Causes of winter losses and what we can do as beekeepers to prevent them.

1. Getting your bees
through winter
Presented by Rick Bledsoe
October 8, 2015

2. Causes of winter losses:
Starvation Excessive moisture
Temperature
fluctuations Weak hive
Strong winds Sick bees
Old comb Blocked entrance
Mice Neglect

3. Starvation
Prevention:
– build up stores
- don't take off too much honey
- fall feeding of 2:1 sugar syrup
Winter feeding:
– dry or solid sugar
- “Mountain Camp” method
- fondant
- sugar blocks

4. Shim for feeding

9. Excessive
moisture
Bees exhale a lot of moisture. If there is
inadequate ventilation, condensation can
form on cover and drip on bees.
Allow for airflow in hive, but not a cold draft.

10. A notch in your inner cover where it meets
the outer cover will allow moisture to vent.

11. - Some beekeepers use a “quilt box.”

12. Temperature Fluctuations
At 40F bees can break their cluster
and move to new stores.

13. To keep out cold:
- windbreaks
- don't open hive when it's
cold
- no reason to pull frames or
move boxes in winter (breaks
propolis seals)

14. Some beekeepers in northern climates
wrap their hives

15. Weak Hive
– requeen in August / combine
hives in August or later
Two weak hives will not make it
through winter.
One strong hive can make it
through winter and be strong
enough for an early split the next
spring..
Take your losses
in the fall

16. Sick Bees
- Monitor and treat/manage for
pests and diseases
- Varroa mites weaken bees and carry
viruses that can kill off a hive in winter
- Regardless of management style, you should
know your varroa count going into winter
- Fall is a good time for some varroa treatments

17. Strong winds
Hives need a windbreak
- trees
- bales of straw
- building

18. Old comb
Pesticides can accumulate over time.
Replace it: a schedule of replacing 25% of brood
comb each year will ensure no comb is over four
years old.

20. Blocked entrance
Imirie
Shim
Top
Entrance

21. Mice

22. Neglect:
don't abandon your hives

23. Causes of winter losses:
Starvation Excessive moisture
Temperature
fluctuations Weak hive
Strong winds Sick bees
Old comb Blocked entrance
Mice Neglect

24. slideshare.net/rickbledsoe16/presentations