# ready for winter?



## Kyle Meadows (Jul 14, 2006)

Hi all,
I'm hoping to check my 6 hives in the next week or so and wanted to ask what I need to look for as far as their winter preparedness is concerned. I understand that they need enough honey to last them, but how much would that be? (I'm in northern Kentucky). I'm using all mediums and the hives have anywhere from 3 to 6 bodies on them. (I left the supers on some of them). Should I rearrange or reduce the number of hive bodies? If the honey stores are spread unevenly from top to bottom should I consolidate the frames that contain honey or just leave them alone?
We seem to be having a bit of a flow right now with some mild temperatures and a lot of what I think is white aster.
Also I'm using top entrances and wondered if they should be reduced for winter.
Thanks for all advice!
Kyle


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## CSbees (Aug 7, 2007)

I would definately consolidate the frames with the most honey down in to one box. When wintering with mediums the 3 Illinois typically used for brood rearing are what you should go into winter full of honey. Even if the bees have ample stores up above the brood they will often starve, because the bees cluster down low and will not jeopardize the heat of the cluster to go 3 supers up to get honey. Keep overwintering hives as small as possible. 3 mediums full of honey and bees from the bottom board is perfect for wintering. If using one deep and one medium for brood these two will go through the winter.


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## Dave W (Aug 3, 2002)

LATE FALL (November) - All necessary preparation for winter should have been completed by the last of October. But, if necessary, on warm days in November, all necessary operations can be performed. Make sure of the following at least by Thanksgiving [DLW] (a full month before winter arrives according to the calendar [Ref 19, p104]). 
	Queen Excluders - Be certain ALL excluders have been removed [DLW]. 
	Adequate Stores - Feeding should be complete and feeders removed [DLW].
	Winter Entrance - Main entrance needs to be reduced to keep out (chilling [Ref 12, p597]) winds, snow, and rain [Ref 12, p599] (yet some leave SBB open all year? [DLW-2/17/07). Keep bottom entrance small (3/8 x 1" [Ref 5, p363])
- Top entrance must be unblocked by top cover [DLW].
	Mouse Guard is secure (should be in place by late September [Ref 7, p116]).
	Wind Protection - Protect hive from wind [Ref 5, p362]. If a good natural windbreak is not available, use a stack of straw bales on the windward side, or a temporary fence of horticultural burlap [Ref 19, p104]. Secure top cover w/ a brick or two to foil strong winter winds [Ref 19, p104]. Windbreaks are especially critical for northern apiaries [Jennifer Berry, BC, 9/07, p34].
	Winter Wrapping has more of a psychological value to the beekeeper than real value to the normal colony. Wrapping will NOT make strong colonies out of ones deficient in honey, pollen, or population, or those having a poor queen or a heavy Nosema infection [Ref 5, p363].
	Sunshine - Provide maximum sun exposure during winter [Ref 5, p361]. Sunshine on hive often permits an expansion or shift of cluster; also, sunshine on upper entrance adjacent to cluster permits bees to fly when they might not otherwise pass over cold combs to reach bottom entrance [Ref 5, p362].
	Air Drainage - Good flow away from hive [Ref 5, p362]. Air drainage is more important than protection from wind [Ref 5, p363].
	Hive Stand - Provide dead-air space under hive [Ref 12, p848] (yet some leave SBB open all year? [DLW-2/17/07). Be sure to locate hive on high ground to avoid spring floods [BC Calendar, 10/07].
	Mite Control - Once colonies become broodless, monitor mite levels to determine if oxalic acid treatment is required [Randy Oliver, ABJ, 3/07, p218]. Remove V-mite treatment strips at least by November [Betterbee 2005 Catalog, p51, Ref 19, p104]. Make sure there’s a new grease patty in place to help control T-mites [Ref 19, p104].
	Leave bees alone once cold weather hits [Country Wisdom, 2004, p96]. Bees should not be disturbed during the dormant season [Ref 21, p44]. Colonies should be disturbed as little as possible during winter. Disturbance will cause cluster to break and brood rearing may be initiated too early [Ref 9, p472]. 
	Visit apiary (no inspections) every 2 or 3 weeks during December and January to check that all is well [Ref 21, p130].


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Good list, but.... 

All posts like this should be accompanied with a disclaimer thats states recommendations are location and climate sensitive. New beekeepers might follow all things they read.

Queen Excluders - Be certain ALL excluders have been removed
Some of my sites have a winter flow and I leave them on all year.

Adequate Stores - Feeding should be complete and feeders removed 
Some of my sites require little

Winter Entrance 
I never change mine

Mouse Guard
Never use them

Winter Wrapping 
Don't need them


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## Dave W (Aug 3, 2002)

Odfrank . . .

You make a VERY, very good point.

Thanx


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## Chef Isaac (Jul 26, 2004)

When wintering up your hives, you need to kinda pick and choose what you want to try and talk to some LOCAL people. For example, some people wrap their hives for the winter... if we did that here, it would promote mold so we do not do that. Odfank doesnt use entrance reducers since his climate is different but for us, we have to.


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## Kyle Meadows (Jul 14, 2006)

Thanks for the replies.
Two of my hives (from packages this spring) haven't done too well and are still kind of small with not much honey or bees at all. I would guess that the queens aren't too good because two other hives (also from spring packages) are just a few feet away and have done much better. Is it too late to requeen or should I wait till spring? What about combining the two weak hives in one box with a screen between them and feeders on top, allowing the heat from the two hives to mingle?


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I always reduce entrances in the fall to cut down on robbing. My top entrances are about 2 1/2" by 1/4" right now.


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## CSbees (Aug 7, 2007)

For Mr. Meadows,

I would suggest for next year purchasing nucs from local beekeepers rather than buying package bees. Naturally reared queens, not commercial queens far out-perform package queens. I love getting nucs started in the spring.


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## Kyle Meadows (Jul 14, 2006)

I'll do the nucs next year and reduce the entrances this year.
Thanks for the advice!


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## spunky (Nov 14, 2006)

CSbees said:


> For Mr. Meadows,
> 
> I would suggest for next year purchasing nucs from local beekeepers rather than buying package bees. Naturally reared queens, not commercial queens far out-perform package queens. I love getting nucs started in the spring.




Errr not to hi jack the thread here or get off Kyles topic, but my best queen and hive this year out of 3, were from a commerical package and queen. This package was started without any drawn comb april 1st, was split june 17th and still outproduced, almost double what a nuc from a small specialty breeder sold me ????

Whys everyone always knockin on the commerical guys ?


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## CSbees (Aug 7, 2007)

I set up a three frame nuc this spring that produced 13 supers of honey this year. Superior queens can come from several sources, even on the odd chance of getting one in a package. Percentage wise, however, the best queens are ones that people take time with and don't rush. My best queen will be on her 3rd year now: still outlaying any carniolan in the springtime. Two sides of a frame of capped brood full to the sides and top with 3 skipped cells total.


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## spunky (Nov 14, 2006)

CSbees said:


> I set up a three frame nuc this spring that produced 13 supers of honey this year. Superior queens can come from several sources, even on the odd chance of getting one in a package. Percentage wise, however, the best queens are ones that people take time with and don't rush. My best queen will be on her 3rd year now: still outlaying any carniolan in the springtime. Two sides of a frame of capped brood full to the sides and top with 3 skipped cells total.



How will you keep these genes with open mating ????? 


I am a new beek, but I know honey production is alot more dependent on other factors than just the queen


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## CSbees (Aug 7, 2007)

If the queen lays more eggs which will become foraging bees, then there will be more bees to bring back nectar. Therefore more honey. If you have a mediocre queen and a great honey flow, then you will have mediocre production. The factor of how good a honey flow is is not a representation of how much honey will be made. We had a frost on April of this year killing all tulip poplar and emerging blooms. We also had one of the driest years on record. One can however, make honey in bad conditions such as this with a massive work force.


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## kuchinskas (Nov 13, 2007)

*winter in California*

I'm hearing conflicting advice about feeding through the winter.

My bees are located in Tehama County, where it was in the 70s last week; this week, highs in mid-60s and lows in mid-40s. When I checked them last week, there were a lot of bees and they were still actively foraging.

However, there was quite a drought this summer and not much forage, so I've been feeding them syrup and a monthly pollen patty through the summer.

I'm afraid they don't have enough stores to make it through the winter. They're in a single hive body, and there are two empty frames. 

My retailer told me I could feed the pollen patties through the winter, and the bees would eat it when the temperature was in the 40s or above. But I've also heard that feeding pollen stimulates brood rearing -- and it seems like the more bees born in the winter, the faster stores will go. The hive seems crowded now.

My understanding is that they have trouble evaporating the water from the syrup in cooler weather, which can lead to chilling.

In Feb., there will be some days of 60 or even low-70-degree weather and pollen and nectar from a eucalyptus tree. 

So, my question is: Should I keep feeding them, and what should I feed?

thanks!


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