Methodology for assessing the honey base and calculating the apiary's feed balance

The productivity of an apiary directly depends on a correct assessment of nectar-bearing resources within the bee flight radius. Errors in calculations lead to feed shortages for bee colonies or shortfalls in marketable honey. To avoid losses, before placing an apiary, be sure to conduct an inventory of honey-bearing lands and draw up a forage balance of the area. The presence of bees in fields not only ensures a honey harvest but also directly contributes to increasing the yield of entomophilous crops.

How to calculate the forage balance of an apiary

To determine the optimal size of an apiary, consistently assess the potential of the area. Map out the boundaries of productive flight and identify the prevailing types of vegetation. Follow these steps for the calculation:

1. Select a location for the apiary that meets zootechnical and veterinary requirements.
2. Determine the species composition of the main entomophilous plants within the useful bee flight radius (up to 2 km from the apiary).
3. Determine the area occupied by honey-bearing plants in this territory. For forest areas, calculate the share of honey-bearing trees relative to the total number of trunks per hectare.
4. Calculate the total honey reserves of the area based on the area and productivity of individual honey-bearing species.
5. Calculate the number of bee colonies that can be placed at the given apiary. The calculation should include the annual honey requirement of one colony: the feed reserves for the hive's vital functions and the planned volume of marketable yield.

• Useful bee flight radius — up to 2 km
• Continuous nectar flow in orchards — 25–30 days
• Daily hive weight gain in clearings and burnt areas — 12–14 kg/day
• Daily hive weight gain in linden forests — 10–14 kg/day
• Daily weight gain on linden (Far East) — 25–30 kg/day

The potential of the honey-bearing base varies greatly by region. This is due to both the biological productivity of plants and the species diversity of the flora in different natural and climatic zones. For accurate planning, compare productivity data with the actual species richness of the area.

Flowering periods and structure of the honey-bearing base

A stable nectar flow is formed by the best honey-bearing plants, which constitute the basis of the honey harvest. They are divided into three key groups: woody-shrub, wild herbaceous, and cultivated species. The presence of these plants in the territory guarantees a stable nectar flow.

• Trees and shrubs: linden, black locust, maple, Amur cork tree, Siberian peashrub, raspberry, currant, willow, apple, common pear, plum, cherry.
• Wild herbaceous plants: blueweed, fireweed, sow thistle, sage, globe thistle, motherwort, sweet clover, mint, dragonhead, cornflower, creeping thistle.
• Agricultural crops: buckwheat, sainfoin, alfalfa, clover, sunflower, coriander, phacelia.

For a continuous honey harvest, it is important to consider the structure of the land. In forest zones, bees are provided with a nectar flow by wild honey-bearing plants, with different forest types having their own specifics regarding species composition. In agricultural regions, the honey harvest is based primarily on cultivated honey-bearing plants.

• In the coniferous forests of the European part and Siberia, willow and glossy buckthorn are of value. Heather, raspberry, fireweed, angelica, and honeysuckle bloom profusely in clearings and burnt areas.
• In mixed and deciduous forests, willow, maple, European blueberry, and currant provide the spring nectar flow. Later, dead-nettle, ground elder, and clover bloom in forest clearings.
• Linden forests of the Urals, Cis-Urals, Volga region, and Far East provide bees with the most intense main nectar flow.
• In southern agricultural regions, field crops form the basis of the honey harvest: sainfoin, alfalfa, sweet clover, sunflower, winter rapeseed, mustard, coriander, buckwheat, as well as melons—watermelons, melons, and pumpkins.
• In horticultural farms, fruit and berry plantings serve as an excellent source of nectar: apple, pear, apricot, plum, cherry, gooseberry, currant, and raspberry.

Based on the flowering time of honey-bearing plants, three main periods of nectar flow are distinguished. They depend on the climatic zone, weather, and species composition of the plants. Knowing these dates, one can more accurately forecast the honey harvest and effectively move colonies to blooming areas:

• Early (June 5–10): white clover, buckthorn, raspberry, mustard, sainfoin, white and yellow acacia.
• Middle (June 20–25): linden, coriander, buckwheat.
• Late (July 10–15): sunflower and other late crops.

To evaluate the real productivity of an apiary, it is necessary to accurately calculate the gross honey yield. It consists of two components: feed for internal hive consumption by the bee colony and market honey, which is extracted for sale. Recording the actual honey flow is carried out in autumn during the preparation of the nests for winter, guided by the daily readings of a control hive. All collected honey is divided into the maintenance flow, which goes for the current nutrition of the bees, and the main flow, which forms the basic reserves of marketable products.

The total volume of collected honey depends directly on the potential of the forage base and the strength of the bee colonies themselves. The final figures of the flow are influenced by the following factors:

• the quantity of melliferous plants and their species composition within the flight radius of the bees;
• the duration of the flowering of nectar-bearing crops;
• the location of the nectar base relative to the apiary;
• the strength of the bee colonies and the availability of a sufficient supply of free combs;
• the organization of work at the apiary and the qualifications of the beekeeper.

• Consumption for the nutrition of an average colony — 80–100 kg/year
• Market honey per colony — 20–40 kg
• Gross honey yield of average strength — 100–140 kg
• Optimal temperature for nectar — 20–25 °С

Weather has a decisive influence on the work of bees and plant physiology. For maximum nectar secretion, a combination of sunny days with optimal soil moisture and humidity is required. Any sharp changes in weather can instantly stop the honey flow.

Practical methods for increasing honey yield and crop potential

An agronomist can significantly increase apiary productivity through competent land planning. A good result is provided by expanding the sowing of melliferous plants, especially in mixtures with legumes in the forage rotation. It is also useful to plant melliferous trees and shrubs when landscaping adjacent areas and creating shelterbelts. However, the main practical method for obtaining the maximum flow remains migratory beekeeping — the timely movement of hives directly to flowering areas.

To plan the structure of sowing and organize migratory beekeeping, use reference data on the honey productivity of major crops:

To compile a working migratory map or assess the capabilities of a stationary apiary, it is not enough just to know the list of flowering herbs. The practical calculation of the forage balance is built on the net yield of sugar per unit area, provided that the plot is 100% covered by a melliferous plant. This allows comparing the real potential of the land with the needs of bee colonies and adjusting migration routes in time.

• Maximum sugar yield (field maple) — 1000 kg/ha
• High potential of small-leaved lime — 700 kg/ha
• Productivity of borage — 500 kg/ha
• Minimum sugar collection (meadowsweet) — 5 kg/ha

Always make adjustments for the terrain, soil type, and illumination, as external factors directly regulate nectar secretion. The same plant will show different results in different areas. This is critically important to consider when assessing the forage base and planning hive placement points.

Resource potential of main melliferous plants

For a detailed assessment of the flow and planning the load on bee colonies, use the basic classification of melliferous plants. The benchmarks below will help calculate the optimal density of hive placement in a specific area. Information on flowering periods and the approximate productivity of crops will allow building a continuous honey collection conveyor for the entire season.