How bees overwinter in plastic hives

Wintering bees in hives, or more precisely, preparing for this period, is a crucial moment that begins at the end of the honey-bearing season. Wintering, depending on climatic conditions, lasts from 2 months to six months. In order for bee colonies to emerge healthy by spring, it is necessary to properly organize wintering and carry out timely care. The condition of the bees and the successful exit from wintering depend on regular monitoring of bees in winter.

What do bees do in their hives in winter?

On warm days you can monitor the vital activity of bees, but from November to March they become less active, do not fly out of the hive and eat small amounts of food.

With the onset of winter, the bees begin to carefully plug the cracks, insulate the walls with propolis, and make the exit as narrow as possible. Such painstaking work will protect the bee colony from cold and precipitation.

After the work has been done, the insects gather into a dense living ball, which is formed on the outside by motionless old bees, and on the inside by living young ones. With constant movement, bees release energy and thereby create the temperature necessary for life.

The winter ball is located near the tray to regulate the flow of air and remove carbon dioxide from the hive. As the temperature rises or falls, the bee clump expands or contracts. If the weather is sunny and windless in winter, bees fly out of the hive and circle over the apiary, making a cleansing flight.

Regardless of the air temperature outside, the temperature in the hives remains stable within + 17 °C.

It is recommended to listen to the hives once a week, since the hum of the bees can determine the state of the bee colony:

• a quiet, even hum - the wintering of bees in the hive is going well;
• a barely audible rustling indicates a weakening of the family, in this case additional feeding is necessary;
• if there is no movement, the bee colony is considered dead.

At the end of February, the activity of bees increases, as it is necessary to raise the temperature in the hive for successful egg laying. At this time, careful care and additional feeding are needed.

Families that have wintered poorly greet spring hungry and weakened. Often in such bee colonies the queen dies and various diseases appear.

Winter is the most important and difficult period of time for bees. Since on cold days they selflessly fight for survival and make every effort to start working in the spring and produce tasty, healthy honey.

How to properly prepare bees for wintering, depending on the modification of the hives

Their viability in the spring depends on proper preparation of bees for wintering. Preparatory work begins at the end of August; the execution technique directly depends on the type of hive. There are a number of rules for preparing for wintering that beekeepers must follow, regardless of the type of hive:

• inspection of the hive;
• prevention from diseases;
• nest formation;
• strengthening bee colonies;
• additional feeding;
• insulation of the hive;
• choose the right area, protected from drafts and precipitation.

Bee houses are placed on pedestals to prevent them from being flooded when the snow melts. If the apiary is large, the hives are placed in a dense row to reduce the number of walls blown by the wind.

Preparing bees for winter in a multi-hull hive

Proper preparation of bees for winter in multi-hull hives is a responsible job, since the health of the colony depends on it. On frosty days, bees are inactive, so moving to the side is difficult. It is easier for them to move straight upward, towards the food, heated by the air flow, bypassing all partitions. Therefore, even small families will survive the winter better in a two-hull hive.

They prepare for wintering immediately after the main harvest. For this:

• leave light brown frames, since the queen bee lays eggs in them more readily;
• the candied honey is removed from the hive;
• discard old, unsuitable honeycombs;
• They leave 2 tiers: the lower one for the nest, the upper one for food supplies.

Before the onset of cold weather, it is necessary to carry out correction and placement of frames. Leave honey and sealed frames. 2 with beebread are installed along the edges of the upper tier; the bees will need them at the end of wintering.

Preparing bees for winter in beds

The main advantage of overwintering insects in beds is that the actions taken are not labor-intensive, since there is no need to waste time and effort rearranging heavy cases with honey. One person can prepare bees for wintering in beehives without additional effort.

For this:

• at the end of summer, the hives are moved to fields with late honey plants to feed the bees;
• after this, the store frames are removed to inspect and determine the condition of the bee colonies;
• since the width of the lounger is large, before the first frost, they reduce the parameters by reducing the frames on the side of the tray.

This procedure will create a kind of passage in which the air will be heated, which will normalize heat and air exchange.

How to prepare a bee colony for wintering in rue hives

Preparing striped workers for wintering in Ruth hives differs from preparatory work in other types of hives. Wintering can be organized in two ways:

1. In two buildings. To do this, a nest is built on the lower tier, and the upper one will serve as a feeder. The number of honey frames depends on the strength of the family. If there is no supply, then in August they install an empty housing and feed the bees with sugar syrup. Over time, the bees will quickly make up for the missing losses.
2. In one building. First of all, the nest space is limited by installing a thin diaphragm on both sides. Next, a piece of polyethylene or canvas is placed on the eyelets, making sure to bend one edge. The roof liner, ceiling, empty tier and roof are installed on top. When cold weather sets in, the diaphragm is replaced with insulation and the upper entrance is closed. For better ventilation, thin slats are distributed under the ceiling to allow free flow of fresh air.

Features of wintering bees in hives of different types

Preparation for wintering is an important period for the beekeeper, since it determines whether the bee colony will meet spring or not. A successful outcome depends on the type of hive. The main thing is to choose one that will meet all the requirements.

Wintering of bees in dadan buildings

In order for the bees living in the double-hull Dadan hive to enter the winter home strong, they must be periodically fed with honey or sugar syrup. Feeding begins in late August, especially in the absence of bribes. According to experienced beekeepers, a healthy, strong colony must fill 6 or more Dadan frames before wintering.

Before assembling the nest, it is necessary to reduce the number of frames so that there is enough food for all family members. The identification of extra frames is carried out during the inspection. The procedure is carried out once a week. At each inspection, those frames that are not seeded are removed.

After removing the excess frames, begin to form the nest:

1. Bilateral – this method is used to prepare large bee colonies for wintering, settled on 10-12 streets. 2-4 frames with honey and beebread are placed in the middle (the food should be about 2 kg). On both sides of the central frames there are completely honey ones with a feed volume of up to 4 kg. In general, the number of frames should correspond to the volume of food of 25 kg.
2. Angular – the method is intended for a small family who were able to populate 7-9 streets before winter. With this method, a full-fledged honey frame is installed on one side, and the next ones are arranged in descending order. The closing frame should contain about 2 kg of honey. All other honey frames are put into storage.
3. Beard – suitable for weak families. Honey frames are placed in the center, all subsequent ones in descending order.To provide bees with food for the whole winter, the supply of honey must be at least 10 kg. To ensure that the bees are correctly guided for food, bars are installed perpendicularly as a guide for them.

When bees winter in the wild in hives, the beekeeper is limited in control and assistance to bee colonies. Free wintering has its pros and cons. The advantages include:

• there are no costs for building a winter shelter;
• insects independently carry out cleansing flights;
• In the spring, honey collection begins earlier.

Disadvantages of free wintering:

• there should be a lot of food, the frames should be sealed 2/3 with honey;
• the area should be protected from the wind, and the hives should be shaded from direct sunlight;
• it is necessary to install bird protection;
• weak families cannot survive the winter in the wild, so they are moved to stronger ones through a blind partition.

There are a large number of types of hives in beekeeping, but beekeepers recommend that beginners send their bees for the winter in hives with narrow, high frames. Because they have many advantages:

• the hives are easy to use;
• honeycombs are placed in 3 rows and are in solid cassettes with frames;
• they are convenient to insert and remove;
• the hive is equipped with several entrances that prevent the accumulation of bees at the entrance;
• food reserves for the winter are located above the family’s head;
• honey reserves are located on a long, narrow path, which facilitates the feeding process.

Wintering bees in multi-hull hives

Most beekeepers do not recommend keeping insects in a multi-hull hive, despite the greater honey production. There are several disadvantages of wintering in a multi-hull hive:

1. Most often, insect pestilence occurs at the beginning or end of winter due to brood.Because of this, bees later fly out of the house and bring pollen and nectar untimely, which leads to a lack of food.
2. In the hives there is a young queen bee, which was hatched shortly before the onset of cold weather.
3. In a multi-body hive, the nest quickly overheats.
4. The hive is often attacked by mites and mice.

To make wintering comfortable, preparations are carried out at the end of summer: at this time the queen is hatched, and the bees prepare supplies for the winter.

Wintering takes place in a 2-tier hive. 8 frames are left at the bottom and top of the lower tier. There should be no food in the lower combs. Up to 2 frames are left in the middle of the upper body; they are not completely filled from below. After the first flight, the bee colony needs to be fed. If there is enough food, then by the end of wintering the bees will move to the upper building, while the lower one is removed.

In order for insects to feel comfortable all winter, it is necessary to assemble the hive correctly. Work begins in early autumn; it cannot be carried out later, as the bees can be severely disturbed.

The picture shows an option on how to keep honey warm and moist. This design will not interfere with the movement of the bee ball. The lower housing will be empty, which will help the bees not suffer from a lack of oxygen. When preparing a hive using this technology, the occurrence of mold and parasites is unlikely, and the bees will not become steamed. As the bees absorb food, they gradually move to the upper tier, and in the spring they completely vacate the lower housing.

Wintering bees in rue hives

A multi-body Rutov hive, with proper assembly and proper formation of a nest with plenty of food, is an ideal place for wintering. Strong and medium-sized families are housed in 2 buildings for the winter, weak ones spend the winter in 1 building Ruta hives.In the upper compartment there is a compressed nest on full-sized honeycombs.

When forming a nest, it is necessary to control the number of filled frames. There should be 1 less of them than bee streets. For good heat transfer, Guillaume barrier boards are installed on both sides of the walls. In the lower tier there are no more than 5 small cells. It is better to store the food needed for wintering in storage rooms.

How to organize a warm home:

1. Insulation and polyethylene are laid on the frames of the upper body. They will serve as a thermal cushion.
2. The upper and slotted tapholes are opened in order to get rid of carbon dioxide.

Pros and cons of wintering bees in hives made of polyurethane foam and polypropylene foam

Wintering bees in beehives

The hive-lounger is an ideal option for beginners. The sun loungers can be easily rearranged, removed or added with frames. Winter reserves will be located vertically, and the bee ball will be able to consume honey from above.

Only strong families need to place a bed in the hive for the winter. If the bee colony is weakened, it will move towards the exit, thereby leaving the feeder behind. In order for the winter to pass without losses, you need to follow the advice of experienced beekeepers:

1. If the hive has 1 entrance, then the nest is placed in the center; if there are 2, at the top and bottom, the nest is placed in the middle of the dwelling; if there are up to 4 entrances, the nests are located at the edges.
2. To protect against dampness, additional ventilation is provided.
3. It is important to insulate the nest from air- and water-permeable material.
4. Mousetraps are installed near the apiary.
5. When winters are cold, the hive is removed to a warm room.
6. Special wind shields are installed on the front wall.
7. The hives are regularly cleaned of dead bodies, as they reduce air ventilation and the bees suffer from a lack of oxygen.

At the end of February, the bee colony needs to be fed, since the bee, breaking away from the club in search of food, dies.

Wintering bees in Finnish hives

Wintering in Finnish hives can easily take place in the open air. The houses are light in weight and in severe frosts they can be moved to a specially prepared, insulated place.

The accumulated condensate comes out freely from below, the bottom is closed using a special valve. With the onset of spring days, insects freely begin their spring flight.

Since the structure is highly moisture resistant, dark spots and mold do not appear on the walls of Finnish hives.

Conclusion

Wintering of bees in hives is being improved every year. Recently, different options have been used, especially in multi-hull hives.Wintering must be approached with all responsibility: strengthen the families, prepare food, if there is a need to patch up cracks and cracks. A properly prepared bee colony is the key to a good winter.

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