Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
to the next. Through this process, the bees are capable of maintaining a constant tem-
perature of 95°F inside the hive, even on the most frigid winter days. On days that are
slightly warmer, the workers will crawl to the corners of frames and gently scrape open
capped cells full of honey to eat. They will then carry some honey back to the cluster to
feed the queen, the other worker bees, and even the few drones that have been allowed
tooverwinter.Somewillhavetheunpleasanttaskofcleaningupafterthequeenandthe
drones. If any day happens to be 65°F or more, the worker bees will leave the hive to
get a little exercise and go for quick cleansing flights. Worker bees born in the fall will
overwinter inside the hive, and because their duties are light, they will live for a few
months longer than their spring and summer siblings.
Bytheendofthesummer,afterthehoneyhasbeenextractedfromthehive,beekeep-
ers can help their bees prepare for overwintering by feeding them with a winter sugar
solution, properly ventilating the hive, and helping the colony guard against intruders.
Feeding them sugar-water solution in the fall, while there is little nectar and pollen
available, will help bees store up enough honey to last the winter. (A single colony of
bees can consume up to two hundred pounds of stored honey over the course of a full
year.)Manywinter-relatedbeedeathsareadirectresultofwinterstarvation.Innorthern
climates, such as where I am from, it is advisable to make sure your bees have a min-
imum of sixty pounds of honey stored in the frames. This honey is stored in the main
twobroodboxes,whereitwillbeavailabletothehoneybeesthroughoutthewinter.The
ideal sugar solution for fall feeding is a ratio of one part sugar mixed with one part wa-
ter. Bees can drink up to a gallon a day, so your feeder needs to be constantly refilled
untilthebeesstoptakingit.Feedyourbeesforaslongastheysipthesolution;theywill
stop when they have had enough or once they are clustering.
The fall is also the time to make any necessary repairs to the hive. Be sure to replace
any damaged pieces, and make sure the cover still fits tightly, so the bees will be
sheltered from rain and snow. During winter, moisture can get trapped inside your hive
andcreatedampness.Ifpossible,gentlytiltyourwholehiveforwardandsetitataslight
angle so that rainwater or melted snow will drain out at the entrance. Some beekeepers
takeawoodenicecreamstickandplaceitbetweenthehivebodiestocreatealittleextra
ventilation after the bees have begun to cluster. In extremely cold locations, some bee-
keepers swear by wrapping their hives for added insulation. Materials used for wrap-
pingincluderoofingpaper,cardboard,plastictarps,orspeciallymadecolonyquilts.Do
not close off the entrance; bees still do need to exit and enter the hive when temperat-
ure permits. Many people ask me why I don't bring the bees inside for the winter. The
reason is that it would be confusing to the bees' natural instincts, and there aren't any
flowers for them to forage on inside the house.
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