INTRODUCTION
Apiculture plays an important role in
Moldova’s agriculture due to the fact that bees provide the population with
products such as honey, wax, pollen, maiden wax, propolis and royal jelly. They
also produce queens, swarms etc, and, thanks to the significant content of
biologically active substances with therapeutic qualities, all these products
are successfully used as raw material in apitherapy, pharmaceutical and
cosmetic industry. At the same time, honey bees participate in the pollination
of crops, which significantly increases the quantity and quality of seeds and
fruits [7]. In many regions of the Republic of Moldova the potential of nectar
and pollen producing crops of spontaneous flora is not used, and in some
regions with intensive farming there is a critical shortage in pollinating
bees. The pastoral beekeeping is a way of full utilization of nectar and pollen
producing sources located beyond the productive radius of honey bees’ flght
(2-3 km), in order to increase the bee-keeping prodution (honey, wax, pollen
and propolis) and to enhance the pollination of entomophilous crops in
different areas, which will increase the quantity and quality of fruit and
seeds. The utilization of intensive apiculture can not be achieved
without pastoral beekeeping. One of the main ways to achieve higher honey
production, is to gather honey from hives more times per apicultural season. In
order to have more harvests per season, it is necessary to transport the hives
to different distances from the location of the hives, where other species of
pollen producing plants grow. It is also necessary that the pastoral beekeeping
is widely employed in pollination of entomophilous crops such as fruit trees,
bushes, rape, sunflower, sainfoin, buckwheat, medicinal hubs etc. The value of
the total harvesting, as a result of plant pollination by bees, is from ten to
fifteen times the value of the obtained apicultural products [8]. Honey
harvesting is characterized by a blossom period of nectar and pollen producing
plants. The quantity of the harvest depends on the number of honey crops, the
composition of species, the blossom period, the location of the hives and other
natural and anthropogenic factors. The development of bee colonies in spring
and their keeping at a high biological and productive level requires the
existence of places full of melliferous plants which would be able to ensure
the nectar and pollen gathering throughout the active season, as well as the
rational feeding of the bees during the periods without natural harvesting
The rational
utilization of honey bees consists in the use of pastoral beekeeping, which
ensures the reproduction of biological resources that increase the productivity
of the bee colonies and crops due to crosspollination carried out by bees.
Thus, the pastoral beekeeping will make possible the utilization of nectar and
pollen producing resources in environmental regions, which, in its turn, will
influence the quantity and quality of bee products. Generalizing the aforesaid,
the purpose of this research was to study the honey bee colony dynamics, of the
nectar and pollen producing crop areas, and the development of the technology
of pastoral beekeeping.
MATERIAL AND METHOD
The research subjects were the
dynamics of bee colonies, the areas of nectar and pollen producing crops such
as fruit trees, agricultural crops, medicinal plants, forest plants and wild
flora, their biological potential and the reserve of honey, the beginning and
end of plant blossom, the choice of places for the hives, the transportation
and location of the hives and the norm of hives per hectare. To analyze the
dynamics of bee population and the productivity of bee colonies, the data of
the National Bureau of Statistics of Moldova were used. To systematize the
regions of nectar and pollen producing cultures, the data from the Ministry of
Agriculture and Food Industry of Moldova and of the Institute of Forestry
Research and Arrangement were used. The obtained data were processed using the
statistical variation method .
RESULTS AND
DISCUSSIONS In order to employ pastoral beekeeping, it is necessary to know the
number of bee colonies and their location, which must be moved to gather and
pollinate entomophilies crops. During the years under study (2008/2015) a
slight increase in the number of bee colonies was noticed, their number ranging
from 98303 in 2008 to 124330 pieces in 2015, i.e. by 1.26 times higher than in
2008. The growth in number of bee colonies led to the increase of honey
production, namely from 2403 tons in 2008 to 3896 tons in 2015, or by 62.13%.
The production of honey produced on average by a bee colony was 24.4 kg in 2008
and 33.6 kg in 2014, i.e. by 37.7% higher [9]. The honey flora in Moldova is
represented by a wide variety of species that bloom from March to October; it
provides maintenance and production gatherings which are distributed unevenly
during the beekeeping season. The most important fruit trees of interest to
beekeeping are sweet cherry trees, sour cherry trees, apple trees, plum trees
and apricot trees. Of all the studied fruit trees the largest area is occupied
by apple trees – 31653 hectares which constitutes 71.15%, sour cherry trees
occupies the smallest area – 648 hectares or 1.54% (Table 1). Analyzing the
location of orchards by regions, it can be mentioned that apple trees occupy
the largest areas and are located in the North – 21283.8 ha or 67.24% of the
total area of this species, while the Central area is occupied by plum trees –
4594.2 ha (47.63%), cherry trees – 678.4 ha (45.03 %), apricot trees – 472 ha
(47.29 %) and sour cherry trees – 306 ha (44.74 %).
The largest areas of
cultivated lands in Moldova are occupied by sunflower crop – 223492.8 ha or
88.63% of the total areas, followed by rape – 28450.6 ha (11.26%) and buckwheat
– 265 ha (0.1%) (Table 2). In the north the sunflower crop occupies an area of
95492.8 hectares or 42.65% of the total area of this crop; in the south –
76810.2 ha (34.30%), and in the central region – 51607.6 ha (23.05%). The rape
crop is grown in the south on an area of 15446.8 hectares or 54.29% of the
total area of this crop, in the north – on 8163.8 ha (28.69%), and in the
central zone – on 4840 ha (17.02%). In the north, the buckwheat is grown on an
area of 194.6 hectares, which constitute 73.43%, in the central region – on
50.4 ha (19.02%) and in the south – on 20 ha (7.55%).
Apiculture is
interested in medicinal herbs because they help the bee colonies to maintain
their activity and to be well prepared for wintering. On average, the area of
medicinal herbs has varied in the past five years, namely between 561.6 ha
(31.58%) of lavender and 1217.2 ha (68.42%) of meadow sage. In the Republic of
Moldova the biggest areas of meadow sage – 481.8 ha or 39.58% of the total area
of this crop – can be found in the central part of the country, in the north,
it grows on 358.2 ha (29.43%), and in the south – on 377.2 hectares (30.99%).
In the central region of Moldova, the area of lavender constitutes 475.8 ha or
84.72% of the total area occupied by this culture, in the north – 55.2 ha
(9.83%), and in the south – 30.6 ha (5.45%). In forests, the most important
nectar and pollen producing sources of interest for apiculture are acacia,
white lime, maple, willow, chestnut and others. Lime is a constituent part of
deciduous woods of plains and hills, where it grows together with other
species. The most important number of lime trees is located in the central zone
of the country, namely 4190.1 ha or 91.48%; in the north lime trees grows on
288.2 thousand ha (6.29%), in the south – on 76.2 thousand ha (1.66% ), and in
the municipality of Chisinau – on 25.8 thousand ha (0.57%). One of the most
important honey plants is white acacia, which in our republic occupies over
98630.2 thousand hectares, of which 40576,6 ha (41.14%) are located in the
central region, 36492.6 ha (37.0%) – in the south, 19920.7 ha (20.20%) – in the
north, and 1640.3 ha (1.66%) – in the municipality of Chisinau (Table 3).
Maple cultivated area
is 3188.0 thousand hectares on the South region with variation of 1001.9 up to
1822.6 thousand hectares, in the North region, respectively willow - 3188.0
thousand hectares (598.6 -1448.8 ha). Chestnut is cultivated on an area of 20.2
ha (1.3 to 16.1 thousand ha).
As a result of the
analysis of the melliferous crops, it was found that the biological potential
of the nectar and pollen plants in Moldova was 106561787 kg, of which only
66601116 kg belongs to the honey reserve. In order to utilize the reserves of
honey and the pastoral beekeeping, 555009 bee colonies are necessary [10]. The
melliferous plants base of the Republic of Moldova can provide maintenance for
four and a half times more bee colonies than are registered nowadays. In order
to use pastoral beekeeping, it is very important to know the sources that
produce nectar and pollen (date and duration of blossom). Rape blossoms after
the blossom of fruit trees, and white accacia blossoms in the second half of
May– the first half of June. In June, the summer gathering starts which are
dominated by lime and sunflower. The preparation of bee colonies for wintering
has a primary influence on a valuable pastoral beekeeping. For the bees to be
as strong as possible in spring, and in order to obtain a higher number of
brood, a series of measures must be taken in summer and autumn. Thus, a normal
wintering, a reduced consumption of food in winter, and a reduced wear of bees
in winter are provided. For these results achieving all a stimulating feeding is
carried out, which should be made in small doses throughout the period of brood
growth of, respectively from the last sunflower gathering until the building up
of the reserves of feed for wintering, which are made in high doses of two to
five kilos. Providing prolific breeding queen bees is of major importance,
especially at the beginning of autumn. In autumn, as well as in spring, queen
bees do not lay eggs in the new honeycombs which retain heat harder. Too old
combs or those with many cells of drones are removed from the nest and
reformed. The spring stimulative feeding is performed regardless of the amount
of honey reserves existing in the colony, if there are no natural maintenance
collection, aimed at strengthening the queens’ egg-laying. In cases when in the
bee colonies the amount of feed reserve is insufficient, the bees must be fed
additionally. The breeding of bee colonies, which includes the feeding of bees
with 50% sugar syrup, supplemented with a nutritional additive is well known
[4]. The result of the proposed method consists in enhancing bees’ immunity,
the reduction of mortality, the increase of the power of a bee colony during
spring, and the advancing of the queens’ prolificacy and honey production. It
was also found that the use of a nutritional additive in stimulative feeding of
bees, from spring till the early main collection from white acacia, increase
the honey production deposited in the nest. The bee colonies in the
experimental groups had a higher quantity of honey, namely by 3.0 to 10.1 kg,
which was by 3.9 to 31.2% compared to the control groups [6]. Another method
that has been developed is to select a nutritional additive that contains
probiotics which can normalize metabolism, increase immunity, reduce mortality,
boost resistance against Nosema, make the prophylaxis and therapy of the
digestive tract, help to recover the intestinal microflora and normalize
metabolic processes, increase the power of bee colonies during spring and the
bees’ productivity and safety. The utilization of the proposed method ensures,
in spring, an increase in power by 5.56 to 8.29%, the number of the closed
brood increases by 28.26-31.41%, and the productivity of bee colonies – by 5.87
to 12.47% higher than in the control groups [5]. Additional space for brood in
horizontal hives is necessary when all the combs in the nest are occupied by
the brood, save two marginal honeycombs. The widening of the nest is done by
introducing a new honeycomb, which must be placed between the last honeycomb
containing the brood and the marginal one, with feed reserve. If the wreathed
gets considerably worm, and there is a natural maintenance collection, the
widening of the nest can be done using two combs, which must be placed on both
sides of the nest, between the last frame containing the brood and the marginal
frame.
In multi-storeyed
hives, when the colonies have wintered in one body, the second body will be
added, after six or seven combs of brood have grown, and all the nine spaces
between the existing honeycombs in the body are occupied by bees. The new body
will placed at the base, and the initial body will be placed above. It is
recommended that the frames of the additional body contain small quantities of
honey or be sprinkled with sugar syrup. After two or three days, when bees have
inhabited the newly introduced body, the bodies will be reversed; the body with
brood will be placed at the bottom of the hives, and the other – above it. When
there are powerful colonies that have wintered in two bodies, the bodies will
be reversed immediately when in the upper body there are six or seven combs
with brood. After 1015 days the reversals of the bodies will be repeated, and
during the pollen collection, another body will be added. The development and
productivity of bee colonies largely depend on the melliferous plants and
nectar secretion which are influenced by many factors which can be classified
as follows: factors related to plants, soil and climatic conditions
(temperature, humidity, etc.). The weather elements, together with other
environmental factors, permanently influence the evolution of nectar
collection, and, consequently, the honey production [2]. Before the beginning
of the honey season, the elaboration of a melliferous balance and map of the
future location is recommended. The nectar gathering is planned according to
these data. Three or four days before the transportation, an inspection of bee
colonies is carried out, and the honey combs that contain a quantity of honey
higher than 1.5- 2.0 kg, are removed unsealed from the hives, and replaced with
empty honeycombs or with honeycombs that contain a lower reserve of honey, and
the hives are packet. If the horizontal hives do not contain all the twenty
frames, the existing frames will be set close with the help of the diaphragm,
with two nails. Before the departure, after the cessation of the flight of
bees, the bee entrances are closed. In multistoried hives, all the components
are fixed and the ventilation of the hives is ensured. The site for the apiary
should be well protected from winds, especially from the cold ones that prevail
in the region. The territory must be dry, not closed to underground waters.
When the bee garden is located in woods in which white acacia, lime etc. grow,
the site should be in a clearing in the centre or the edge of the woods. In
southern and northern plains, the site should be in an orchard, forest belts,
protection strips of trees and other places where the hives will be protected
from the wind and sun. The relief plays an important role in the choice of a
site for the apiary. High places open from all sides, hill ridges, deep valleys
are not recommended, because these places are cold, windy and very wet [3]. The
apiary site should be as close as possible to the gathering source. The
distance from other apiaries, their veterinary state, the distance from water
sources, the state of the land and roads are also taken into consideration. The
apiary location should be far away from polluting sources, in a quiet place,
and far from high traffic roads (highways) and large rivers. The beehives are
usually placed in the apiary in a checkerboard pattern, with the entrance for
bees oriented toward southeast, at a distance of 2-3 m in a row, and 4-5 m
between the rows. In small spaces, the hives can be arranged in rows by one,
two or four, at a distance of 0.5 m between them for the work with every hive
to be comfortable. Each hive must be placed on a stand or four poles (stakes),
stuck into the ground. The drinker is arranged in a place well protected from
sun and wind, before installing the hives, for the bees to know its place from
their first flight, and not to seek other sources of water. The transportation
of the bee colonies to the melliferous sources is made when 4-5% of flowers
blossom, usually overnight in summer; in spring and autumn, if the weather
is cool, the hives
can be transported in the daytime too. Different means of transportation can be
used: trailers, bee pavilions, trucks, railroad cars, etc. The next day, each
bee colony is verified, any abnormal states are recorded, and the honey nests
are prepared. Before the returning from the site, the same preparatory
operations for the transportation are carried out.
CONCLUSIONS
1. The melliferous
base of the Republic of Moldova can provide the maintenance of four and a half
times more bee colonies than registered nowadays.
2. To increase the bees’ productivity and the
quality of honey, pastoral beekeeping based on various honey sources and
employed in different ecological zones, the correct performance of activities
of care and exploitation of bee colonies, and the exclusion of contamination of
honey throughout the trophic chain (water-soil - plant-bee-honey-nectar) are
recommended
Comments
Post a Comment