Bees prepare for winter by performing a multitude of tasks that ensure the hive’s survival during the cold months. The priority is to gather and store nectar and pollen to have plenty in reserves. Honey bees have one main job in the winter — to take care of the queen bee. This means they must keep her safe and warm.
Preparations
Before winter female worker bees force male bees (drones) out of the nest because they eat too much. The honey bee is cold-blooded; they need to maintain warm temperatures in the hive to keep themselves alive during the harsh winter months. To do this, the worker bees join forces in the form of a cluster. They huddle together with the queen bee at the center.
Never open the hive in frigid temperatures, even if for only a few moments as the intense cold can kill the bees.
Ensure You Have A Strong Queen
Your hive needs a strong queen and a healthy brood pattern, which will be a bit smaller than normal, to survive the winter. If your queen is nowhere to be found, or your brood pattern isn’t looking like it should, you may want to consider either combining your hive with another or requeening.
Requeening
If you decide to requeen a colony, consider keeping the old queen alive until you’re sure that the new one has been accepted (and is laying well). You could even put the old queen in a nuc box.
Combining Colonies
Don’t attempt to winter a hive that isn’t strong and healthy. One way to prevent that is by combining a weak hive with a strong one. Never combine a weak hive with another weak hive!
Make Sure There Is Enough Food
Now is the time to check your hives to ensure that they each have enough food. If you are a beekeeper in Wisconsin, you should have 80 to 90 pounds of food in your hives. The amount of food your bees will need depends on their strain, local climate, and current health
To gauge weight, you can bring a scale out to your hive to weigh it, or, if you’ve got a knack for feeling weights, you can lift up a deep hive body. Another thing you can do is estimate using the knowledge that a fully-filled deep frame holds around five to eight pounds of honey, and a fully-filled medium frame holds around 3 to 5 pounds.
Types Of Supplemental Feeding
Sugar Water or Heavy Syrup
The most common way to supplement your bees’ diet is with a heavy syrup mixture, which is a sugar-to-water ratio of 2:1 (by weight). Bring the water to a boil, remove it from the heat, add the sugar, and then stir until it’s fully dissolved. If possible, add honey to the mixture to ensure he bees are getting their vitamins — just make sure that your honey isn’t coming from an unknown source; otherwise, you might accidentally introduce disease spores into your hive.
BeesVita Plus
Another option is to use BeesVita Plus supplements. These supplements are full of nutrients that improve bees’ health, and can even reduce symptoms associated with Colony Collapse Disorder!
Candy Board
These boards are another way to provide sugar to your bees. They are easy to make, and there are countless recipes online for you to find the perfect one for you and your bees!
Winter Patties
These are great for your bees, especially if they are clustering. Just place the winter patty on top of the frames, and the bees can eat it without even leaving the cluster.
Monitor For Pests And Disease
If you haven’t already, now’s the time to check your hives for pests. If you plan on treating for pests, focus on treating for varroa mites, as their breeding rate is ramping up this time of year.
Insulate And Ventilate
Insulation can be critical in northern Wisconsin. Unfortunately, many beekeepers focus on insulation but often forget that ventilation is just as important. Without ventilation, the warm air the bees generate will rise, hit the top cover, and condense into water before falling back down on the bees.
Windbreak
Especially in northern and windy climates, consider building a windbreak, such as a bale of straw. Providing a windbreak is more important than wrapping your hives!
Wrap Hives
You really only need to wrap your hives if you live in a northern climate. Once the temperatures start to dip below freezing during the day, you may want to consider wrapping with either tar paper or a Bee Cozy Wrap. NEVER wrap your hive with tightly-wrapped plastic, as it will suffocate your bees. Beekeepers in central and southern climates almost never need to wrap their hives. When in doubt, use some of these other methods of insulation before wrapping. Wrapping should be a last resort!
Reduce Hive Entrances
By reducing hive entrances, you will help keep the hive warm and prevent other critters from entering the hive. You may even want to purchase a mouse guard to prevent rodents from damaging your comb.
Inner Cover
If you don’t already, consider using an inner cover underneath your outer cover.
Solid Versus Screened Bottom Boards
This is yet another age-old beekeeping debate. Each has its advantages and disadvantages: Solid bottom boards keep in the heat better, but screened bottom boards provide better ventilation. It’s your choice, depending on where you live and how your hives winter.
Extra Insulation
If you are in a northern (or especially cold) climate, consider adding some extra insulation underneath the outer cover of your hive. This will help prevent heat loss from below. Newspaper, straw, and burlap are all great insulators, and they absorb moisture as well.
Hot Box Winterizer
You can also consider using a Hot Box Winterizer, a great insulator that sits on top of your hives and acts as a second entrance, in case the bottom entrance to your hive is covered by snow. It even comes with a moisture board! If you want to purchase a moisture board separately, we also offer those in 8 and 10-frame.
We hope you and your bees are faring well this winter! We’re excited to see what spring brings.
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As a seasoned apiarist and enthusiast in apiculture, my experience in beekeeping spans over a decade. I've managed diverse hives through numerous seasons, each presenting unique challenges. My expertise lies in hive management, winter preparation, pest control, supplemental feeding, hive insulation, and overall bee health. I've conducted workshops, written articles, and actively engaged in beekeeping communities to share insights and learn from fellow bee enthusiasts. Let's delve into the concepts highlighted in the article on bees preparing for winter:
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Winter Hive Preparations:
- Cluster Formation: Bees huddle together in a cluster with the queen at the center to generate and maintain warmth.
- Removing Drones: Female worker bees expel male bees (drones) as they consume resources without contributing during winter.
- Maintaining Hive Temperature: Cold-blooded honey bees require warmth within the hive to survive the harsh winter.
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Ensuring Hive Strength:
- Strong Queen and Brood: A robust queen and a healthy brood pattern are crucial for winter survival. If the queen is weak or absent, considering hive combining or requeening is advised.
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Food Reserves and Supplemental Feeding:
- Assessing Food Stores: Beekeepers need to check and ensure ample food reserves, typically around 80 to 90 pounds for hives in colder climates like Wisconsin.
- Types of Feeding: Options include sugar water or syrup, BeesVita Plus supplements, candy boards, winter patties, etc., to supplement the bees' diet.
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Pest and Disease Management:
- Monitoring Varroa Mites: Checking for pests and focusing on treating varroa mites, whose breeding rate escalates during this time.
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Hive Insulation and Ventilation:
- Insulation and Ventilation Balance: Highlighting the importance of both insulation and ventilation to maintain optimal hive conditions.
- Winterizing Methods: Strategies such as windbreaks, wrapping hives (in colder climates), reducing hive entrances, using inner covers, choosing between solid or screened bottom boards, and additional insulation methods.
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Other Considerations:
- Mouse Guards: Installing guards to prevent rodent damage to comb.
- Hot Box Winterizer: Acting as an additional entrance in case the bottom entrance is blocked by snow.
This comprehensive approach ensures bee colonies can withstand winter conditions, maintain sufficient warmth, and sustain themselves until the arrival of spring, supporting the continued health and productivity of the hive.
