Varroatosis, or tick damage, is a problem that every bee breeder faces. Processing the bee hives from the parasite is a mandatory procedure, otherwise honey bees will die. This article discusses such a mite control device as a smoke gun, its description and self-manufacturing.

Description and characteristics of the device

The smoke gun is similar in design to a spray gun. The difference is that the device does not spray liquid formulations, but their vapors. The device is in demand among beekeepers, since it can be used to treat insects not only from ticks, but also from other diseases. In the container for the solution, you can put both chemical preparations and organic therapeutic agents.

The main components of the gun:

• solution tank, with a lid;
• a pump with a handle and a drive pumping the solution into the atomizer;
• spiral tube;
• a bolt that regulates the volume of the supplied solution;
• built-in filter;
• gas cylinder equipped with a tap;
• burner with nozzle and ignition trigger.

Which of the devices is best to choose for yourself - purchased or homemade, everyone decides at his discretion. New purchased models are practical and convenient, do not differ in bulky design and dimensions, their weight is up to 2 kg. Such a gun allows you to economically supply gas and vaporize the medicine. In addition, the device heats the solution to a certain temperature safe for bees.

Good feedback from beekeepers was earned by the Varomor device, which is distinguished by its simple design and effective directed action. About 100 insect families can be treated in 2-3 hours. The new Varroed 2500 model with an even more modernized design allows you to save the number of drugs. The processing process is faster due to the increased diameter of the working spiral.

Did you know? Bees can carry weight 40 times their own weight.

The advantages of homemade products include cost savings, which is significant in small apiaries, where the products are made more for personal use. The main disadvantage of a home-made unit is the lack of temperature control - it is likely to burn the family. Moreover, due to the high temperature, an overheated preparation, when decomposed, can release toxins.

Principle of operation

First, a gas cylinder with a convex side is installed in the cannon.

Further, the operation of the device is carried out in stages:

1. Open the gas valve, light the torch by pressing the trigger.
2. Gas passes into the burner and heats the spiral of the pipe supplying the drug.
3. As soon as the burner has sufficiently flared up, the drug is fed in portions along the spiral tube using the feed lever.
4. The final stage is the exit of therapeutic smoke from the nozzle.

The portion of smoky clubs depends on the substance used:

• in the case of chemicals, three clubs are enough;
• when using organic acids - five servings.

Puffs of smoke cause nerve irritation in insects, which causes them to move quickly. Due to heavy traffic, parasites fly off the bee bodies.

View: processing bees with a smoke gun

When to Hive

The first pumping of honey, depending on the honey plant, occurs from the end of May to mid-August. 45 days before this procedure, spring treatment is carried out to prevent varroatosis. The manipulation is carried out in the evening, when the bees returned for the night. If the weather is windy, then the doors should be covered during processing, otherwise they will be left open. The interval between puffs of smoke should be approximately 10 minutes.

The main fumigation procedure is in the fall - early September. Disturbing the family at a later date is not recommended: they conduct intensive preparation of hives for the winter. If there is a brood, autumn processing is carried out with a frequency of once every 3 days, only 4 times. Additional procedures are needed to destroy the tick not only in adult insects, but also in offspring.

Did you know? Archaeologists during excavations in Egypt discovered wall murals confirming data on beekeeping developed in ancient Egypt in the 5th century BC. e.

How to make a smoke gun do it yourself

A detailed description of self-manufacturing can be found on Internet resources.

Preparation for the collection

Most parts can be found in automotive markets or parts stores.

For work, you need the following parts and tools:

• household torch with piezo ignition (in the drawing below it is “Atex”);
• a copper tube with a diameter of 6 mm outside and inside - 3 mm;
• fixing bolts;
• 5 mm thick steel bars for flange and end caps;
• clamp for screed;
• tank capacity for the drug with a spray nozzle;
• drill and special drills (for stainless steel);
• lathe;
• pliers-vise;
• stainless steel mug (for the outer casing).

Drawing

According to the drawing and photo under the instruction, it is not difficult to understand the assembly process of a makeshift gun.

On the presented diagrams, the dimensions are indicated in millimeters:

General form

Nozzle Parts

Assembly process

First, for the nozzle on the burner, it is necessary to grind the flange and end cap from a sheet of steel 5 mm thick (this thickness holds the temperature perfectly). If there is no lathe, contact a specialist workshop.

1. A 5 mm high board is machined on the parts to facilitate assembly.
2. In order to subsequently fix the casing to the burner, holes are drilled on the flange and plug and cut into threads for bolts.
3. The copper tube is twisted into four turns with a diameter of 30 mm. The longer end of the tube is not yet bent.
4. An outer casing is prepared from one turn of a stainless steel (mug). The length of the coil along with the overlap margin is 125 mm.
5. The sheet is twisted into a tube with a diameter of 35 mm so that it wraps around the copper spiral, but not end to end.
6. Before fixing, through holes are drilled in the casing with a distance of 8 mm from each other and a diameter of 6 mm.
7. The end of the copper pipe is passed through one of the holes.
8. The casing shape is fixed with aluminum wire, the part is fastened to the flange and plug by means of bolts.
9. The copper tube is bent into a U-shape and pressed against the burner body with a clamp.
10. A handle-holder with round tank clamps is machined from a sheet of steel.
11. The handle is bolted to the flange.
12. The final step is to connect the spray tank to the copper pipe. In this case, a flexible rubber hose and a nozzle turned in the right size were used.

Video: do-it-yourself smoke cannon

Making gun solution

To combat varroatosis, several working solutions are used.

The recipe for a solution of "Bipin" with kerosene is as follows:

• kerosene (purified), 100 ml, and Bipin, 5 ml, mix until a homogeneous whitish mass is obtained;
• in properly prepared solution there should be no precipitate.

The amount is enough to handle fifty hives.

Acaricide "Apitak" is used in the fall, provided there is no offspring. Proportions for the preparation of the working mixture:

• Apitak - 1 ml;
• boiled water (not higher than + 40 ° С) - 2 l.

Important! The constant use of acids can lead to a decrease in immunity in bees and their death. It is not advisable to use acid for 2 years in a row.

The components are mixed until a homogeneous consistency. You can use the mixture when fumigating, and spraying insects from a syringe. Traditionally, in beekeeping, organic acids, for example, oxalic, were used to treat their wards. To prepare a working solution, 15 g of acid and thymol are mixed, 100 ml of alcohol is used as a solvent. The product is not used in the presence of offspring and before preparing for winter.

Safety rules in use

It is important to familiarize yourself with safety rules and some nuances in working with a smoke gun, since acids and chemicals are toxic and dangerous to human health.

So, a few recommendations:

1. The solution for processing is prepared immediately before the procedure - for a long time it is not stored.
2. There should be no precipitation in the Bipin working mixture; its color is a dull white. In another case, it is better to pour out the substance so as not to harm the insects.
3. When working with a gun, you must not smoke, be near an open flame.
4. Every time before refueling the device you need to make sure its integrity.
5. Do not disassemble the cigarette lighter yourself unless you are a specialist.
6. The device must be stored in a non-residential, dry room.
7. While working in the apiary, it is advisable to wear a gas mask, rubber gloves on your hands.
8. When using new solutions, clean the container after working with the previous one.
9. When sending for long-term storage, the smoke gun should be cleaned with kerosene.
10. To exclude the death of bees after inefficient treatment, you need to examine the family after the procedure. There are drugs that mites get used to - they need to be changed periodically.

Important! If you breed “Bipin” in water, remember that its temperature should not be higher than + 40 ° С.

If you have the tools and at least basic knowledge in turning or mechanics, making a smoke gun with your own hands is not difficult. If you prefer a purchased unit, then carefully read the instructions for its use, so as not to harm yourself and the bees.