# Florida BEEKS Wintering BEES



## BiG T (Oct 25, 2010)

How do most of the Florida Bee Keepers winter there bees........Singles Deeps, Double Deeps, Deep and a Medium would like to hear from florida beekeepers...


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## johng (Nov 24, 2009)

This may not help much but, I have some of all that you mention plus nucs. We don't really have enough winter to worry much about. As long as they have capped honey around the brood nest going into winter you will be fine. Thats just for stores you still could have problems with mites and other pest. The maples will start blooming here in North Fl by Late Dec. early Jan. and they normally have quite a few days to forage all winter long.


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Use as many supers as your bees can fill, for Fall/Winter - entrance reducer, remove the queen excluder and make sure they have nectar/honey - as much food as brood!


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## broodhead (May 30, 2009)

Reduce the entrance and make sure there is food available. Many Fl beeks leave some of the pepper on the hive until pre orange then monitor for food consumption. A good food supplement with something like Honey Bee Healthy will help and even promote drone production into the winter. I have about sixty five frame nucs that I have started late and will be adding double five frame bodies and feeding to support winter growth . Last year was a real challenge because of yellow jacket robbers, seems like there was nothing we could do but this years heavy late rains may make those yellow jackets less of a problem.


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## SwedeBee1970 (Oct 26, 2008)

The winter weather predictions indicate a mild and dry weather pattern for FL. C my Page below.


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## pascopol (Apr 23, 2009)

SwedeBee1970 said:


> The winter weather predictions indicate a mild and dry weather pattern for FL. C my Page below.


What the weather "experts" indicate and what a reality will turn to, tend to be be two different animals most of the time.

Last year they predicted 5+ hurricanes and we had none.

They can't even predict rain or not rain for next day in Fl.

If the El Nino phenomena will be active this winter (thats what is predicted) winter is going to be likely wet, but north western upper atmosphere air flow (jet stream) bends and changes shape and angle all the time which guarantees some nasty cold fronts hitting South and Florida with record low breaking temperatures.

I,ve been living in Fl long enough to see it happenning year by year.

Also average Fl temperatures are down in the last decade, with record breaking lows for most Fl locations.


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## SwedeBee1970 (Oct 26, 2008)

Yea, six of one or half a dozen of another for predictions. The last 3 winters proven an Ice Age around Chicago area. Something to look at though. There have been a lot of migrating birds traveling South from two months ago. Very unusual around here. My bees seemed to have it wrapped up for honey production about October 1st. The past couple years I've seen my bees foraging for nectar well into October. The bees and animals know best, I guess.


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## pascopol (Apr 23, 2009)

SwedeBee1970 said:


> Yea, six of one or half a dozen of another for predictions. The last 3 winters proven an Ice Age around Chicago area. Something to look at though. There have been a lot of migrating birds traveling South from two months ago. Very unusual around here. for nectar well into October.


I hear you, we had 3 coldest winters on record in Fl lately. All media and most "scientists" trying to ignore or deny it.

Use your own brain, and draw your own conclusions.

For your own good.


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## Lost Bee (Oct 9, 2011)

I'm from Canada where winters are much worse than Florida.
I may not have bees yet. My conclusion after reading and 
watching some beekeeping videos is for what it's worth. 

*Give them as much hive bodies that you can afford. * 

Why take a chance to save a few dollars and lose the whole colony?


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Anywhere there are small hive beetles and wax moths you do not want more space than the bees can defend. Do not add any super until everything they have is 70 to 80 percent used. 
Drawn is not used either. Imagine if all your supers are already drawn. Do you keep stacking them on whether there are bees to cover and defend or not?


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## Fullwood (Feb 27, 2011)

Just made some splits and have a few nucs I'm overwintering as well. I'm going with giving them a little room to expand while feeding them to keep a little production up. Only a few frames of room though, and keeping an eye on them. As long as I don't give them too much room, they do pretty well on keeping SHB down, and I don't check for mites, so winter will be a time to hang out and focus on building up more equip. for spring.

The last few winters here in Central FL have been pretty brutal (for here). Since it warms to over 50 every day, I'm not too worried about them..


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## Mbeck (Apr 27, 2011)

AmericasBeekeeper said:


> Use as many supers as your bees can fill, for Fall/Winter - entrance reducer, remove the queen excluder and make sure they have nectar/honey - as much food as brood!


Can you explain a little further. 
Use as many supers as your bees can fill fall/winter.... That can be alot!
As much food as brood... Is this frame for frame,cell for cell?


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Always wait to add supers after they have filled 70 to 80 percent of all they have already. Nature will keep the brood size down in late Fall and Winter.
As much food as brood can be weight or supers or frames.


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## Mbeck (Apr 27, 2011)

Thanks
It seems in Florida that most years you can overwintering with healthy brood boxes and no additional supers. Is this correct ? Of course this is not a set and forget idea you will still need to keep an eye on them?


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## Fullwood (Feb 27, 2011)

I just spoke to my buddy today who I sold a hive to. I went over to his property a couple of weeks ago and put a 10 frame medium with foundation only on his single deep, and they've drawn comb and have filled 8 of those frames up with honey. I don't know what exactly is blooming near him, I'm assuming wildflower and possibly some exotic fruit trees that his neighbor has, but his hive is booming right now and probably needs to be split.

It'll be interesting to see how far into winter they'll go filling those boxes.


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