Preparing the Hives for Winter
Beekeepers (successful ones, anyway) are always working 2-3 months ahead. Right now, preparations are being made for winter by both the beekeeper and the colony. Bees know that winter is coming by the colder temperatures and the shorter daylight. Production of new bees has already slowed down. The bees that are now in the hive are plumper than their summer siblings, and will live for 4-5 months, compared to only a few weeks for the hard-working foragers. They will begin to kick out the drones, who serve no purpose for the hive at this point and are only a drain on resources.
For the beekeeper, this is a very critical time. While hive loss is not uncommon over winter, there are several steps that can be done to mitigate the danger of losing a hive. Making sure that the bees have enough honey to maintain the colony over the long winter months is key. We harvested our last bit of honey a couple of weeks ago and, with the foraging season over, we have a very good idea of what the honey stores are in each hive. We always err on the side of leaving too much honey in the hive.
The second, and almost equally important step, is doing a mite treatment. In the winter, we use an oxalic acid vaporization. This is a natural compound found in plants that leaves no chemical residue in the hive. It doesn’t penetrate brood chambers, where varroa can hide out, so it is best used at this time of year when the hives are broodless. We use an integrated pest management system with our hives, to prevent over-use that can lead to resistance. We will go into more detail about varroa mite management in a later article.
Contrary to what many people believe, it isn’t the cold that kills a hive…it’s moisture. Making sure that the hives are structurally sturdy and sound is very important going into winter, especially in Southwest Ohio, where the winters tend to be very windy and wet. It is imperative that the hives are water-tight, and air is allowed to circulate.
The final threat to a hive is robbing. We add an entrance reducer to the front of the hive to make it easier to guard and to prevent larger vermin from getting in. We also make sure that vegetation around the front of the hive is trimmed back to prevent other insects from using it as a ladder. If a hive is weak, we will combine it with another hive to help build up numbers.
The main goal is to give our girls as much chance as we can for a successful winter. Through trial and error, we have learned what works and what doesn’t. With a good strategy in place, and with a little luck, we will see the fruits of our labor in the spring when the beeyard is buzzing again!
