Winter Preparations

Winter preparation Outline:
  1. Buy local AMM bees.
  2. Use a good apiary site, sheltered but open to sunshine.
  3. Keep records! This enables you to replace a failing queen in time, not end of September or when stock dwindles.
  4. Create a barrier system for disease prevention. No entry to apiary with diseased stocks or dirty equipment, visitors included.
  5. Send comb and bee sample for disease analysis to Mary Coffey, DAFM.
  6. Remove honey. Assess colony for stores, and feed 1:1 syrup if necessary.
  7. Do varroa check with sugar shaker. Clean insert board and check weekly for varroa drop.
  8. Apply Apivar or Apiguard as per instructions on the pack. Keep records of rates, who applied, lot number of treatments. If applying Apiguard, feed beforehand, as bees will ignore Apiguard removal in preference to storing syrup.
  9. Bring hives up to correct weight after treatment. Around 45 pounds of stores net of hive weight for native bees.
  10. Apply mouse guards and tie down hives.
  11. Monitor hives over winter for storm damage, vandals, or stock disturbance.
  12. December – broodless period – apply Apibioxal treatment for Varroa control, as per manufacturer’s instructions. Add to record sheet.
  13. Place fondant on hives at Christmas – place open bag over cluster.
  14. Review hive records and plan for next year. Only use approved chemicals.
Final tips:
  • Buy healthy bees or you will not need to concern yourself with winter preparations!
  • Unite weak colonies – make sure you know the reason for weakness. Check records. This means over-wintering only strong stocks.
  • Take your losses in August and September. Better to have one strong hive than two weak ones that fail over winter.
  • Learn to rear replacement queens. Be self-sufficient. Your local association will hold short classes next year. Simple to more complex systems of queen rearing.