In order for the bee colony to winter better and the bees to remain whole, it is important to secure the hive on time and properly without any drafts. The openings on the beehive should be closed with carpenter’s putty or plaster, the beehive should be stabilized and tilted towards the flight to prevent the penetration of atmospheric precipitation. Snow should be removed from the runway, while it can remain on the roof. It is necessary to protect the flights with tin combs to prevent the entry of mice.
The material for warming the bees should be installed already in October. The nest in the beehive is warmed up with jute pillows, newspaper, chicken, ottoman and similar materials that must not be wet because of the formation of mold. The material must be regularly controlled and replaced if necessary. The quality of the comb is crucial for the hibernation of bees, so in the fall you should remove damaged, distorted combs and those with stretched cells, as well as young combs from which at least three generations of worker bees have not been produced. Bees should be left with as many frames with honeycomb as they can cover during cold days, and the method of wintering depends on the type of hive.
Where and how to hibernate bees?
In Langstrot-Rut hives, the bee colony hibernates in two ways. The first extension on the base should have one frame with honey along the walls of the hive, while the other frames (8 frames) should have empty honeycombs or smaller wreaths of honey. The second extension contains a box with spare food. On the sides are frames with the most honey, and in the middle are frames with a smaller wreath of honey.
Above the second extension, a cover board or a sledge with a feeder is placed. At the same time, several sheets of newsprint and the roof of the beehive are placed over the cover board. If the bee colony is extremely strong, a third extension with spare food is placed in the form of frames with honey that are placed along the sides of the hive. On the other side, in the middle, are the frames with the smallest wreath of honey.
In Dadan-Blat’s beehives and hives, bees are wintered by separating the space in the hive that is not occupied by bees and food with a partition board. At the same time, several sheets of newspaper are placed in the empty space behind the partition board. If the empty honeycomb does not remain in the extension, the empty space should be filled with something. It is most often filled with pillows filled with moss, rags, paper or other materials for warming. The hive should also be warmed from above. News paper is placed over the cover board or the sledge with Miller’s feeder. Then follows a continuation with an empty honeycomb, then newspaper and everything is covered with the roof of the hive.
In this way, with appropriate measures, beekeepers can ensure that their bee colonies survive the winter in the best possible condition.
Source: Good morning
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