Overwintering
Spring Begins in August
It seems to be a strange statement, but the state of the overwintered
colony
dictates its strength in the following spring. The following pointers
should
help improve your colonies likelihood of not just surviving the winter,
but emerging
ready to vigorously grow and supply a good crop of honey and a new
colony or
two.
In the freely available book Langstroths the hive and
the honey bee are truths about overwintering
bees that I would recommend every beekeeper read. The
relevant chapter
begins on page 326 to page 352.
In short:
Location: avoid the hives standing in piercing
winds and moist air, they should face
south or southwest to get the benefit of the sun. A slight forward tilt
will
allow any rain/snow melt or condensation to run out to the hive,
avoiding mold.
I look for locations to site hives where the snow and frost melts far
earlier
than the surroundings. I avoid areas where cold air and moist air will
sink to.
Feed: a colony will need 12-14kg of winter stores to
survive the winter
(depending on altitude and latitude this may be more). The winter
stores should
not be dark honey, as Langstroth writes : "The
quality of the bee-food is an important matter in wintering bees.
Protracted
cold weather compels them to eat large quantities of honey, filling
their
intestines with fecal matter which they cannot void, for bees never
discharge
their faeces in the hive, unless they are confined too long, or greatly
disturbed. Unhealthy food in prolonged confinement, sooner or later
causes diarrhea."
Best is refined sugar syrup 2:1 and rather 1kg more than a starved
colony!
Disease: it goes without saying diseased colonies
will not overwinter
well. And as they collapse there is a risk that absconding bees, or
robbing
will spread the problem to hives close by. Treat the colony
according to
local agriculture ministy advice, or destroy the colony. Do not unite
sick and
healthy colonies as you are uniting the problems.
Pollen stores: Over the summer, colonies can build
up 2-3 frames of
pollen in the brood chamber. Pollen does not store well. Even though
the
bees increase its shelf life by adding enzymes and nectar, usually
pollen is eaten
immediately after it is collected, and the rest is eaten within weeks.
Bee
bread stored longer dries out and loses much of its nutritional value.
Frames
full of pollen limit space for winter bee production and storing winter
feed,
so should be reduced to a minimum for the colony's current need. Winter
bees
store the protein they need for overwintering in their fat
reserves.
Condensation: When moisture from the hive collects
above the cluster,
cools and drops as icy water on the cluster, this disturbs the bees. I
avoid this
by replacing my plastic sheeting under the lid with a cotton sheet
(either an
old t-shirt or shirt back) and add a couple of absorbent newspapers on
top that
soak off additional moisture. To prevent condensation on the hive walls
I
remove one frame and center the rest of the frames - I find this works
well.
Insulation: Bees maintain their core temperature
throughout the winter.
The faster the hive loses heat, the faster they get through their
stores. A
good roofing insulation (also protects against overheating from
sunshine in
summer) and well-constructed hive bodies conserve energy and winter bee
longevity. Of course dont leave empty supers on the hives - its just
more space to heat. A heavy roofing tile or flat stone on the lid
prevents
them being blown or knocked off, and collects and stores warmth on
sunny days.
Queen and colony strength: The risk of a 3 year old
queen failing is far
higher than the risk of a 1 year old queen failing. So if the bees
build 1-3
queen cells in late July or August, let them replace the old queen -
this is
supersedure not swarming. Eight or ten frames of bees will form a
larger
cluster over the winter which maintains its core temperature easier
than a
colony with only 4-5 frames of bees. Consider uniting weak colonies, as
a weak
colony in springtime will build up slowly, miss early nectar flows, and
generally only make more work for the beekeeper for little honey
production.
Propolis and crushed bees: Propolis in the hive is a
part of the colony
immune system. When it is removed each individual bees immune system
has to
step up additionally, stressing their health. For this reason I leave
all late
season propolis in the hive to support the bees. Also when bees are
crushed
late season, the winter bees will suck up the moisture from them to dry
out the
bees to prevent them rotting. This is terrible for their health - the
beekeeper
should at all times avoid crushed bees, but especially in the autumn.
Wasps and Mice: Mice love moving into beehives. They will do alot of damage, destorying the chances of productivity the following year. Wasps will rob poorly defended hives. To prevent both of these the hive entrance should be reduced at the latest in August and where the colony is on more than one brood box it is improtant that the cluster is in the lower box central to the opening - otherwise wasps and mice will slip by their guard in the early mornings while the bees are still clustered from the cool night.
Wax Moths: Empty frames can be overwintered well if they have not been used as brood frames more than once. Before storage they should be frozen, or treated with 60-80% formic acid or aecetic acid (this kills moths and larve but not eggs) - without leaving a residue in the wax. Store the frames in boxes spaced well (I space 6 frames out in a 10 frame box) in a cool enviroment well protected from mice!
I am happy to hear back your opinions, questions and comments, please check out the contact page to do this.
Disclaimer
Bees do not always read the same textbooks as we do. Before you implement anything, consider how it may be applied to your climate, microclimate, type of bee, type of hive, current season, weather and flow. And never let your bees want for food!
Calum 11.07.2020
.
Plus Est En Vous
There is more in you. We flourish when our horizons are broadened.
Newest Links:
Save the insects!
-
Not only honey bees are in trouble in todays world. Bumble bees, solitary bees, butterflies and moths are all in global decline. Here is how you can help: Friends of the earth guide