 98% of people's need for vitamin C; more than 70% - in lipids, as well as most of the needs for vitamins E, K, A and B.
These products also meet our calcium needs - by 58%; fluorine - by 62%; iron - by 29%, and many other elements.
It must be said that these crops provide people with 35% of all world agricultural production. Thanks to the pollination work of honey bees, the yield of many crops increases: buckwheat and sunflower - by 50%; watermelons, melons and pumpkins - 100%; and fruit trees and shrubs - 10 times. And this is not a complete list of the benefits of bees.
This means that thousands of tons of vegetables, fruits and seeds are obtained by people from bees.
From pollination by bees, the quality of seeds also improves, the size, juiciness and taste of the fruits increase. The benefits that bees bring from pollination of crops are 10-15 times higher than direct income from beekeeping.
Scientists estimate that the contribution of bees to the world economy, as plant pollinators, becomes about $ 160 billion annually. In the European Union, it was estimated at 15 billion. All this is tens of times higher than the cost of honey and all beekeeping products combined.
But the trouble is that people easily calculate the cost of honey and all beekeeping products on the world market. And the benefits that bees bring from plant pollination are not visible at first glance. We buy vegetables, fruits and other agricultural products, eat them - and we easily forget that only thanks to bees they got to our table.
Thanks to the bee, man developed agricultural activities. Even the most modern technology cannot replace them and do the job so delicately.
The benefits of bees are obvious. Man cannot survive without these hardworking insects. The bee works daily, dying in flight.
Unfortunately, according to official statistics, over half of the bee species have disappeared over the past 100 years. And today all over the world there is a threat of extinction of honey insects. In many countries, the number of bee colonies is decreasing. The reasons for this phenomenon: uncontrolled use of pesticides, pesticides, selection work to create self-pollinating and genetically modified plants and crops.
Despite the fact that in our time in many countries, in particular in Germany and the USA, there are programs to support beekeeping as one of the most effective ways to increase plant productivity, more and more people hear about the collapse of bee colonies. Bees are dying in droves. And already now, Chinese farmers have already experienced for themselves that pollination of plants without bees is almost a feat.
Although the problem exists worldwide, it has become particularly acute in the Maoxian mountainous district of China's Sichuan province, where all wild bees have become extinct and farmers are forced to manually pollinate apple orchards.
Pollination of apple trees in Maoxian must be completed within five days, otherwise the trees will not bear fruit. Now every year thousands of residents come to the gardens to do this hard work.
Using homemade pollination devices made from chicken feathers or cigarette filters dipped in plastic bottles filled with pollen, one person can pollinate 5-10 trees a day. Children are also involved in the process. They climb trees to reach higher branches.
The challenges facing farmers in Maoxian provide insight into what could happen globally.
Further extinction of honey insects will lead to a deterioration in global food security around the world. More than 20 thousand species of flowering plants will disappear from the Earth, which will undermine the foundations of Earth's ecosystems. And 4 years after the complete disappearance of this beneficial insect, according to scientists, humanity will die from hunger and lack of oxygen.
Therefore, let's take care of bees, the benefits of which are invaluable to humans.
Bees play an important role in maintaining a balance between other species and in their environment. In the case of interconnection of bees with humans, these small insects are responsible for.
Why do people need bees?
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One recent study shows that only 2% of wild bees pollinate 80%. This means that if this small percentage of bees disappear, 80 percent of our crop will die.
70 of the 100 most important food crops rely entirely on pollination - equivalent to 90% of the world's food.
It may sound incredible, but with the disappearance of bees, we can say goodbye to, almonds, oranges, etc. Considering that about 850 million people around the world today suffer from food shortages ... Plus, the population is growing all the time, and by 2050 there are supposed to be about 9 billion of us.
We need more and more bees if we want to avoid global food shortages.
Bees and the economy
The issue of food seems to be the most important, but the disappearance of bees will have a significant impact on the economy.
All the same research led scientists to the conclusion that bees bring in about $ 3,250 to the crop production sector per hectare per year. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that today about 1.4 billion hectares of land worldwide are devoted to growing crops.
Accordingly, these small insects contribute an estimated $ 4.2 trillion to the global economy each year. dollars.
The contribution of bees to the ecosystem
Bees are extremely important not only in human life, but also in the functioning of the whole ecosystem. We all know that bees help flowers reproduce through pollination. These plants contribute to the food system by becoming food for birds and insects. If the food source for this part of the ecosystem disappears, the chain will be interrupted.
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(Translation:"I'm hungry. Please grow flowers")
About 80 percent of flowers rely on pollination. If this process stops, we will not only lose the beautiful component of any natural landscape, but also lose food for ourselves, birds, squirrels and other living creatures.
Why are bees at risk?
One of the main threats to which bees are exposed is global warming and changes in the habitat. BUT. Pesticides kill bees more actively.
The Irony of Fate: people spray pesticides in order to, and these chemicals kill the bees that help this crop to exist.
Neonicotinoids are a type of pesticide for bees. They attack the nervous system of insects, which almost always leads to instant death.
But some bees survive - and this option cannot be called lucky: the bees are lost in space and will never return home.
Good news: this type of pesticide is already banned by the European Council and many stores in the US are also emptying their shelves from neonicotinoids in favor of bees.
There is still a long way to go to the day when neonicotinoids will no longer be used on Earth, but the process has already started - this cannot but rejoice.
How can you help?
There are many options for what you can do as part of a bee rescue mission, the simplest are:
- Grow bee-friendly plants
- Support the farmers, i.e. without the use of chemicals
- Spread this information all over the world! Let more and more people learn about the importance of bees in our lives.
Heavy metals in nectaries and anthers of ivan tea in residential areas
Oct, 2013
10
A perennial, cross-pollinated plant sandy sainfoin has a high fodder value, it is well eaten by livestock, and it is an excellent honey plant. Its red-pink flowers are collected in dense, long clusters. Purple streaks are visible at the base of the flower's flag, showing pollinators the path to nectar. According to research by V.K. Pelmenev, L.F. Kharitonova (1986), the flower nectary is located at the bottom of the flower tube.
Oct, 2013
08
International Convention on Biological Diversity
In 1992, in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Russia signed the Convention on Biological Diversity (http: /Avww.un.org/ru3Siary documen / convents / biodiv.htm), and in 1995 ratified it.
The term "biological diversity" is understood as the variability of living organisms, including within the same species. The signing of this international commitment was prompted by the realization “... enduring value biological diversity, as well as ecological, genetic, social, economic, scientific, educational, cultural, recreational and aesthetic value ”.
Sep, 2013
29
Honey bees in danger
I remember the wonderful years of working with bees until 1978, when families grew and developed very rapidly in spring and summer. Sometimes, you come to the apiary after a week's break, and there are a lot of bees in all the hives. And you begin to hastily expand the nests. And they developed this way because there was neither varroatosis nor ascospherosis, and the melliferous flora was then richer and more diverse.
Aug, 2013
30
Seed breeding of Siberian sainfoin
Aug, 2013
21
The main pests of honey bees in the Udmurd Republic
The life of bee colonies is closely related to the environment. Natural predators and pests, as well as other representatives of the fauna, cause significant damage, the knowledge of which will allow identifying optimal measures to combat them and provide a higher profitability of the industry.
Aug, 2013
20
Attention - marten!
The village where the bees stand is small and dying out. The gardens are running wild, overgrown with bird cherry, maple. Foxes, hares, martens appeared. Two years ago I came to my bees at the end of March and saw this picture.
Do people often think about the benefits of bees to nature?
Everyone knows how they are beneficial to people. Many associate them with honey and other beekeeping products, which are used for various purposes: in the treatment of diseases, cooking, cosmetics, just in food or as a dietary supplement.
Every beekeeper has friends who will say that we do not need these products, we do not use them. How then to explain to them what is the use of bees?
Not every person knows about the value of honey insects in nature. But on planet Earth, the life of bees and flower plants is closely related. They cannot exist without each other.
The reasons for this phenomenon: uncontrolled use of pesticides, pesticides, selection work to create self-pollinating and genetically modified plants and agricultural crops. cultures.
Scientists have already believed that the further disappearance of honey insects will lead to a deterioration in global food security around the world.
More than 20 thousand species of flowering plants will disappear from the Earth, which will undermine the foundations of Earth's ecosystems.
So don't forget about the benefits of bees and remember that they are not only honey.
About what will happen when the bees disappear, about the problems that beekeepers are concerned about today, you can watch the film "The Silence of the Bees".
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INFLUENCE OF EXTERNAL TEMPERATURE
The wide range of honeybees is due to the fact that in the process of evolution of their social lifestyle, they have adapted by joint efforts to regulate the microclimate of their nest. Thanks to this, the bee colony is able to live in conditions where the range of annual temperature fluctuations reaches almost 100 ° C. Indeed, the bee colony also withstands external temperatures up to 40-45 ° C and survives when the temperature during the wintering period drops to -50 ° C.
The mechanism of thermoregulation is used by the bee colony to maintain optimal (best) temperature conditions for its life. This mechanism is a chain of complex behavioral acts performed by working individuals of the family. At the same time, they use various methods depending on what needs to be done - increase or decrease the temperature relative to the required optimal temperature.
The negative attitude of bees to overheating of their home is manifested in natural conditions even when choosing places for housing. So, if the swarm is given such an opportunity, then, other things being equal, it will settle in a dwelling protected from prolonged direct exposure to the sun.
However, the choice of a place for housing, due to the limited number of those in a given territory, does not always guarantee the family safety from possible overheating of the nest. Therefore, in the process of evolution, bees have adapted to actively counteract overheating by ventilating the dwelling - creating a directed air flow by flapping their wings.
In addition to ventilation, effective means of lowering the temperature when the nest overheats is the evaporation of water delivered to it by bees, as well as a decrease in the proportion of heat released by adults. The latter is achieved by the fact that most of them leave the dwelling, settling in the form of a swarm cluster under the landing board or under the hive. This cluster usually forms in the afternoon and disappears in the evening, while the bees from the cluster return to the hive.
In bees, as in other cold-blooded (poikilothermic) animals, body temperature largely depends on the ambient temperature. But the presence of such dependence does not mean the equality of these temperatures - bees have an innate ability to regulate their body temperature within certain limits. So, at an external temperature of 9 ° C, the body temperature of a flying bee is 18 ° C, and at an external temperature of 34 ° C, it rises to 35 ° C.
The mechanism of heat production in bees is based on muscle activity. Most of it is secreted by the pectoral muscles.
The body temperature of bees increases significantly with an increase in their physical activity, however, externally immobile bees (for example, forming a winter club) can also experience a rapid rise in chest temperature.
The temperature in the bee nest is kept fairly stable, especially in the brood zone. Here, its upper limit rarely rises above 36 ° C at a relatively high external temperature. So, with an increase in the external temperature from 5 to 27 ° C, the temperature in the zone of bee brood increases on average from 34.5 to 36.3 ° C.
The absolute value and temperature stability depend on the location of the brood. During the spring-summer period of colony development, the highest and most stable temperature occurs in the central zone of the nest, where the brood of different ages is located. Here, the influence of daily fluctuations in external temperature is weak or not at all traced. The average temperature in this zone of the nest is 35 ° C.
The following can be said about the influence of external temperature on the mother liquors. As a rule, natural swarms are located in the peripheral zone of the nest outside or at the border with the brood, which allows the bees to independently regulate the temperature in this zone. Typically, the maximum temperature in natural mother liquors is in the range from 34 to 35.4 ° C. At the same time, the minimum temperature values in mother liquors located on the peripheral parts of the combs, during their development cycle, repeatedly drop to 31-32 ° C, and sometimes even to 28-29 ° C. This explains the delay in the release of individual queens with the simultaneous laying of queen cells.
The range of temperature fluctuations in mother liquors is affected by their location in the nest. Thus, the most stable temperature within 1 ° C is maintained in the mother liquors located in the central part of the nest.
The generalized dependence of the temperature in different zones of the nest in the hive and in the hollow on the influence of external temperature is shown in Fig. 1.
Rice. 1. The influence of external temperature on the temperature in different zones of the hive with bees (according to E.K.Eskov, 1983, 1990)
Short-term small drops in temperature in the bee nest during the active period of the life of the colony cause a rapid rise in the body temperature of the bees. With significant cold snaps during the passive period of life (autumn - winter - spring), an increase in the body temperature of bees is not enough. If they used only this method, they would quickly consume their main energy material - honey and die. The resistance of the colony to prolonged and deep cooling is largely related to the ability of bees to regulate the heat output of the nest by changing its thermal insulation. Even small nighttime cold snaps in the summer-autumn period induce bees in different places of the dwelling to gather in the nest zone with brood and form a club. At the same time, they are most densely grouped in the peripheral, more cooled parts of the interframe spaces, forming with their bodies a kind of heat-insulating shell, which reduces the heat loss of the family. As a result, the further inland the bees are from the surface of the club, the less they will be exposed to the cold. Therefore, the density of the club gradually decreases from the periphery to the center. However, the outer part (crust) of the club is cooled unevenly, which is associated with the peculiarities of the thermal protection of the dwelling and the action of the physical laws of heat transfer. This leads to the heterogeneity of the density of the bee club in its different zones. The most loose is usually the upper part of the club, located directly above its thermal center.
Changes in the density of the winter club and, accordingly, the volume occupied by it is an important mechanism for the regulation of heat losses by bees. In particular, the compaction of the club, undertaken by the bees in response to a cold snap, entails a reduction in heat loss. At the same time, the heat loss of the club is reduced due to a decrease in air exchange between the inner-club space and the environment. A decrease in heat consumption also occurs due to a decrease in thermal radiation from the surface of the club, since the ratio between its surface area and volume decreases.
The peculiarity of the mechanisms of thermoregulation in bees is largely due to the peculiarities of the work of their thermoreceptors. In the bee, heat receptors are also receptors for carbon dioxide, which has an important biological meaning. The fact is that a decrease in the external temperature, causing a thickening of the club, impairs its ventilation. Therefore, the temperature and the concentration of carbon dioxide, which is a metabolic product of bees, increase in it. As a result, the receptor is exposed to the simultaneous action of two factors (carbon dioxide and high temperature), causing a unidirectional reaction in the form of excitation of bees, which leads to a further increase in temperature in the zone of the thermal center. The foregoing explains the reasons for the well-known fact of an abrupt increase in temperature in the center of the nest during sudden cold snaps: the colder it is outside and in the hive, the warmer it is in the club.
Temperature is also an important factor in determining the development of bees and affecting their physiological state. The development of a wide range of human settlement, especially to the northern territories, is associated with the development of a highly perfect system for regulating the temperature regime of the nest in the family. The family spends more energy on this, the more the outside temperature differs from the optimal one. Studies have established that in the summer period a bee colony spends the least amount of energy at an external temperature of 23-28 ° C.
Temperature fluctuations inside the nest have a strong influence on the duration and course of development of worker bees, queens and drones.
It is known that a sealed bee brood at 34-35 ° C develops before hatching within 12 days. But if the temperature in the nest during brood maturation is 30 ° C, then this period will increase by 3-4 days and will be 15-16 days.
The development of queens from the moment of sealing of the mother liquors slows down by an average of almost three days when the temperature drops from 37 to 31 ° C (Fig. 2).
Rice. 2. Influence of temperature on the duration of development of queens from the moment of sealing of the mother liquor (E.K.Eskov, 1992)
At 38 ° C, the development time of the uterus is reduced in relation to that at 34 ° C by about 14 more hours (EK Eskov, 1983). All this the beekeeper needs to know and take into account in his practice.
In natural conditions, bees are exposed to low temperatures during the wintering period. The bees in the lower and lateral parts of the club are especially cooled. Bees endure short-term exposure to negative temperatures (below 0 ° C) due to the fact that hemolymph, which replaces blood for them, and other liquid fractions of the body have the ability to stay for some time, without freezing, in a hypothermic state. Thus, the bees are protected from the effects of low temperatures. With a further decrease in temperature at the so-called point of maximum hypothermia, crystallization of these liquids begins.
The temperature of maximum hypothermia is also strongly influenced by the concentration of carbon dioxide in the nest. So, if, with a strong decrease in external temperatures, the bees gather in a dense club, this will lead to a decrease in its ventilation and an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide, which will cause a decrease in the temperature of maximum hypothermia.
Special studies have established that there is an inverse relationship between the temperature of maximum hypothermia and the lifespan of bees: the lower the crystallization temperature, the less the bee lives. Consequently, the cold protection mechanism allows bees to survive short-term, but rather strong cooling. However, with the onset of normal temperatures, this will affect the decrease in the life expectancy of the bees.
1) it is necessary, if possible, to protect bee colonies from the effects of low temperatures, prompting the bees to group into a very dense club;
2) the longer during wintering the bees will be in a dense club, the less they will live after the spring flight;
3) the optimal way of wintering bees should provide them with maximum protection from the effects of low temperatures.
INFLUENCE OF AIR MOISTURE ON THE LIFE OF A BEE FAMILY
Atmospheric air always contains water vapor, the amount of which is variable and depends on the availability of a source of humidification, temperature and atmospheric pressure. The higher the temperature at normal atmospheric pressure, the more moisture in the air and vice versa. At a constant temperature and pressure in the air, a well-defined amount of water vapor is in equilibrium. Any increase or decrease in air temperature violates this equilibrium, causing, respectively, either the condensation of a part of the water vapor, or its additional saturation with moisture.
There are many indicators for characterizing air humidity, but in practice, the indicator is most often used relative humidity. Relative humidity (%) is understood as the ratio of the amount of water vapor in the air at a given temperature to the amount that is required to completely saturate the air at the same temperature.
During the active period of a family's life, the relative humidity in the bee dwelling depends on a number of factors. Among them are the humidity of the outside air, the moisture content in the feed brought by the bees, the degree of activity of the bees and the amount of brood in the nest.
In summer, the relative humidity in different zones of the bee dwelling ranges from 25 to 100%. Minimum values for relative humidity are typical for periods with low external temperatures, and maximum values for periods with high temperatures and humidity. Therefore, in the daily cycle of fluctuations, the relative humidity in the bee dwelling is usually the highest during the daytime and the lowest at night. This circumstance, in particular, can explain the fact that in one night the nectar brought into the nest can lose up to half of the water contained in it; in the process of ventilation, bees pump “dry” air through the nest at night, which takes out excess moisture from the nectar. The fast dehydration of the nectar is very important for the bees, otherwise it could ferment quickly.
In general, the hive relative humidity may be lower than or higher than the external one. The amount of water vapor in different zones of the nest depends on the level of air exchange between the hive space and the external environment. To increase air exchange, hive roofs are usually equipped with ventilation holes. The need for these holes is demonstrated by the rapid condensation of water vapor in the hive if its upper part is sealed. So, if the top of the hive is tightly covered with plastic wrap, then literally in a few minutes, condensation will begin to form on its inner side. This means that the moisture content of the air at the top of the hive will reach full saturation (100%).
Now let's talk about a very important passive period for a family - wintering.
During this period, the degree of air saturation with water vapor in various zones of the hive occupied by bees and free from them depends on the temperature and humidity of the outside air entering the dwelling, the level of ventilation of the hive and the physiological state of the bees.
The passive period of bees' life is characterized by a high uneven distribution of water vapor in their home. Within wide limits, fluctuations in air humidity are observed in that part of the hive that is not occupied by bees, especially in the area adjacent to the taphole. In this part of the dwelling, including in the interframe spaces, when they are not occupied by bees, the saturation of the air with water vapor changes in accordance with fluctuations in external humidity. The temperature and humidity of the outside air also have a significant effect on the content of water vapor at the wall opposite to the tap hole. The relative humidity in this part of the dwelling during wintering is often maintained at about 100%, that is, at the saturation level.
When the temperature drops, condensation of water vapor occurs, falling out in the form of water or frost. If the ventilation in the hive is organized incorrectly, then condensate can accumulate in large quantities not only on the bottom and back wall, but also on the sections of the frames facing it. At the same time, the wood of the walls of the hive and frames is saturated with moisture to the limit, moldy and loses its physical qualities (first of all, strength). If there is open honey in these areas of the honeycomb, then it quickly sours, and the bee bread becomes moldy and all this food becomes unsuitable for use by bees. Most often, such negative phenomena are observed in hives with insufficient underframe space (traditional 20 mm) and poorly organized ventilation. That is why the conditions for high-quality wintering of bee colonies are the use of modern hives with an underframe space of 100-150 mm and a competent organization of ventilation.
It is known that honey is highly hygroscopic and therefore its humidity will depend on the humidity of the surrounding air. Due to this property, open honey can both dry and moisturize the hive space. Thus, an increase in the relative humidity of the hive air entails the absorption of water vapor by honey and an increase in the content of water in it; this will drain the hive space. For example, at a relative humidity of 66%, the water content in open honey is 21.5%, and at a humidity of 81%, it is about 40%. At these levels, a dynamic equilibrium is established between the humidity of the air and the water content in honey, that is, the honey no longer absorbs and does not give up moisture.
For bees during wintering, this property of honey is very important, since the constant unsealing of honey for the purpose of its consumption has a beneficial effect on reducing the air humidity in the nest. In addition, the consumption of such honey by bees will satisfy their need for water, which is of particular importance since the beginning of brood rearing by bees at the end of wintering.
The so-called metabolic water released by the bees during their respiration (metabolism is a metabolic process) also has a great influence on the air humidity in a bee dwelling during wintering. The amount of this water is directly related to the amount of feed consumed. It was found that a family with a force of 3 kg during wintering in Omshanik, on average per day, releases 46 g (maximum 80 g) of metabolic water with respiration. In general, for every kilogram of honey eaten, bees release about 700 g of metabolic water. This means that if a bee colony eats 10 kg of honey during the winter, then during this time it will release 7 kg of water in the form of steam with its breath. A large amount of metabolic water released by the club is one of the main reasons that gives rise to the main problem of wintering bees - the difficulty of removing excess moisture from the nest without a large loss of heat.
INFLUENCE OF CARBON GAS AND OXYGEN ON LIFE IN THE BEE FAMILY
Atmospheric air is a natural mixture of various gases, among which the greatest influence on the vital activity of bees is exerted by oxygen (0 2), of which the atmosphere contains about 21%, and carbon dioxide (CO 2), the content of which in the atmosphere is 0.03%.
The composition of the gas environment in a bee dwelling is quite different from the atmospheric air. This is due to the fact that the consumption of oxygen by the family and the release of carbon dioxide always occurs in a closed volume of the bee dwelling, which is weakly connected with the external environment. Air exchange is carried out mainly through the tap holes, ventilation system and cracks at the joints of the collapsible parts of the hive. Due to air exchange with the external environment, oxygen enters the nest, and carbon dioxide and water vapor are removed. Air exchange (aeration) of the inner space of the hive is carried out due to active and passive ventilation, as well as due to the physical phenomenon of diffusion.
Active ventilation is provided by the activity of the ventilation bees at the entrance. The intensity of this ventilation depends on the needs of the family and its physiological state.
Passive ventilation of the nest space occurs through the slots at the top of the hive due to the physical phenomenon of convection. Its essence lies in the fact that warm air, having a lower density and weight, will always spontaneously rise up and leave the nest through the holes in the ceiling (through ascending ventilation).
As for diffusion, the essence of this physical phenomenon is the spontaneous equalization of the concentrations of gases of the same name across the interface between two volumes in which the concentrations of these gases are different.
Oxygen and carbon dioxide are distributed differently in the bee dwelling due to the uneven distribution of adults and developing individuals of the bee colony and different levels of ventilation in different zones of the dwelling.
The concentration of carbon dioxide in the central part of the nest is usually higher than in the periphery. In contrast, the oxygen concentration is lower in the center and higher in the periphery. These zonal differences in concentrations also largely depend on the outside temperature. So, when the outside air temperature changes in early spring from -3 to +9 ° C, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the central part of the nest is maintained by bees at a level of 1.8-3.7%, and oxygen - about 6%. With an increase in the external temperature by the end of spring to 6-24 ° C, the concentration of carbon dioxide in this zone of the dwelling decreases to 1.3-0.15%, and the oxygen content increases to 15.7-20.3%.
The content of oxygen and carbon dioxide in a bee dwelling is also associated with the physiological state of the colony and therefore changes in the cycle of its seasonal development. Various stress factors can have a significant impact on the gas environment in bees' dwellings. One of these factors is the transportation of bee colonies, for example, when migrating to honey plants. During transportation, vibration of nest buildings occurs, which greatly disturbs the bees. This prompts them to go into the supra-frame space, which leads to a sharp decrease in gas exchange between the inner nest space and the external environment. As a result, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the hive increases sharply and can reach 4%, that is, exceed its content in the atmospheric air by 130 times! At the same time, the temperature in the hive rises sharply, and the family can “get worn out”.
During this period, with any formation of a club, the concentration of oxygen in it decreases, and the concentration of carbon dioxide increases. So, with autumn temperature drops to 0 ° C, the concentration of CO2 in the central part of the nest is set at 2.5%, and at the periphery - up to 1.2%; oxygen: in the center - at the level of 10%, and at the periphery - up to 15%. With further decreases in the external temperature and the formation of a dense club, the concentration of CO 2 in the dwelling increases, and 0 2 - decreases.
It has been noticed that if the wintering of bees is carried out using electric heating with heating elements located at the bottom of the hive, then the concentration of carbon dioxide in the space above the frame will be 2-2.5 times lower than in the hive without electric heating.
In general, bees have a negative attitude to the accumulation of carbon dioxide in their home and begin to ventilate it. Moreover, the activity of ventilation bees and their number, all other things being equal, depend on the concentration of CO2. In summer, bees solve the problem of removing excess carbon dioxide from the nest in combination with removing excess moisture from the nectar, which is not difficult for them during this period. And what about the situation in winter, when the bees are forced to go to the club? It turns out that bees remove carbon dioxide from the nest in two ways during this period. The first of them is based on reducing the density of bees in the club, which improves air permeability inside the nest and the removal of carbon dioxide from it. The second method is associated with active ventilation of the nest by ventilator bees outside the club. In this way, the bees begin to ventilate the nest when one decrease in the density of the club is no longer enough to remove the excess carbon dioxide that excites the bees.
It was found that bees hibernating indoors at a temperature of about 0 ° C begin to actively ventilate the nest when a 4% concentration of CO2 is reached in the peripheral part of the dwelling. With a further increase in concentration, the bees become even more excited (EK Eskov, 1983). Beekeepers sometimes hear how a family literally "roars" during a bad winter. This is usually explained by the fact that the family is hot. However, this is only partially true. The main reason that forces the bees to start the mechanism of active ventilation of the nest is still the excess of carbon dioxide in the nest.
Now let's try to understand what effect carbon dioxide has on the development of individual individuals and the bee colony as a whole.
It is known that high concentrations of carbon dioxide are toxic to living organisms, since they cause oxygen starvation (hypoxia) and the development of pathological changes in the body. Note that bees are highly resistant to the effects of carbon dioxide, since in the course of their evolution they had to adapt to life in poorly ventilated natural shelters. As a result, modern honey bees are able to maintain a high level of physical activity even at 10-15% CO2 concentration in their home. This is 330-500 times higher than the normal concentration of carbon dioxide in the ambient air! However, despite the ability of bees to remain active even at such high concentrations of carbon dioxide, it still has a negative physiological effect on the bees' organism, which is most often irreversible.
Under natural conditions, in certain periods of the annual life cycle of a colony, bees are exposed to a relatively high concentration of carbon dioxide. Its level during the wintering period can reach 3-9%.
In the winter club of strong families, the concentration of C0 2 usually reaches 2-2.5%, while in weak families it is less and amounts to about 1%. It is suggested that an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide to values of 2-2.5% is a necessary condition for the transition of the family to a state of winter dormancy, in which the level of metabolism decreases and the consumption of feed decreases. Consequently, the level of carbon dioxide concentration in the winter club affects the physiological state of bees and their activity. The higher the content of C0 2 within the specified limits (up to 2-2.5%), the less feed the bees will consume.
However, at the same time, carbon dioxide also has a negative effect on winter bees: the higher its concentration in the nest, the faster the physiological aging of bees occurs. The latter is due to the fact that at high concentrations of CO2, bees, in spite of their lower feed intake, consume more of their internal reserve substances (nitrogen and fat).
The above circumstances lead to the fact that in the spring such bees will grow less brood and the spring development of such colonies will slow down.
The use of wintering techniques, providing for an increased content of carbon dioxide in the nest in order to save feed, negatively affects the physiological state of the bees. Consequently, an increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the hive during the wintering of bees is undesirable.
INFLUENCE OF AIR IONIZATION ON BEES LIFE
Mentions about such an environmental factor as air ionization are quite rare in beekeeping literature. Although air ionization does not have such a powerful effect as temperature, air humidity and its gas composition, it still affects bees, which will be discussed below.
Ionization of the air in the atmosphere is caused by ions - electrically charged particles. The particle charge can be positive or negative. Ions in the lower atmosphere are mainly caused by cosmic rays and background radioactive radiation from the Earth, as well as lightning discharges, waterfalls, surf and corona wires of high-voltage power lines.
Conventionally, ions in the air are divided into two groups - light and heavy, which differ in the amount of mobility and lifetime. The lifetime of light ions ranges from several tens of seconds to several minutes, heavy ions - up to 50 minutes. The main reason for the short life of ions is the process of mutual destruction of oppositely polar ions (the so-called recombination): oppositely charged ions are attracted to each other due to their natural electrostatic attraction and, when reunited, form a neutral system devoid of charge.
In clean air near the surface of the earth, 1 cm 3 contains on average from 500 to 1000 light ions, and there are usually 10-20% more positively charged ions than negatively charged ones. In cities and industrial areas, the concentration of heavy ions can reach up to 1 million in 1 cm 3. At the same time, with an increase in the number of heavy ions in the atmosphere, the concentration of lungs decreases (it can drop to 10 per 1 cm 3). The concentration of ions in the atmosphere in different geographic locations is not the same; it also changes during the day and year. Usually, the concentration of light ions in the atmosphere is highest in the early morning (invigorating morning air) and lowest at noon. There are more light ions in summer than in winter. Many ions arise near waterfalls, fountains, and also during a thunderstorm.
The presence of ions in the atmosphere noticeably affects the vital activity of living organisms, including humans and bees. Thus, an increase in the number of negatively charged light ions stimulates the activity of living organisms and suppresses pathogenic microflora. With an increase in the number of positively charged ions, a person's fatigue, the appearance of headaches, a feeling of discomfort and similar phenomena are associated.
The idea of using air saturated with light negative ions (aeroionization) for the prevention and treatment of human diseases was expressed at the beginning of the 20th century. There were even constructive solutions for the implementation of this idea (in particular, the well-known "Chizhevsky chandelier"), however, for a number of reasons, this idea was not widely used in everyday life. Later A.L. Chizhevsky wrote about the use of aeroionization in beekeeping. It was reported about an experiment to study the effect on a bee colony of negative aeroins at a concentration of 104-106 per 1 cm 3 with an exposure of 5 minutes. The sessions were held 2 times a day in the morning and in the evening in late April - early May. It was found that while the mortality of bees decreased by 15%, and flight activity increased in some cases by half.
An experiment was also reported on the use of artificial ionization of air in the winter house. As a result of the experiment, it was found that in the normal state, the content of biologically useful air ions in the winter house was 2.5 times lower than in the atmospheric air. The coefficient of ionic pollution of the winter house air with heavy and positive ions, which many hygienists consider an important indicator of its biological usefulness, exceeds this indicator in the atmosphere by 1.9 times.
In essence, each session of aeroionization is a completely harmless disinfection of the winter house for bees. Periodically repeated (after two days) ion disinfection maintains a proper sanitary condition in the winter house and in the hives. Apparently, this circumstance is also facilitated by the release of a small amount of ozone during the operation of the ionizer, which has strong oxidizing (disinfecting) properties. Improvement of the microclimate and the direct impact of the optimal concentration of light negative ions on the organism of bees has a beneficial effect on the quality of their wintering, feed consumption and further spring development of colonies.
INFLUENCE OF ILLUMINATION ON BEES LIFE
Although inside their home bees are able to navigate well in complete darkness (how they do this is not yet reliably known), they are still daytime insects. All its main functions - preparation of nectar, pollen, delivery of water, propolis, swarming, search and settlement of a new dwelling, mating of the uterus and some others - the family carries out only during daylight hours. As for worker bees, they can, only in the presence of lighting, solve a triune task, which is vital for the species: navigation through polarized sunlight, keeping a constant course while moving, as well as localizing and identifying food or other objects.
The magnitude (intensity) of the solar luminous flux falling on the ground is usually called illumination. The amount of illumination and its nature (duration and spectral composition) play an important role for bees in connection with the specificity of their visual perception. Unlike humans, bees' light perception area is shifted to the ultraviolet range of the light spectrum. Therefore, it can be said quite definitely that a person and a bee perceive color differently. They also perceive objects of the surrounding world and their forms differently, since the vision of a bee and a person is significantly different.
The indicators characterizing the illumination differ depending on the geographic location of the habitat, time of day and year. The daily and seasonal frequency of changes in illumination and the spectral composition of light has led to the fact that the bees have adapted their main life cycles to a certain length of the day. This is related to the cyclical nature of their reproduction, the change in the phases of the individual development of bees, the activity of the queen, the beginning and end of certain development cycles of the bee colony.
In zones with a temperate cold climate (in our mid-latitudes), the periods of brood rearing and their dynamics are strictly confined to certain periods of the annual life cycle of the bee colony. The onset of these periods and their duration, in addition to the temperature factor, largely depend on the illumination. The number of brood in the colony reaches its maximum, as a rule, at the end of June, when the duration of daylight hours is at its maximum, and then it begins to gradually decrease. In families with old queens, if you do not take measures to stimulate the development of the family, by September-October there will be no brood at all. This expresses one of the forms of adaptation of bees to the forthcoming wintering. This behavior of the bee colony is extremely expedient, since the continuation of brood rearing in the fall would reduce the winter food reserves, increase the strength of the colony, and such a colony would no longer be able to feed itself in the winter.
Now let's fast forward from winter to summer and see how the bee colony will react to daily changes in illumination.
The activity of the bee colony during this period changes cyclically throughout the day, and the illumination of the hive influences these changes in the most direct way. The daily change in illumination affects the intra-nest microclimate, in particular, when it intensifies in the morning hours in the hive, a slight increase in temperature and a short-term increase in the content of carbon dioxide are observed. These factors are a consequence of increased morning activity (a kind of “waking up the family”), when the level of illumination still does not allow the bees to leave the hive. Under normal conditions, bees begin to fly out into the field at an illumination level of 1-3 lx (lux). However, the level of light at which the bees begin to fly out of the hive may be different, as it depends on the distance to the feed source and on the sugar concentration in the feed.
So, at a distance of no more than 50 m to the feed source, the flight occurs at an illumination of 0.1-0.2 lux, at a distance of 1000 m - 3 lux, at a distance of up to 4 km - at least 15 lux (E.K. Eskov, 1999 ). If the entrance hole is shaded, for example, by a permanently installed pollen collector, then the emergence of bees in the field will begin at an external illumination of 46-130 lux, at which the illumination at the entrance is only 0.1 lux.
Taking into account that the duration of the working day of bees (the period of time between the beginning of the departure of bees from the hive and the end of their summer) is largely determined by the level of illumination of the entrance, it can be changed by orienting the hive relative to the cardinal points. For the longest time, the hive entrance will be illuminated by the sun's rays in the summer at the honey collection when the entrance is oriented towards the north (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1. Orientation of the hive on honey collection
In this case, immediately after sunrise, the sun will illuminate the entrance to the right, and before sunset, to the left. The duration of illumination of the entrance in middle latitudes, for example, on the day of the summer solstice - June 22 - will be maximum and will be about 18 hours. In other months of summer, this duration will certainly be less, but it will still be the maximum possible.
INFLUENCE OF WIND AND SEDIMENTATION ON THE LIFE ACTIVITIES OF BEES
It is known that the physiological state of the colony is the main factor in determining the degree of activity of the bee colony during the beekeeping season. However, such external factors as the productivity of honey plants (flow rate), wind speed and precipitation significantly affect the flight activity of bees during daylight hours.
As for the productivity of honey plants, we will talk about this in more detail a little later. In the meantime, let's consider how wind and precipitation affect the life of a bee colony.
Wind. Practitioner beekeepers are well aware that even with a fairly good feed on days with strong winds (even without rain), the intensity of summer bees is noticeably reduced. It has been reliably established that, other things being equal, an increase in wind speed will always lead to a decrease in the flight activity of bees and an increase in their losses.
Wind can also affect the delay in fertilization of the uterus. If 4-5 days after the release of the infertile uterus, windy weather sets in, then the first tentative departures and subsequent departures of the uterus for mating may be delayed, even if it is warm and sunny. The process of copulation of a uterus with a drone can occur at a wind speed of no more than 18 km / h (5 m / s). In this case, the flight of drones from the hive occurs only at a wind speed of no more than 25 km / h (7 m / s). But usually in summer in our latitudes, periods with windy weather last no more than a few days, with the exception of steppe, coastal and mountainous regions, where strong winds can blow for longer periods of time.
Wind can also delay swarm emergence for several days, especially with old queen bees. Swarms-pervak, unlike subsequent swarms, are very demanding on the weather, since the old fetal uterus has worse flight qualities than the young infertile.
The wind also affects the vital activity of the bee colony not only directly, as we have already discussed, but also indirectly - through the amount of honey collection.
Strong winds and especially dry winds have a negative effect not only on the development of melliferous plants, but also on their nectar production. Of all natural factors, strong wind is perhaps the only factor that never has a positive effect on the secretion of nectar. The northern and northeastern winds, accompanied by the influx of masses of cold arctic air, and the southern and southeastern dry winds are especially unfavorable for nectar production.
To reduce the negative consequences of strong winds (and not only for this), apiaries should be located in places protected by relief, forest belts, on the edges and outskirts of forests. Kh. N. Abrikosov (1944) proved that families whose hives were not protected from strong prevailing winds raised brood by 33% less and collected 60% less honey.
Precipitation. In the summertime, precipitation in the form of rain or hail can affect the life of the bee colony both directly and indirectly.
The direct effect of rain and hail lies in the fact that they negatively affect, first of all, the flight activity of bees. Bees are very sensitive to rain and hail, especially when these phenomena are accompanied by a thunderstorm. Beekeepers are well aware that before a thunderstorm begins, bees return to their hives in a literal continuous stream. During such a "panic", heavily laden bees often fly not into their hives, but into those that are closest to the direction in which they return at the point. Therefore, the result of a sudden thunderstorm can be the strengthening of the families located at the edge of the dot and the weakening of the families located within the dot.
Water is the basis of life on Earth. Thanks to water and the sun, the plant carries out photosynthesis, metabolism (metabolism), the movement of minerals and waste products, the elastic state of cells (turgor) is maintained, etc. in the flowers of plants and they reduce or completely stop the secretion of nectar.
The best nectar release occurs during moderate warm rainfall, especially if it occurs at night, or during intermittent thunderstorms during the day.
People say: "The more thunderstorms, the more honey." Thunderstorm rains, increasing the moisture content of the soil and air and practically without having a negative effect on the intensity of sunlight and temperature, contribute to an increase in the secretion of nectar. There is reason to believe that the ionization of air and its saturation with ozone during electrical discharges of lightning additionally stimulate plants to increase the secretion of nectar. It is clear that after the end of such rains, the activity of bees increases, especially in the next few days. Studies have found that most often high honey rates are on the 2nd and 3rd days after rain.
Prolonged rains, especially during their fallout, negatively affect the secretion of nectar. This is due to the fact that the lack of sunlight in cloudy weather slows down the absorption of carbon and the formation of starch by plant leaves, and high humidity leads to liquefaction of nectar. So, nectar in linden flowers at a relative humidity of 51% contains about 70% sugar, and at a humidity of 100% - only 22%. In long rainy weather, the strong growth of green parts of the plant retards the development of flowers. In addition, such rain washes the nectar out of the flowers, especially in plants with open nectaries, such as linden, fireweed, raspberries, etc.
Consequently, prolonged summer rains significantly reduce the flying activity of families, not only due to bad weather, but also for the reasons stated above.
Although the fog cannot be called precipitation (it is, rather, a natural phenomenon), it should be noted that it has a beneficial effect on the secretion of nectar by plants. In areas with frequent fogs, all other things being equal, honey yield is higher than where there are no fogs. And although early in the morning in dense fog, bees start flying a little later than usual, the abundant secretion of nectar compensates for the decrease in the length of the working day.