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Depiction:
22.12.2025
The European honey bee, also known as the honey fly (Apis mellifera), is a domesticated honey bee species native to Europe. It is considered semi-domesticated. It is one of the bee species bred on a large scale for honey production.
31.01.2026
All colonies in an apiary—whether production colonies or young colonies—should be strong and dynamic. This significantly reduces the risk of disease and offers not only better yield prospects but also requires less investment of time and money.
For this reason, small but healthy colonies should be maintained by combining them in spring or autumn with a stronger colony. This regrouping also increases the propensity for honey flow in spring and allows for a safe replacement of the queen within the colonies. In late autumn, when the bees have already formed their winter cluster, a colony should comprise at least five well-filled frames. If this is not the case, the colonies must be combined. A strong colony has much better chances of surviving the winter.
31.01.2026
For a colony, winter is a critical season. To survive it successfully, healthy bees, strong colonies, and sufficient food reserves for several months are required. The beekeeper therefore takes the necessary measures for successful overwintering of the bees early in the year.
31.01.2026
Oxalic acid is harmful to health. Vapors or dust from this acid must not be inhaled and must not come into contact with the skin. It must be handled with the greatest caution. In all cases, protective goggles, acid-resistant rubber gloves, an FFP3 protective mask, and long-sleeved clothing must be worn.
During treatment, ensure that you are not positioned within the oxalic acid cloud. Colonies must be treated from the outside (not inside the pavilion). As it is impossible to completely avoid contact with the vapors, we recommend wearing a half mask or a full-face mask equipped with an activated charcoal filter. This provides adequate protection. Attention: filters have an expiration date and must always be stored in a sealed plastic bag.
31.01.2026
By repeatedly removing drone brood (on average three times), varroa infestation can be reduced by about half. This simple method makes it possible, without adding any products, to reduce the number of varroa mites in the hive without any impact on colony development or honey harvest.
Often, during the first removal, there are very few varroa mites present. Even if only 1 cell out of 50 is infested with a varroa mite, this already corresponds to a total of 50 varroa mites eliminated by cutting out a Bürki frame. It should be noted that 50 varroa mites in April can result in more than 400 by July.
31.01.2026
The concept based on caging the queen for one brood development cycle aims to allow the brood produced before caging to emerge and to remove and destroy the new brood produced during the caging period. The trap comb method does not involve the direct use of varroacides, as it reduces the number of mites present in the colony to about 20%. Acids are used only for the subsequent summer and winter treatments.
31.01.2026
This method can be repeated as often as desired without harming the bees. Within approximately 15 minutes, the level of varroa infestation of a colony can be determined.
31.01.2026
Brood interruption replaces the first summer treatment with formic acid. The second summer treatment must be carried out as before in order to keep the level of mite infestation as low as possible until the winter treatment and to prevent potential reinvasions. Only in exceptional cases, and in very isolated apiaries with regular infestation monitoring, is it possible to dispense with the second summer treatment.
31.01.2026
Diarrhoea in bees is most often caused by Nosema or dysentery. Nosema is a fungal disease that can be caused by two different pathogens: Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae. Transmission occurs in the form of spores via food, water, and contaminated surfaces. The fungus germinates in the midgut and subsequently multiplies in the intestinal cells. New spores are transmitted through the excreta. In this factsheet, only diarrhoea resulting from Nosema apis is addressed and discussed. The disease is strongly season-dependent and occurs mainly in spring. The pathogen can be detected within the colony throughout the year even in the absence of clinical symptoms.
31.01.2026
Formic acid (Formivar) is highly corrosive. Its handling requires great caution. Protective goggles, acid-resistant gloves, and long-sleeved clothing must be worn in all cases.
31.01.2026
The wax moth is not considered a disease. In nature, wax moths play an important role by destroying old, abandoned combs, which are potential sources of pathogens. Attracted by odours, wax moth adults enter hives and lay their eggs there. The resulting larvae feed on pollen residues and on cocoon remnants that remain at the bottom of the cells.
31.01.2026
Mower-conditioners provide valuable services for intensive forage production because the grass dries more quickly and thus yields forage richer in nutrients. However, for bees and other small creatures such as spiders, these machines are deadly.
31.01.2026
Colonies often become queenless during winter or after swarming, when the new queen is lost during the mating flight. Queen losses may also occur following a formic acid treatment or due to inattention on the part of the beekeeper.
31.01.2026
Sanitising a colony heavily infested with varroa within one day. The technique applied corresponds to that of artificial swarms with a queen, in which the colony is transferred to a hive with new frames.
31.01.2026
The health of bee colonies and the success of beekeeping often depend on the location of the apiaries. It is worthwhile to choose locations carefully and to check their suitability with two or three colonies. At an optimal site, colonies develop rapidly and strongly in spring. Well-formed brood nests and sufficient pollen and nectar reserves are a good sign.
31.01.2026
The choice of an appropriate location is, among other factors, one of the key determinants for a successful transhumance. Before, during, and after transhumance, certain aspects must be taken into account.
31.01.2026
Overview of good beekeeping practice
There is no single good beekeeping practice. Rather, there are rules based on common sense and the experience of seasoned or professional beekeepers. While the queen is indeed the driving force of the colony, hive cleanliness, control of varroa, swarm-prevention strategies, apiary location and preparation for overwintering are just as important for the proper development of the colony with a view to a good honey harvest.
31.01.2026
Queen reproduction in the Mini Plus system is based on the principle of forming young colonies with brood. In addition to Mini Plus, there are Swiss Mini and other systems that are perfectly suited for queen rearing. A Mini Plus colony with several boxes is divided among different mating units, and each small colony thus formed rears its own queen. With six Mini Plus units, it is easy to rear three to four new queens within one month. A very important point is that reproduction should only be carried out within high-quality populations. You may have an older queen that has proven her value, or a purchased pure-bred queen suitable for reproduction. Mini Plus queen rearing forms the basis of queen reproduction.
31.01.2026
This fact sheet provides guidance on assessing bee health. Regular monitoring of colonies makes it possible to identify potential health problems at an early stage and to implement planned and targeted measures. It is essential to check and assess colonies at least in spring (when grape hyacinths are in bloom), in summer (between the summer honey harvest and the first summer treatment), and in October (before overwintering).
31.01.2026
Targeted measures can be used to prevent or stop robbing. This helps to avoid the weakening or loss of the robbed colony. In addition, appropriate measures protect affected colonies against the possible introduction of pathogens and varroa mites.
31.01.2026
The combs are also referred to as the “skeleton” of the bee colony and thus constitute a central element of the superorganism formed by the colony. They serve as sites for larval rearing and for the storage of food, honey, and pollen, and they also transmit vibrations used for communication within the colony.