Not only does a smaller hive size keep your bees warmer throughout the winter, it also leaves less room for intruders to enter. You can also use follower boards to make the hive area smaller, especially if you’re using a top bar hive. Make your hive better fit the colony within it by removing extra supers. Remove Excess SpaceĮxtra space in your hive makes it drafty and hard to warm. To prevent this, consider treating the colony for varroa mites as part of your winter preparation, so your bees are protected throughout the season. If varroa invade the hive at this time, they can ruin the population of worker bees, meaning the colony won’t be able to make as much food ahead of winter. These mites feed on broods and come in much larger numbers during the fall. Pests can endanger your hive, especially in the winter, and varroa mites are some of the most formidable enemies. Don’t forget to keep an eye on the entrance throughout the season to make sure it doesn’t get completely covered by snow and trap the bees inside the hive. It’s also worth considering attaching a mouse guard to the hive entrance. Your bees won’t need a large opening while they’re sheltering for the winter, and it’ll help keep the cold out as well. Keep out these intruders by making the hive entrance as small as possible.
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Rodents and other small creatures looking for a wintertime shelter will see your beehive as the perfect spot-it’s warm, protected, and full of food. Check the hive’s base and eliminate any excess vegetation so pests can’t hide beneath the hive or climb up to use it for shelter. If you get excess precipitation or flooding through the winter, move your hive to higher, safer ground. Consider placing a windbreak-or utilize existing ones such as a line of trees or shrubs-to protect your hive from the bitter winds.
Take a look at your yard and imagine it’s the dead of winter: are your hives in the best spot? Make sure your bees are in a position that receives plenty of sunlight and as little wind as possible to help them through the winter. Snow can act as a natural insulator, but your hives need to keep out any moisture to prevent excess humidity. Take into consideration whether you’ll face a lot of precipitation or flooding. You can also shield the base and any ventilation holes to prevent drafts. If you’re expecting fierce winds, secure the hive’s lids. If your area gets extremely low temperatures, insulation is a major benefit to your beehive. When preparing your beehive for winter, it’s important to know what weather you’re up against.
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It’s a harsh time for most of nature, but with the right preparation and expertise in how to care for a beehive in the winter, your bees can make it through and be a prosperous colony come springtime. With cold weather upon us, bee populations have taken to their hives to nestle down with their colony and their honey for the winter.