The aim of
equalizing bee colonies is to make weak and strong colonies in the apiary of
the same strength before the nectar flow, and to boost the weak colony by
giving it either some brood or extra bees.
Weak
colonies have a low bee population and a few frames of brood. This may be
because the queen is poor and not laying many eggs. However, there are many
factors that may contribute to weakening of a colony. Weak colonies make
little honey and are slow to build up and do not develop into strong units
if were left alone.
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The package of bees usually
contains bees shaken from two or more colonies, and the
queen supplied with the package is bred from selected
colonies to be sent in the package. The queen is kept in a
separate small wooden or plastic cage with one screened side
and candy release plug. The caged queen in the package is
well protected and fed through the screen during
transportation, and usually accepted by the bees within 12 �
24 hours.More |
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The honeybees are
social insects living together in large group or family called a
colony. The bees' nest inside the hive consists of several wax
combs each containing many cells in which bees use for rearing
their baby bees and to store food. The bees organize their
affairs so well in their dwelling and devote themselves to the
welfare and survival of their colony.More |
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The wax moth is a highly destructive insect that
attacks and destroys beeswax combs especially those in storage. The
moth itself is not a problem; it is the larvae that do the
destruction. The moth loves old combs and visits stored combs which
are unprotected and could reduce them to a mass of webbing very
rapidly. Combs in storage are ideal grounds for the breeding of wax
moths. A beekeeper should take preventive action to protect his
unused combs against wax moth attack during storage in winter to
avoid losing valuable combs.More |
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