How Bees Survive Winter: Food, Insulation, and Your Help!
As temperatures drop, honey bees perform an incredible feat of survival, forming a "winter cluster" to stay warm. Beekeepers play a vital role in helping their colonies make it through the cold months by ensuring they have enough food and proper insulation.
The Bees' Winter Strategy: The "Winter Cluster"
Honey bees don't hibernate. Instead, when the temperature dips below about (), they huddle together tightly to form a winter cluster.
-
Generating Heat: Bees in the center of the cluster vibrate their flight muscles to generate heat, keeping the core temperature a cozy (), even when it's freezing outside!
-
Insulation: The outer layer of bees acts like an insulating blanket, trapping the heat inside. Bees constantly rotate, moving from the warm center to the colder outside, ensuring everyone gets a turn in the warmth.
-
Fueling the Fire: To produce all that heat, bees constantly consume their stored honey. The cluster slowly moves through the hive, eating honey as they go. This is why having honey directly above or right next to the cluster is so important.
Feeding Your Bees in Winter: Honey and Beyond
Honey is the bees' primary winter fuel. A strong colony in a cold climate might need anywhere from 60 to 100 pounds of honey to survive.
-
Leave Enough Honey: The best food for your bees is the honey they made themselves. A good rule of thumb is to leave them with the equivalent of one full deep super or two full medium supers of honey.
-
Supplemental Feeding: If your bees haven't stored enough, you'll need to step in:
-
Fall Syrup (2:1 sugar to water): In late summer or early fall (when temps are still above ), feed a heavy sugar syrup (2 parts sugar to 1 part water by weight). Bees will store this.
-
Solid Sugar (Winter): Once temperatures consistently drop below (), bees can't process liquid syrup effectively. This is when solid sugar sources become critical.
-
Candy Boards: This is an excellent option! A candy board is essentially a shallow rimmed box that fits on top of your hive, filled with a solid sheet of hardened sugar candy. It sits directly on the top bars of your frames, under the inner cover. Bees can easily access this solid food directly from their winter cluster.
-
Sugar Bricks/Patties or Fondant: These are similar to candy boards but come in smaller, pre-made forms that can also be placed on the top bars.
-
Dry Sugar (Mountain Camp Method): Some beekeepers simply pour dry granulated sugar onto a piece of newspaper or directly over the inner cover hole above the cluster. Bees will use condensation inside the hive as their water source.
-
-
Important: Avoid feeding thin syrup or open liquid water in deep winter, as it can get too cold for bees to consume and can create dangerous moisture issues.
Insulating for Winter: Keeping the Warmth In and Moisture Out
While bees generate their own heat, insulation helps them use less energy to stay warm, leading to healthier colonies in spring. Just as important as insulation is managing moisture, which can be more harmful than cold.
-
Top Insulation is Crucial: Heat rises, so insulating the top of the hive (above the inner cover) is vital.
-
Quilt Box (Moisture Board): This is a fantastic choice for insulation and moisture control. A quilt box is an empty super placed on top of your inner cover, filled with moisture-absorbing materials like wood shavings, straw, or even a pillowcase stuffed with dry leaves or burlap. This material absorbs condensation that rises from the cluster, preventing it from dripping back down onto the bees. It acts as both insulation and a dehumidifier. You then place your outer cover on top of this.
-
Foam Boards: Rigid foam insulation can also be cut to fit inside or on top of an empty super or directly under the outer cover.
-
-
Side Insulation: In very cold or windy climates, insulating the sides of the hive can also help.
-
Hive Wraps: You can buy commercial insulated wraps that fit snugly around the entire hive body.
-
Homemade Wraps: Use rigid foam insulation, tar paper, or even stack straw bales around the hive for added protection.
-
-
Ventilation is Key: Proper ventilation is just as critical as insulation to prevent moisture buildup, which can kill a colony faster than cold.
-
Entrance Reducer: Use an entrance reducer to limit the hive entrance size. This keeps rodents out and reduces drafts. Many beekeepers turn the reducer so the smaller notch faces upwards, which helps prevent dead bees from blocking the entrance.
-
Screened Bottom Boards: If you have a screened bottom board, some beekeepers close it off for winter with the removable tray to prevent cold drafts from below. Others leave it open for ventilation, depending on their climate and moisture issues.
-
Upper Ventilation: Even with a quilt box, a small upper entrance or ventilation hole (e.g., by shimming the inner cover slightly) can help moist air escape.
-
Your Winterizing Checklist
To prepare your hives for the cold, here's a quick summary:
-
Food: Ensure at least 60-100 pounds of honey. Supplement with heavy syrup in fall, then candy boards, sugar bricks/patties, or dry sugar in winter if needed.
-
Pest Control: Treat for mites (Varroa) in late summer/early fall. Install a mouse guard on the entrance.
-
Hive Configuration: Remove empty honey supers. Consolidate smaller colonies. Remove queen excluders. Install an entrance reducer.
-
Insulation: Add a quilt box filled with wood shavings or other absorbent material, or use foam insulation on top. Consider wrapping the sides in very cold or windy areas.
-
Ventilation: Ensure adequate upper ventilation to prevent moisture buildup.
By understanding how bees naturally overwinter and providing them with appropriate food and protection, especially through solid food like candy boards and moisture management with quilt boxes, you'll significantly boost your colonies' chances of surviving the cold months and thriving come spring!
Are you getting your hives ready for winter now, or are you just planning ahead?
