As the colder months approach, beekeepers need to shift their focus from honey production to ensuring the survival of their colonies. Feeding honeybees during fall and winter is crucial for successful overwintering. Without proper nutrition, bees are at risk of starvation and a reduced chance of making it through until spring. Along with ensuring proper feeding, wearing the right Beekeeping Suits and Beekeeping Gloves is essential for safe hive management during the colder months. This guide will walk you through the best practices for feeding honeybees in cold weather, covering everything from preparing your hive in the fall to choosing the right winter feeding techniques for honeybees.
Why Fall and Winter Feeding Is Essential for Honeybee Colonies
As temperatures drop, bees become less active, and natural food sources like nectar and pollen become scarce. This is why feeding honeybees during fall and winter is a critical part of overwintering honeybee colonies. It helps them maintain energy levels, keeps the hive warm, and supports their immune systems during the challenging months ahead.
For many beekeepers, the goal is to ensure that their colonies have enough food reserves to last through the winter. While some regions have mild winters that allow bees to forage sporadically, most areas require intervention to prevent winter survival issues.
What Happens When Bees Don’t Get Enough Nutrition?
A lack of proper winter bee nutrition can lead to colony collapse. If bees run out of food in mid-winter, they cannot leave the hive to search for more. By the time you notice the problem, it may already be too late to save them. That’s why a proactive feeding strategy is key.
Understanding Winter Bee Nutrition Needs
During fall and winter, a colony’s nutritional needs change. Unlike the warmer months, when bees are rearing brood and collecting nectar, winter bees have a singular focus: survival. They rely primarily on stored honey and supplemental feeding to keep themselves alive.
Essential Nutrients for Winter Survival
Honey provides bees with the carbohydrates they need, but during periods of extreme cold, you may also need to supply them with sugar syrup or fondant. Pollen substitutes are generally not needed in winter unless you’re actively trying to stimulate early brood rearing. A lack of winter bee nutrition can lead to sluggish, weak bees that are more susceptible to disease.
Preparing Honeybees for Winter: Key Steps to Take in the Fall
Preparing for winter begins in the fall. This is the time to assess your hive’s food stores and take action if reserves are low.
Conduct a Thorough Hive Inspection
Inspect the hive to evaluate honey stores and determine whether fall feeding for honeybees is necessary. Aim for each hive to have around 60 to 80 pounds of honey, depending on your region’s winter severity.
Add Extra Feeding if Needed
If your hive is light on reserves, consider feeding honeybees sugar syrup at a 2:1 ratio (two parts sugar to one part water) to encourage them to store more for winter. This higher concentration is ideal for fall feeding because it’s thicker, resembling honey, and easier for the bees to store.
Insulate the Hive for Winter
Bee hive insulation for winter is just as crucial as feeding. Insulating the hive reduces the amount of energy bees need to maintain a stable temperature, helping them conserve their resources. Wrap the hive in breathable insulation material and consider adding a moisture control board to prevent condensation build-up.
Best Winter Feeding Techniques for Honeybees
Once temperatures drop and the bees have clustered, liquid feed like sugar syrup is no longer an option. This is where solid feed alternatives like fondant and dry sugar come into play.
Using Fondant or Candy Boards
Fondant, also known as bee candy, is a popular choice for feeding honeybees in cold weather. It provides a steady source of carbohydrates without the risk of adding moisture to the hive. Simply place the fondant directly on the top bars of the frames or in a feeder near the cluster.
Dry Sugar Feeding
Another method is placing dry sugar on a piece of newspaper on top of the inner cover. This method, known as the Mountain Camp method, is a low-cost, moisture-absorbing option that can keep bees from starving in emergency situations.
Using a Feeding Shim
Consider using a feeding shim—a shallow box placed between the top brood box and the inner cover—to create space for dry sugar or fondant. This setup makes it easier to monitor and refill as needed.
Monitoring and Managing Honeybee Food Stores During Winter
Even if you’ve done everything right in the fall, it’s essential to check food reserves throughout the winter without opening the hive.
How to Monitor Food Reserves
One way to estimate food levels is by gently lifting the back of the hive. A light hive may indicate that the bees are running low on stores and need additional winter feeding techniques like fondant or dry sugar.
Signs Your Bees Need More Food
If you notice bees clustered high up in the hive, it may be a sign they are running out of food. In such cases, quickly add fondant or dry sugar to give them a boost.
Additional Tips for Overwintering Success
Reduce the Hive Entrance
A reduced entrance helps maintain the hive’s internal temperature and protects against cold drafts. Use a wooden entrance reducer or stuff the entrance with straw to create a smaller opening.
Control Moisture Levels
Moisture is a bigger threat to bees than cold. Place a moisture board or add a quilt box filled with sawdust or wood shavings on top of the inner cover to absorb excess moisture and prevent condensation from dripping onto the bees.
Ensure Proper Ventilation
Even though you want to keep the hive warm, ventilation is still crucial. Make sure the hive has a small upper entrance to allow moisture to escape without letting in too much cold air.
Conclusion:
Feeding honeybees in fall and winter is more than just giving them food—it’s about providing the right type of nutrition at the right time. By using the correct winter feeding techniques for honeybees, equipping yourself with the right Beekeeping Gears, preparing your hives with proper insulation, and regularly monitoring food stores, you can set your colony up for success and ensure they emerge from winter strong and ready for spring.