Work with bees in winter by month

People who are not involved in bee care believe that winter is a kind of vacation for the beekeeper. Bees hibernate, like bears do, and do not require the slightest bit of attention until they fly out of the hive when the warm spring arrives. This is a misconception – a beekeeper’s job is year-round, with no weekends or vacations. Working with bees in the winter is just as challenging as the rest of the year.

Under natural conditions, bees choose places for wintering that are sheltered from winds, noise and natural enemies. The instincts of such a complex organization as the bee family cannot be fooled. The beekeeper must provide the same overwintering conditions – warmth, safety and protection from noise. The bee family must go into winter strong, with sufficient food, in a sturdy, good-quality hive, pre-insulated. When organizing wintering it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the breed of bees and their ability to withstand the cold, which autumn honeydrops were used when laying the winter stock of honey.

The place for wintering is chosen in advance, it can be a barn, a specially built hibernary, a ventilated cellar. The temperature in the winterhouse is from 0 to +2, and with high humidity, up to +4 C. An increase in temperature and humidity is as dangerous as a sharp decrease. Humidity should be between 80 and 85%. Hives should also be protected from mice, so it is undesirable to put hives near foodstuffs such as beets and carrots.

Protective plate for beehives against mice

When wintering outdoors, the internal volume of the hive is limited and all the voids are filled with straw mats. When the hive is outdoors, the bees feed intensively, releasing carbon dioxide and steam, which must be vented from the nest. Hives should not be sealed up tightly, the hive must be ventilated in winter, but without draughts. There are two types of ventilation – through a hole in the lid filled with straw, and through a barred slot in the bottom, the so-called Finnish version.

 Under normal conditions, feeding the bees in winter is not carried out, but different situations are possible, sometimes even requiring the association of families.  All necessary procedures, including inspection of the hive, should be done no more than once a month, bees need peace in winter. Signs of trouble in the family are a disturbance of the even, quiet hum that a club of bees makes in a normal state. Remember – bees do not hibernate. They work just as hard as they do in the summer. But their efforts are not aimed at collecting nectar, but at preserving the strength of the family and not to lose the resource accumulated during the summer.

Bees in December

It should be noted that December is not the beginning of wintering, but closer to the middle. Feeding of bees in December is carried out if a lack of food is noticed. A frame of honey, or kandi, is used, placing it over the club of bees. For wintering, bees form a ball-shaped cluster, one insect can not release the necessary amount of heat to heat the body and dies. And in the club, the temperature varies from 19 to 35 C, depending on activity.

If there is not enough food, or the nest is not properly formed, the club can disintegrate, which threatens hypothermia and the death of the family. The beekeeper’s main tasks in winter are:

• Monitor family behavior;
• to avoid food shortages;
• control the level of humidity in the hive;
• check the ventilation;
• to prevent sunlight from illuminating the hive openings;
• protect the hive from mice.

The wintering of bees in the wild requires the same rest as indoors. It is advisable to visit the apiary no more than 2 to 3 times a month, and not to make unnecessary noise.

 Inspection of bees is carried out when the weather outside is windless and relatively warm. After opening the hive, the first thing to check is where the club is located. If it is at the bottom, everything is normal. But the upper location means that the food is running out and winter feeding of bees is needed. For this purpose they put a frame with honey or kandi. Also a sign of a lack of food is an increased noise from the bee club. If the family is properly prepared for wintering, there should be no problems with feeding in December.

 Also, the beekeeper should assess the amount of hay and its condition. If there is a lot of humor and it is damp, it is necessary to increase ventilation. Also a signal of high humidity is the appearance of mold. Both the mold and the trash are removed with a scraper, and the ventilation conditions are improved, sometimes it is necessary to remove the insulation, fully or partially.  When it gets colder, the insulation should be put back in place, taking care not to disturb the bees.

Working with bees in January

An experienced beekeeper knows very well that the middle of winter is the beginning of problems with wintering bees. There is still brood in the nests, bees consume the same amount of food as in December, if the bees are not disturbed, they will spend the month safely. Inspection of the hives in January is not more than 2 times a month, but periodically it is recommended to listen to them with a phonendoscope. Feeding the bees in January is done when the same signs of starvation are found as in December.

Organizing the wintering of bees indoors.

Also carried out:

• clearing of the flytrap (mid-January);
• monitoring the level of humidity;
• checking for signs of mice attacks;
• checking for signs of mice attacks; – determining the condition of the hive;
• checking for mites.

Cleaning of plates and pictures installed on the bottom of the hive with a separate scraper for each hive in order not to spread possible diseases and mites. Feeding of bees in winter, at the end of January, is carried out by kandi with preparations for varroaatosis and nosema. It is also possible to use sugar and powdered sugar. The medicinal kandi is necessary for the prevention of diseases in the future. Treatment of bees against mites in winter is not carried out, it should be completed before the onset of cold weather. From then on, only prophylaxis is possible.

Working with bees in February

The last month of winter is not the end of bee wintering. But already the activation of the family can be noticed. The queen is starting to lay her first eggs, and the family is becoming more active in feeding her. The sound coming from the club becomes more audible, and the temperature rises to 35 C. Naturally, more food is needed when the bees become active. Feeding the bees in February with kandi is one of the mandatory steps. Although some beekeepers consider this issue controversial and strongly against feeding bees in winter, arguing that under natural conditions, the bees do not receive additional food until the period of flight.

February is a dangerous period in terms of diseases. The activation of bee nutrition can lead to intestinal overfeeding and diarrhea. In healthy bees this phenomenon is not noticed, but if paratyphoid or nosema affects the bees may die before the flight. The family is also in danger if they go into winter with honey in the honeycomb.

Feeding the bee family in February with syrup is one way to solve the problem of food shortage. But liquid feed can over-activate the bees and they will start to rob early. Syrup can only be given at the end of the month if spring is expected to be early and warm. In general, wintering on sugar syrup is not the best way to keep bee families, sugar crystallizes quickly, it has little protein and other nutrients. In winter it is one of the extreme measures.

 Also in the apiary will require work such as:

• Inspection of the hives once a week;
• analyzing the condition of the hive’s trash;
• increasing ventilation;
• checking the bottom of the hive for excrement;
• removing frames with sour honey;
• transferring individual families to dry clean hives if old ones are moldy or dirty.

Feeding in February with kandi honey is the best way to maintain family strength. Feeding is done in the third decade of the month. Feeding should be up to 80 grams per day (for a healthy family). The inspection of bees in February is regular and thorough, and unfortunately not only the vital processes are activated, but also diseases. The beekeeper is required to be extremely attentive and to have an excellent knowledge of bee biology.