WINTERIZING BEE HIVES HOW TO
If all goes well I intend to “split” the hive next year to create an additional colony. How to Guide to Winterizing Your Bees & Hives Get Varroa and Trachea Mites Under Control Make Sure Your Bees Have Adequate Food Stores Control Moisture. I’m hoping they were able to make it through. Unfortunately we just had a cold front for the last several days. We had some warm days a few weeks ago and the hive was extremely active. The black plastic bags have been doing a great job attracting heat when the sun is out. I placed some old comb with honey we weren’t able to salvage near the hive with some water during the days when the hive was showing lots of activity. I had to staple it to the wood on the front of the hive to keep it from blowing shut. I secured the ensemble with bungee cords and then made a small slit in the one end to allow air flow and for the bees to be able to get out. I then wrapped each of the hives with 2 Mexican blankets and pulled a large black garbage bag over each end.
WINTERIZING BEE HIVES FULL
I moved the hive across the yard under a deciduous tree that would shade them from direct sun during the summer but that allowed for full sun during the winter after the leaves fell. They weren’t getting nearly enough sun during the winter months to help keep them warm and the lack of heat was causing a buildup of moisture. I was excited to say the least but new I had to find a better spot for my hive. To my surprise when I pulled the second honey comb and saw a group of bees looking back at me! Thinking they were dead I opened the hive to harvest the honey before the moisture caused it to mold and ferment. You should see at least some brood in your hive. A proper interior size is less drafty and less likely to harbor intruders. If necessary, reduce the hive volume with follower boards, especially in a top-bar hive. I couldn’t hear them, or even see them through the window on the hive. Make the space inside the hive commensurate with the size of the colony. This colony was able to get established much quicker than my brother’s hive where they didn’t have a foundation and had to build from scratch.ĭuring early winter there was no sign the bees were still alive. I put one hive of bees in my hive from last year that still had brood comb in it. Although you will need to keep an eye on the colony and check on them from time to time, you. Additionally, the pantry has to be adequately stocked for the bees to make it through the winter. You have to make sure the mite count is way down. Once July is over, you really need to get going. This year I wanted to prevent repeating last year’s results. Preparation for winterizing your beehives begins early. It wasn’t a lack of food because the bees left several full bars of capped honey.īees cost about $100 for the initial hive and then it takes them time to build comb and to reproduce to their optimum size so you really don’t want to have to start over each year. I’m not sure if it was the cold weather or a disease.
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