Preparing Your Beehives for Winter: A Guide for Beekeepers
As the days grow shorter and temperatures begin to drop, beekeepers know it's time to start preparing their hives for winter. Ensuring your bees are ready for the cold months ahead is crucial for their survival and health. Here are some steps to help you get your beehives winter-ready:
- Inspect and Repair Your Hives
Begin by conducting a thorough inspection of your hives. Look for any signs of damage, wear, or weaknesses. Repair any cracks or holes in the hive structure to prevent cold drafts and moisture from entering. Strong, well-maintained hives provide better protection against the winter elements.
You may wish to add an outer circle of chicken wire around the hive to prevent woodpecker damage. Make sure the chicken wire is positioned far enough away from the hive that the woodpeckers reach with their beaks.
- Assess and Consolidate Colony Strength
Evaluate the strength of each colony. Weak colonies are less likely to survive the winter, so it's important to consider combining weaker colonies with stronger ones. This process, known as uniting colonies, helps ensure that your bees have enough resources and numbers to generate warmth and survive the winter.
- Ensure Adequate Food Stores
Bees need sufficient food stores to make it through the winter. Ideally, each hive should have about 60-80 pounds of honey. If food stores are low, consider feeding your bees sugar syrup in autumn. As temperatures drop, switch to feeding fondant, as liquid syrup can freeze and become inaccessible to the bees.
- Insulate the Hives
Insulating your hives helps maintain a stable temperature inside, keeping your bees warm. Use materials like foam board, straw, or insulated wraps designed for beehives. Be sure not to over-insulate, as proper ventilation is also necessary to prevent moisture build-up, which can be harmful to the bees.
This year I am using beehive wraps, designed to fit most types of hive. It is a careful balance between insulation and ventilation.
- Install Mouse Guards
Mice can be a significant problem in winter, seeking the warmth and food inside beehives. Install mouse guards at the entrance of each hive to prevent them from entering and causing damage. These guards allow bees to come and go while keeping pests out.
Make sure you check behind the mouse guard frequently, to ensure a build-up of dead bees is not blocking the exits.
- Provide Proper Ventilation
Good ventilation is crucial to prevent moisture build-up, which can lead to mould and disease. Make sure your hives have upper entrances or ventilation holes to allow moist air to escape. You can also use moisture-absorbing materials like burlap or newspaper to help manage humidity inside the hive.
- Monitor and Manage Varroa Mite Levels
Varroa mites are a major threat to bee health and can weaken colonies, making them less likely to survive the winter. Treat your hives for varroa mites in the autumn to reduce their population. Continue to monitor and manage mite levels throughout the winter as needed.
I also treat my hives in the Christmas week using the trickle method. Brood should be at a low level so the mites in the hive will be on the bees. Adult Varroa mites are phoretic – they attach themselves to adult bees. By treating when brood is low, your chances of killing maximum mites is higher.
- Reduce Disturbances
Once your hives are prepared, minimize disturbances to the bees. Avoid opening the hives, as this can disrupt the cluster and cause heat loss. Keep an eye on your hives from a distance and only intervene if absolutely necessary. There are some great tools out there for hive monitoring from the simple heat seeking apps to the more technical hive monitoring devices.
Conclusion
Preparing your beehives for winter is essential to ensure your bees' survival and health. By following these steps, you can help your colonies stay warm, well-fed, and protected from pests and disease. Happy beekeeping from Penshurst Bees!