The "KÔNYA' beehive with rotating frame of broodnest
Hungarian invention, a new technology modernizing apiculture
Its
aims:
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making the work of beekeepers easier |
|
|
increasing the efficiency of honey production |
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killing mites without chemicals (by an innocuous method) |
Its
principle:
The recognition that gravity has a fondamental effect on the life and
reproduction of mites and influences the bees' certain actions, too.
The main features of the hive:
It prevents the reproduction of Varroa mites in the sealed brood cells.
The Varroa mite orientates itself by the help of gravity and sense of smell.
In this manner it finds the site suitable for feeding on the body of the
bee-pupa, and posits its eggs on the most secure, upper part of the cell.
The frames of the broodnest are circular and rotate by 180 degrees at a
determined pace. The alteration of up and down stops the quiet conditions
necessary for the reproduction of the mite. Because of the loss of their
orientation mites cannot continue their lives according to the rules
programmed in their genes. Therefore, their oviposition and reproduction
become impossible.
In the hive with rotating frame of broodnest the chemical protection against
the mite is unnecessary during the whole honey season. Hence, high quality
honey without chemical residues can be produced.
It
prevents swarming.
In building the swarming cell bees also orientate themselves by the help of
gravitation: they always build it from above. In the hives with rotating
frame of broodnest because of the periodical rotation the bee family can
build only the base of the swarming cell. They cannot raise a queen-bee and
they cannot swarm. A single rotation in a day does not disturb the bees.
After the rotation the hive can be opened, if necessary In spite of the
rotation the bees build the foundation perfectly.
It gives a mechanized and electronic method for treating bec families and
thus makes the work of beekeepers casier.
In a round frame of broodnest bees put honey over the brood. After the
rotation this honey gets to the exit of the hive and the bees save it to the
honey-box. These freshly cleaned cells are readily oviposited by the queen,
so the whole area of the round frame will be taken up by broods.
The beekeeper is not obliged to intervene in the system (e.g. to remove the
honey from the broodnest or to arrange the broodnest), the honey and the
broods become separated from each other due to the rotation. (The broods
remain in the broodnest and the honey remains in the honey-box.) The work of
the beekeeper is reduced to the occasional quick controlling of the families
and to removing honey.
By this new method professional beekeepers can increase the number of families to 1,000. The beehive with rotating frame of broodnest is powered by a machine and controlled by electronics. Therefore, the hive can be put on bee-houses or containers.
