Winter Prep—

An ounce of prevention…..

Nationwide Insurance
September 19, 2017
Terry Lieberman-Smith
Vice-President, OSBA
What is that Smell?
Everybody Loves Goldenrod/Asters
 Beekeepers need to stay
¼ season ahead of the calendar
 A main key to a successful and
enjoyable beekeeping season…
is to remember that there is no “stand-alone” in beekeeping.
Each season’s success depends on the previous season.

A successful Winter depends on the bees coming out of the Fall

season prepared

A successful Spring depends on the bees coming out of winter

A successful Honey Flow depends on the beekeeper having the

bees in the right strength at the right time from Spring activities

A successful Fall depends on the beekeeper ensuring

that the bees have fill the pantry and are “fat” going
into winter

And so on…..
Our Checklist
Our winter checklist for our
homes
✓ Ventilation/Insulation
✓ Draft control
✓ Pantry
✓ Pest protection
✓ Maintenance
Their Checklist
Our winter checklist for our hives
✓ Ventilation (no build up of
moisture and gases)
✓ Draft control
✓ Pantry
✓ Pest protection
✓ Maintenance
Ventilation
Issue
✓ Ventilation (no build up of moisture and gases). As bees
shiver to keep warm, they emit water and carbon
dioxide.
Solutions
✓ Insulated lids help prevent the moisture from hitting
the cold lid and freezing, and later raining back down
on the bees
✓ Upper entrance– helps the moisture and gases
escape
✓ Small twigs or brads placed on the corners of the
inner cover
ventilation
› Top Entrance: If the lower entrances becomes
blocked with dead bees, the upper entrance will
allow bees to take elimination flights on warm days
Wrapping vs. Insulation
› Wrapping: Using black tar paper to take
advantage of solar gain during the sunny
days

› Insulation: Prevent heat loss. The colder the

ambient temperature, the more it will wick
away the warmth generated by the cluster.

› Purpose: moderate the temperature

extremes and allow the bees to move
about to where the honey is located
Wrapped hive

Nod Bee Cozy ~ $18

 Wraps Insulated

Black Polypropylene
(corrugated Plastic)
Insulation
› http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/articles/Maki
ngWinterWraps.pdf

› http://www.gardenfork.tv/beehive-winter-wrap-
beekeeping-101-gf-video-2/

› https://thegreenergrassfarm.com/2016/01/20/diy-9-
33-insulating-hive-wrap-for-wintering-honeybees/
 Draft control
(goes hand-in-hand with Ventilation)

Prevent constant wind, not to provide heat

Insulation
Fencing
Bags of leaves
Straw bales

Remember–
Bees can be cold
Bees can be wet, but
Wet, cold bees will die….
The Need to Feed
 Pantry

› Bees need about 60-80 pounds of honey to get through

winter
› Have you been hefting your hives from the back?
› Bees on the bottom, food on the top – remember bees
move up during the winter
› What to feed? 2:1 sugar water so that bees will store it.
› Currently, there is a ton of pollen coming in, at least in
my area.
› If you feed pollen substitute, only feed enough for them
to finish in 1-2 days. Otherwise you are providing hive
beetles with a buffet.
› You need FAT bees going into winter
Feeding Bees
› Baggie Method Frame Feeder
Feeding Bees

Quail Feeders Mason Jars

Pantry Back-up Supplies
Make sure that if you need to feed, your hive is set-
up for the feeding…..is there space at the top?

Types of feed:
Fondant
(http://beehivejournal.blogspot.com/2009/01/bee-fondant.html)
Sugar Brick
(http://www.mdasplitter.com/docs/candy.pdf)
Granulated Sugar

Sugar water in winter is basically unusable.

Pest Control
Issue
✓ Pest protection: mice
Solution:
✓ entrance reducers: wood, metal
✓ hardware cloth
✓ “winter” side of the bottom board
Planning for Next Year

❖OSBA Fall Conference in Plain City,

OH– Vendors include: Brushy
Mountain Bee Farm, Blue Sky Bee
Supply, Dadant & Sons, Mann Lake,
Mel Disselkoen…
❖Make your apiary plan

Education is not an Accessory

Education is a Necessity