Winterizing our Bees
During the cold, our bees have snuggled up for a long winter nap! Observation hives like ours don't keep the bees protected from the cold as well as traditional bee boxes or natural beehives, so they have been moved to a more comfortable space and will return once they are warm again!
How does winterization work?
We begin our preparation by treating for Varroa Mites in the late summer/early fall. These mites attach them selves to the bees and can even be found in the capped cells with the brood! They feed on fat on the bees and brood, weakening colonies and increasing the chance of a collapse during the winter.
When preparing for winter in a bee box, we want to maintain ventilation while reducing moisture. An entrance reducer goes into the entrance of a bee box to limit the amount of open space in and out. This smaller opening makes it easier to defend against invaders and pests, but also helps retain heat and blocks the wind.
Additionally, we stop supplementing food stores with a sugar/water mixture, to prevent excess moisture in the hive, and instead switch to a solid winter mix if they don't have enough honey and pollen saved up from Spring and Summer.
The bees will also greatly reduce their numbers to ration food and preserve energy.
Does the beehive get cold?
It does! The bees will cluster together around the queen and generate enough warmth to keep themselves cozy. The center of the cluster is usually about 81 degrees, while the exterior of the cluster is around 48 degrees! Those on the outside will trade places with the ones nearer the center to make sure they all take turns warming up.
What do the bees eat during winter?
The hope is they will store up enough honey and pollen to eat during the winter! If they need additional food, we have a winter mix of sugar and plant protein we can provide. The important thing is to not feed them the sugar-water liquid diet they get in the spring and summer. Any excess moisture that gets into the hive can create condensation on the lid that can drip back onto the bees, which makes it harder to regulate their temperature.
When will the bees be back?
The bees will likely stay inside the hive until the temperature is above 50 degrees, as they don't enjoy flying when it is too cold. Once the local flora has begun to bloom and it is warm enough to go out, we need to give them a little time to rebuild the size of their colony and replenish the food they ate during the winter.
Their return to the Observation Hive will likely come in April, when they have had several weeks of consistent warm weather.