We devoted this small film to dividing the family in half without searching for the queen, followed by the search for queenless half, using Apivox Smart Monitor device. Our device is can't be wrong! After all, Apivox Smart Monitor listens to the bees themselves!
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
Friday, June 14, 2019
Monday, June 10, 2019
TREATMENT OF BEES WITH THE USE OF WINTERGREEN OIL. IS IT GOOD OR BAD PRACTICE ?
Treatment
of bees with the use of wintergreen oil.
Is it good or bad practice ?
In
fact, wintergreen and cherry birch are the only plants in the world that
contain natural methyl salicylate. But, the fact, that what in small doses
treats, in large doses can kill ... One teaspoon of essential oil of
wintergreen is equal in strength to 90 tablets of aspirin. Exactly ! Those who
treat bees with wintergreen oil are simply fed them with aspirin.
Methyl
salicylate which is contained in the oil of wintergreen, is not a simple
substance. It is very dangerous for humans too! A total of 10 milliliters of
wintergreen essential oil can be lethal for a child, and 30 milliliters can be
lethal for an adult human! Wintergreen oil is extremely toxic! In any case you
should avoid contact between wintergreen oil, and with an open wound and blood!
It can harm you very much !!! The encyclopedic dictionary of Brockhaus and
Efron points to a wintergreen, as a plant that causes "bloody urine"
in animals!
Exactly these
properties of wintergreen oil are used by those, who offer to treat bees
for varroatosis with essential oil of wintergreen... But what kind of treatment
is this! In fact, this is not a treatment, but an attempt to poison the mites,
while not strongly poisoning the bees. It all depends on body weight. In fact,
this is the same as poisoning bugs or cockroaches without removing tenants from
the apartments. Of course, people will survive, but will it be harmless to them
?! The same thing happens with bees.
Each such treatment weakens organism of bees. For them, it is also a toxic
substance ... just the dosage does not kill them immediately ... And later? How
do they affected by sponges soaked with oil of wintergreen and lying in a hive, or sugar syrup with
wintergreen oil, or other " medicines", which include this oil ? Nodody known exactly...
It
is possible that it affects just like any long-term chemotherapy on a person
... Weakens it, making it less resistant to other diseases and pests ...
Sunday, June 9, 2019
Measurement in General State Control mode
You can see how it is iasy to get good results about the state of the bee family, when you use Apivox Smart Monitor app
Saturday, June 8, 2019
Swarming Control 2019
This family showed all the signs of an approaching swarming. Full hive of brood. Poor work with a large number of bees.... And diagnostics confirmed external observation, showing powerful heating signals... Inspection after diagnosis revealed the presence of future queen cells....
It was this family of three we bought in the form of offshoots, consisted from 4 frames of brood, that we placed in our experimental hive. And its development has accelerated significantly. After 3 weeks, this family had 9 brood frames in her hive. Readiness for swarming manifested itself just a little earlier than in the other families. This indicates a more rapid development too ...
Wednesday, June 5, 2019
NEW THEORY AND NEW BEEHIVE. We are trying to fight against Varroa mites without chemicals.
As everyone know, now scientists consider Varroa mite as the cause of the appearance and transmission of most viral infections in bee colonies. The death of families has become colossal. This winter in Russia in the Stavropol region, in the foothills of the Caucasus, died apiaries of up to 500 families...
Throughout the winter of 2018-2019, we worked on a theory that would allow us to fight the varroa mite without using chemicals. On the basis of our theory, we have developed a hive design that will allow us to do this without additional electronics, connecting of electricity, and communication networks ... Our task is to make the design cheap and easy to repeat. Because if our experiment will be successful, everyone will need such a hive !!!
The experiment has begun. Was bought 3 identical families. Now, one of them live in the experimental hive, the other two are in ordinary hives. We conduct periodic monitoring of the status and number of mites.
Interesting results we will periodically publish.
We regularly monitor the number of mites in a family living in an experimental hive. On June 12, after a week ( 6 days) of hot weather (30–32 ° C), we found 18 mites, felt from the bees or thrown out from the cells by the bees. Control, made on June 19 ( 7 days) showed 1 mite felt from the bees or thrown out from the cells by the bees. The wash in the detergent solution from 120 bees gave a zero result. Next time we will try to control the mites directly in the capped brood.
So, we have:
the first period ( 20 of May- 2 of June) - 8+2 mites/ 4+6 days = 1 mite per day
the second period ( 6 of June- 19 of June) - 18+1 mites /6+7 days = 1,3 mites per day
instead of normative - 10 Varroa mites per day ( for USA)
the first period ( 20 of May- 2 of June) - 8+2 mites/ 4+6 days = 1 mite per day
the second period ( 6 of June- 19 of June) - 18+1 mites /6+7 days = 1,3 mites per day
USA normativer for mites felt on sticky board, and washed with alcohol or detergent are the follows -
------
Does this mean that our method works fine ?????
--------
New measurements were made 24 of June. The quantity of mites was inspected in the fall on sticky board in the experimental hive, and in drone brood in hive 8-2.
After 5 day's pause, our control gave only 1 mite .
Control of capped brood - 150 larvae tested, no mites. This is somewhat strange despite the fact that bee brood is pretty full of holes. It is possible that the mites already moved into the brood of worker bees.
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This table is like a bible for those who want to study Varroa mites and the influence of any external factors on them.
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We tried for the first time sugar test for Varroa mites control.
The result was not so good as we expected. We found only 1 mite in one family. It is possible, that we took small amount of bees from each hive ....not more than 100 bees... may be less...
The only difference which we got - the mite was alive....
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Our usual test of experimental hive ,when we control the mites falling on the botton gve us 5(6) mites during 7 days. This is good result, because the everage number of mites per day is less than 1 !!!!
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OUR WEB PAGES
http://apivox.weebly.com/
(
Eng, Esp, De, Fr, Rus)
https://apivox-smart-monitor.weebly.com/ ( Eng, Esp, De, Fr,
Rus)
https://www.youtube.com/user/glebskijserjio/videos ( Eng, Esp, De, Fr, Rus)
=========================================================
Test of the hives using internal mic when there are a lot of bees on porch
APIVOX SMART MONITOR apivox-smart-monitor.weebly.com
It is not difficult if you have textile coverage on the frames ....
What do you need to know in order to start working with Apivox Smart Monitor
Memo, for working
with the device
APIVOX SMART
MONITOR
at the apiary
( instruction for fast start of measurements)
FAST SET_UP AND THE MAIN FEATURES OF USING THE APP
After you
installed your app, the first thing, which you should do - is to make set-up of
the device. The procedure is well shown in this video - https://youtu.be/EZCBCEkQ5Mc and https://youtu.be/rxyC0e4zmrk the only
difference - we do not have Apidictor mode now.... But all other tests should be made as it is
shown. And one more... the first automatic set-up, as a rule, is not the best
... Try to make it once or twice more ... Set up will be much better...
After this, you should set season and
day time, because the app in General State Control mode works in 3 different
modes, according to these parameters...
Now, you are ready to make measurements... But you should remember
this....
We
are always talking about the need to see the signal in the Monitoring mode
before making measurement in General State Control mode. In order to give you possibility to
monitor this situation, we have made a signal quality indicator, which is
located in the right corner of the screen of Monitoring mode. If the gain is
normal, you will see a green quadrate with white tick. If the gain is already
strong, but you can still work, you will see a yellow quadrate with red tick.
If the gain is so strong that it is not advisable to work, and you need to
change the place of control, you will see a red quadrate with yellow
exclamation point.
You should
remember, that smartphone is very specific device.
Its built-in microphone the best for hearing in-hive signals. It is designed
for use in "hands-free" mode, and therefore has an automatic gain
control system .... it very well hears distant sounds. Especially it is
valuable in autumn, spring, winter. Wired and Bluetooth headset on the
contrary, hear the sounds worse.
Do
not attempt to use the instrument continuously and continuously compare
readings bees change jobs many times during the day, and the signals are not
very stable. Just need to do the measurements at the right time. The best
results on the general condition can be obtained in the middle of the day during
the most active work.
It
is very important to use the appliance correctly, that is, You must be sure,
that the device accurately hears the bees inside, and not outside the hive.
This is the main problem in getting bad results. Flying bees very much spoil
the measurement results. If you see a powerful stream of arriving and departing
bees, then it's better to postpone measurements, or you should make new
measurement from the top of the frames covered with textile.
Do
not use modes intended for usage in a certain time at another time. They are
built on the identification of features that are characteristic or not
characteristic for a certain season. So using them in another season, you will
get a strange diagnosis. For example, swarming control ...
Do
not forget, that perfect instructions and video examples you can find on the
web page of the device - https://apivox-smart-monitor.weebly.com/
( Eng, Esp,
De, Fr, Rus) , https://apivox.weebly.com/
( Eng, Esp,
De, Fr, Rus), https://sites.google.com/view/apivoxsmartmonitor-eng/apivox-smart-monitor
,
The main characteristics of the signals, visible on
the screen in Monitoring Mode
1) You
should remember, that parameters of spectrum of
pulsating signal, obtained on the basis of Fast Fourier Transform, directly
depend on characteristics of emission of this pulse. The less often the pulses go one after
another, the more the diagram is filled with bars at frequencies, closely
adjacent to the fundamental frequency. The longer the pulses, the more narrow
the diagram, and the less the "wings" spreading along the frequency
scale.
So,
the main frequency of the signal is that, which diagram is : 1) The highest, 2) The most narrow.
Do
not confuse on diagram one wide signal
and several narrow signals appearing nearby!
2) You
should remember, that , signals of the wings except
the main tone, create an overtones multiple to the main tone - x2, x3 ... and \ 2, \ 3...
and all subsequent .....
Vibro-acoustical signals, generated
by the bee thorax, have the signal of the fundamental frequency ( main tone) and the “wings”, visible on diagram with one
and the same parameters — the basic tone,
+1\2 of main tone, + 2\2, + 3\2
of main tone and so on .... and -1\2
of main tone, -2\2, -3\2 of main tone
and so on .... for each
subsequent.
The most noticeable vibro-acoustic signals, which can
be used as markers of different types of activities.
You
will receive information about the presence of these signals in the process of
diagnostics, when you use General State Control mode, and when working with the Brood Control mode and Readiness for Work on
Honey Collection mode.
VENTILATION
It
is important for us, because ventilation in its diversity, carries certain
information about the life of the family. The bees use ventilation in two cases
- in order to aerate the brood and all the family, and in order to process
nectar. Maximal levels of ventilation bees use when processing honey.
BROOD
CARE SIGNAL
1) The signal appears with big or very big force
only on the frames with open brood - during feeding, heating and aeration of
the open brood. So, the presence of this signal is the sign of relatively big
quantity of open brood in the family.
2) This signal can be
associated with swarming process, and can serve as a marker of this event.
Together with the signal of additional heating it shows, that swarming
process begin its way...
3) This signal can be used as a sign of
queenless of the family, after you deleted the queen. It appears after an hour, and lasts for 1-2 hours... After
this, signal subsides and the bees build new queen cells on open brood.
4) Very
long lasting signal with medium strength can be fixated, when the queen is
lost, and worker bees start laying unfertilized eggs... Signal keeps constantly
until the death of the family... Usually, all other signals subsides. The work
in the hive become disorganized...
ADDITIONAL
ACTIVE HEATING
We believe,
that this signal is emitted by worker bees, occupied
with an active heating of the nest and hive in summer, and the "winter
ball" or cluster, in winter. The existence of this signal can say you,
that in such conditions in which the family exists now, it is not enough bees
for simple passive heating of the brood and the nest, in order to maintain necessary for breeding
temperature. So, worker bees have to work hard warming the nest... As a rule
this situation can be the sign of paucity of
the bees in the family, big quantity of sealed brood, possible existence
sealed brood and the queen cells, and in the beginning of summer, together with
brood care signal, can be the sign of close swarming.
URGENT
ACTIVE HEATING
Reinforced
convection heating, the main task of which - is quick restoration of the
temperature in the nest, or in the hive, which is necessary for active work, or
for brood rearing. In spring it can be used during cold snaps, in winter during
sharp cooling of the cluster of wintering bees.
REAL
COMMUNICATIONAL AND MARKER SIGNALS
All these signals are mostly associated with
honey collection and honey processing, and can be divided in two big groups.
One part of signals can be used as a sign of in-hive works and
processing of honey, another part can be used as a sign of active work on honey
collection and processing. You will always get diagnosis of the state of the family in General State Control
mode on the basis of measurement and comparison of these signals.
THE MAIN MODES OF THE DEVICE, WHEN AN HOW YOU SHOULD USE THEM
When you are going to make the control of the bees' family
you can make it as follows -
The first screen , which you will see after
switching the program on , will be the screen of Monitoring mode....
Monitoring mode -
you should use for the first check, i.e. you should see that the device hears
bees well ... You will use the gain knob, in order to get a clearly visible
picture of the signals... simultaneously you will see a check mark on the
screen on the right ... its color will tell you, in which - green, yellow or
red (i.e. not desirable) range is bees' signal strength. Secure work is
possible with a green check mark, in principle, you can work when it is yellow,
and you should not work, when it is red. In this situation you should wind
another place, where the mic of device will hear bees better.
Monitoring mode can show you current picture of bees' sounds
but it is not suitable for making decisions about the state of the family ...
Here will help General State Control mode....
General State Control mode -
should be used for overall control of the family. The best interval 3 minutes,
but if you are in a hurry, or the bees work very good and evenly, then you can
use short interval - 15 sec. This mode is the first to be used in the control
procedure ....This mode average received data, so, it will give you mostly full
information about the family on the moment ... So, this test
is the simplest way to discover the overall situation in the family....
After this test, you can use more specialised modes...
Swarming Control mode -
you should use this mode only in such period of year, when swarming is
possible... If you will not do this in the middle of the summer, and the bees
all the same suddenly will decide to swarm .... then Apivox in General State
Control mode will give you prediction... but a bit lates, than Swarming Control
mode can do it....
Then, accordind to the period of year, or according to your
ideas, you can use Brood Control mode or Readiness for Honey collection
mode... It will give you opportunity to find out if the amount of
brood in family is ballanced, or there are some disproportions ....
Brood Control mode - This
mode will help you to find out the relationship between the amount of work on
brood care and other works INSIDE the hive ... In spring,
( this mode is made mostly for spring time) this mode will help you
to understand whether there are brood in the family and how much... And
further, It will help you to control the presence of open brood in the family,
till the beginning of honey collection...
Readiness for Honey Collection
mode - will show you, if your bees work only for feeding of the
brood, or the work is so intensive, that you can count on getting marketable
honey.... Our practice has shown that the diagnosis is quite reliable. But,
quite another thing is what a beekeeper must do, in order to get his honey no
matter what! This is only a matter of knowledge and experience of the
beekeeper.
The use of the other two procedures Readiness
Control and Acceptance Control, in normal practice is not necessary.
They are used ONLY when replacing the queen or dividing the family in half,
without searching for the queen. How you should do this is shown in the films - https://youtu.be/KsBHmMcCdxU , https://youtu.be/H-iRD2ncyXc ....
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