# How to winter hives with honey in colder climates?



## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

I do 1 and 2. Granted, we get only 4 to 5 months of winter cold. Super come off before fall flow so they can backfill. I like to keep a super of capped comb on hand and this year, due to our extended cold, I put it on top late winter and the bees moved right up into it.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I just leave the honey. The only feeding I do is if they are actually short come fall, which sometimes happens, but then I usually give the light hive honey from other hives, and pollen if there is no fall flow, so I will have young bees going into winter.


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## masarin (May 7, 2012)

Found this on a Swedish forum from one with the same climate as me.

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When harvesting honey/wintering the bees I collect 8 frames with plenty of honey in them. 
Then I put these frames in a 10 frame box together with 2 frames of brood.
This have worked for several years.
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This sounds like a good way as you will be harvesting and wintering at the same time. Then the bees can keep filling with what flow that's left.


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## zhiv9 (Aug 3, 2012)

Fall feeding is generally necessary to overwinter a single here as well, even with doing 1. With a double brood chamber, 1 usually works as long as there is a fall flow. I would think that 2 would be a good substitute for fall feeding. I always find my bees in the top box next to the cover in winter.


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## MaydayMalone (Jan 19, 2012)

I go with 1 and 2. We are coming out of a harsher than normal winter this year. I just supplement feed if necessary.


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