Testing of the collecting propolis device on the bee farms in different regions of Ukraine

The purpose of this study was to determine the performance of the developed device for collecting propolis using EVA nets in the conditions of bee farms in different regions of Ukraine. The research was carried out on seven beekeeping farms in Cherkasy, Poltava, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr regions, where bee colonies were selected and 7 experimental analogue groups were formed. The EVA nets were placed in the hives for 70 days, after which they were taken out for cooling at t=+5 °C for 60 min and cleaning on the device. The nets from each experimental group were cleaned separately to control propolis productivity in different regions of Ukraine. During the test of the device, the following indicators were investigated: the number of cycles required to clean the net, the time spent on cleaning one net, the time of passing one net through the device, the mass of propolis sticking to the shafts, the load of the device during cleaning, the mass of the obtained propolis. As a result of scientific and production tests, the productivity of collecting propolis by the proposed method was established in the range from 2.91 to 4.44 kg per season from 100 bee colonies, depending on the research region. Using the device at a certain temperature regime of 19.82±1.92 °C creates a comfortable working medium for the operator. One operating cycle of the device was enough to clean one net at the set temperatures. The shafts of the device without nets in idle run rotate at a speed of 74.1 rpm (n=4), and provided that the cooled (t=+5 °C, τ=60 min) net without propolis passes 58.5 rpm. The device in the active cleaning mode for one shift consumes 0.679 kW/h. The propolis collection device can be used for beekeeping to clean 227 nets in one working day. On the farm for 500 bee colonies, 1 device can be used that is suitable for cleaning 1000 nets in 4.4 working days. The farm for 500 bee colonies can return an investment in the collection of propolis after the completion of three beekeeping seasons. Recommendations for gathering propolis using the proposed method are offered to collectors, taking into account the experience and results obtained during the research.