In autumn, all beekeepers are concerned not only with the preparation of honey bees for wintering, but also with the disposal of pests from bees. One of the most successful methods for eliminating parasites is considered to be a special heat chamber in which bees undergo heat treatment. What kind of camera is it, what is it for, and how it works, we will figure it out further.
What is a heat chamber?
Like any other insects, bees are exposed to various parasites, which can not only spoil the population, but also significantly reduce it. The heat chamber is just designed to rid the bees of pests. Outwardly, it resembles a small gas stove, but without burners. It is a drawer with glass inserts and a hole. It is ventilated and heated, powered by electricity.
The principle of operation of the device is simple:
- The device contains bee frames with insects.
- The camera closes tightly and heats up to 48˚C. So that the temperature is distributed evenly, the camera is made to rotate.
- When heated, the intervals between the abdominal rings of the bees increase. It is there that a dangerous parasite lives - the tick of varroa. As a result, the pest can no longer stay on the bee and falls.
The time of one procedure takes no more than 15 minutes.
It is worth noting that a temperature of 48˚C is well tolerated by bees and is harmful only to ticks. In addition, the treatment itself increases the resistance of bees to fungal and viral diseases.
Varieties of heat chambers
We can distinguish 3 generations of heat chambers that have improved over time. In addition, there are cameras with a flat cartridge that differ from their classic counterparts. Each option is worth exploring separately.
1st generation (Crunch camera)
A primitive camera, which consists of such parts:
- cases with windows and openings for hands;
- nets for collecting parasites;
- a heater;
- a thermometer;
- cassette;
- funnels.
The basis was taken Japanese design. The main disadvantage of the Russian version is that the bees are processed for 25 minutes, instead of the recommended 15 minutes. This is due to the fact that the system is heated to the desired temperatures almost 2 times:
- Before loading a cassette.
- After laying the cassette.
The need for re-heating the chamber is due to the fact that the indicator drops by 10-15 ° C after placing a cold cassette with bees in the unit.
A prolonged stay at elevated temperatures negatively affects bees, so some insects even die. Cassettes are designed for 1.5 kg of insects. So, many bees are simply steamed due to the large crowding and the lack of ventilation holes and notches.
2nd generation
This is a design with a rotating cassette, that is, it can simply be moved in a circular motion or jerkily on mixed axes. So, there was no need to shake the cassette manually, but there was a temperature mismatch in different areas of the chamber, for example, in the corners it was colder than in the center, and at the top it was much warmer than at the bottom. Processing time remained almost the same - up to 25 minutes.
Another flaw appeared in these chambers - falling mites can again stick to the bee's body in the lower part of the structure due to constant movement. Secondarily attached parasite does not leave its victim, therefore, heat treatment does not always lead to complete release from the parasite.
3rd generation (camera Yu. Malinki)
This is a device with a heated air stream. Here the bees are spared from steaming, but other shortcomings are revealed. The cartridge has a cylindrical shape and is immobilized, so the bee flows are clustered at its very bottom, when they are shifted in the direction of the air stream. This greatly complicates their release from parasites.
Numerous attempts were made to improve the apparatus, but they did not lead to the desired result.
Flat Cassette Option
There are practically no weak spots in this design. A single-wall cylinder is placed in the housing, and the temperature difference in its different sections when the fan supplies heated jets is only 0.1 ° C.
The cassette is a mesh cylinder, where bees fall asleep using a funnel. Then they are shaken and distributed along the bottom in one layer. A small net is located in the lower part of the cylinder; therefore, detached pests are not able to return to their former habitat. The whole procedure takes an average of 7-8 minutes.
Such a device is considered the most effective for processing bees, since its effectiveness is close to 100%.
How to make a heat chamber with your own hands?
Experienced beekeepers know that a thermal machine can be made independently and for this it is not necessary to have any special skills.
Necessary materials and tools:
- screwdriver;
- saw;
- lumber - 3x3 cm bars;
- sheets of plywood 6 and 10 mm;
- wood screws, nails;
- 4 incandescent lamps with a power of 40 or 60 watts;
- cable for connection;
- Voltage regulator;
- rectifier or power supply;
- mesh cassettes with a minimum mesh size;
- fan;
- two thermometers.
The size of the camera depends on the size of the frame.
Step-by-step instruction:
- Timber cutting and frame collection. Cut the beam in accordance with the parameters and assemble the camera frame.
- Cut plywood. Sheathe the walls with 6 mm plywood sheets, and lay a 10 mm sheet at the bottom.
- Drilling holes. To observe the behavior of insects and ticks, a viewing window is made, for which you need to make holes in the upper and lower parts.
- Installation of a viewing window. Using silicone glue, fix the glass to the plywood, and from the outside, and not from the inside, otherwise the glue may heat up and release substances hazardous to the shoulders. Plywood with glass put on up camera.
- Fan installation. Warm air should be distributed evenly. To do this, install a small fan. In order for it to work smoothly and not become a shoulder trap, it needs to be built in separately. Some use small computer coolers, placing them above the heating elements (example in the photo below).
- Mounting heating elements. Fix the incandescent lamps in the upper corners of the box above the fan, and bring the wire out to connect to the power supply. This can be done at the place where the door closes or through an additional entrance, which is prepared by a drill.
- Thermometer Installation. It is better to use a special temperature controller, since it will allow you to set the upper temperature bar, above which the indicator will not rise, since the controller will automatically turn off. In the case of a thermometer, you will constantly have to monitor the temperature. Connect directly to the outlet, and bring the sensor inside the camera and place it in the center. The thermometer should be at the same distance from the lamps and should be clearly visible through the window.
- Door installation. Its frame is made of wooden blocks, and then put on the screws. Hang the door on strong hinges and close it with the bolt.
When working with a swarm, you need to take into account that incandescent lamps also give off some heat after shutdown, so it’s worth setting a little less than 48 ° C on the thermostat, for example, 46.5 degrees Celsius.
How to conduct heat treatment?
Proper processing of bees is the key to success, so some basic rules must be followed:
- To process bees without a uterus, since in her presence a swarm will gather around her in a kind of tangle, raising the temperature by a couple of degrees. In addition, the bee is rarely affected by the pest.
- The process time should not exceed 12 minutes. If it increases to 18 minutes, hungry individuals, as well as insects with a full intestine, will die. If it is not possible to reduce the time, it is worthwhile to force the bees to collect food in the goiter with smoke before processing, or let them fly a little to empty their intestines.
- If the temperature of the environment during heat treatment is lower than 11 ° C, preheat the gratings to 18 ° C, because otherwise the tick will remain on the bees.
- Shake the bees from the frames into the cassette through the funnel. After 15 minutes, start the heat treatment.
- Place the cassettes in a chamber warmed to the desired temperature. Under the cassette, it is worth tracking down the paper so that it is more convenient to collect the dropped parasites.
- To sustain bees after this procedure in the room with a red light for 15 minutes, and then return to the hives.
Drones must not be treated as they die under high temperature conditions.
So, heat treatment of bees is an important and responsible process that will get rid of pests and save the population. A heat chamber can be made at home, you only need to follow certain rules, follow instructions and avoid mistakes.