It’s been a bit since I’ve posted an update on the honey bee colonies. The cold weather has crept in and now we’re focusing on overwintering honey bees in zone 7a. Winter is a critical time for beekeepers. Proper preparation ensures your bees survive the cold months and thrive come spring. At Hope and Wildflowers, we’ve learned that taking a few extra steps now makes all the difference for our hives. Here’s how you can get your bees ready for winter:

We’ve been tracking progress of the colonies on Facebook, and hope to get more posts published. If you’re not following us there, you can do so here!

1. Assess the Health of Your Hive

Before winter sets in, check the overall health of your colony. If the weather is too cold (below 65F if brood is present), a full inspection may not be able to happen, but the earlier you can prevent future problems the better.

Strong Colonies Survive: A robust colony with a healthy queen is crucial. If your hive is weak, consider combining it with another hive. It’s been stated by several beekeepers I know that it’s better to take the colony losses in the Fall rather than have them collapse in the Spring when production and build-up is critical. It’s better to cull a weaker colony now and combine them if there isn’t a Varroa issue.

Pest Management: Treat for Varroa mites and other pests. Mites can weaken bees, making them less likely to survive winter. Although it’s largely too late to begin treating for Varroa if you haven’t already started but there are a few options. Amitraz (delivered through ApiVar in the US) and Oxalic Acid (vaporized or Varroxsan strips) can still be used to maintain low levels of Varroa.

2. Ensure Adequate Food Stores

Bees need sufficient honey to make it through winter. The honey stored in the colony is used by the heater bees that keep the cluster warm as well as the other bees in the colony for food.

How Much is Enough?: In Zone 7A, hives typically need at least 50-60 pounds of honey. Check frames to ensure they have plenty of stores.

Supplement if Needed: Before freezing temperatures, providing 2:1 sugar syrup will help underweight hives. Once the weather is freezing, syrup isn’t ideal as the bees will ignore it. At this point, fondant or sugar bricks are the preferred option.

3. Insulate the Hive

Depending on where you live, your honey bees may need some additional help going through the Winter. To help your bees maintain a stable temperature during winter, a few options are using hive wraps and quilt boxes. A hive wrap will help add insulation value to the colony and a quilt box will help to absorb moisture.

Wrap the Hive: Use breathable hive wraps to retain warmth while preventing moisture buildup.

Install a Quilt Box: A quilt box filled with wood shavings absorbs excess moisture. Bees can tolerate cold, but dampness can be fatal.

Foam Insulation: Add foam insulation just above or below the top cover. Depending on which kind of cover you have (we use Telescoping top covers) adding insulation helps to keep heat in the colony and conserving honey usage through the Winter. A migratory cover could have foam insulation strapped to the top.

4. Protect Against Pests and Weather

Through all seasons of the year, pests and other conditions threaten honey bee colonies, but late-Fall and Winter invite more challenges like mice, wind, and snow.

Mouse Guards: Install mouse guards to keep rodents out while allowing bees to come and go. We use 1/2″ hardware cloth because we have a lot of it lying around as scraps from other projects around the garden. We attach it with staples and are not running entrance reducers.

Elevate the Hive: To help prevent snow or water from blocking or getting into the entrance, a hive stand can be used. We opted to use cement blocks to keep the colonies 12″ off of the ground. Another benefit of using a hive stand is that it helps reduce the possibility of skunks and other varmints from becoming a nuisance.

Physically Secure the Hive: One option if you experience high winds is to use straps or weights to keep the hive from tipping over. We setup wind breaks and have sandstones on top of the colonies to help keep the lids from blowing off. If you have cement blocks turned on their side as hive stands, you can simply run a ratchet strap around it.

5. Monitor and Maintain

Even in winter, your bees need occasional attention even though the weather will prohibit full colony inspections. The primary goal is to ensure that the cluster isn’t at the top of the uppermost box without any food stores.

Focus on Warm Days: Briefly open the hive to ensure the cluster is healthy and food supplies are adequate on days that are warmer so that you’re calmer and comfortable. If that isn’t an option, keep the peek inside as quick as possible.

Check for Activity: On cold days, removing the top cover and taking a quick peek down into the colony should tell you what you need to know in the winter. Without a glove on, you should feel warmth coming up from the cluster, you can hear the honey bees quietly buzzing generating heat and as the colony moves up you should be able to see them with a flashlight. Make sure to keep at least a veil on as even at freezing temperatures, this disturbance may trigger a guard bee (or few) to peck at you.

6. Keep Planning for Spring

Winter is the perfect time to reflect on the past season and plan for the next. If you keep a journal of your beekeeping activity, the cold days are great to go back through and reflect on past experiences. Another thing I try to do (even though it’s not as enjoyable) is evaluate what worked and what didn’t in my beekeeping practices. Doing this helps to prevent mistakes moving forward and incorporating the best ideas and methods. I also use this time to consider expanding the apiary or experimenting with new methods come Spring. One new Varroa treatment that I’ll be using this month is OAV and will post about it when I have the process down.

7. Monitoring the Colonies

Our colonies are conveniently located near our home, allowing us to use Eufy security cameras to monitor them remotely. This provides an added layer of protection for our honey bees, as we receive alerts for any larger creatures, such as bears, entering the apiary. It also gives us the ability to check on the colonies throughout the day without needing to be physically present. If you have the option to install cameras near your colonies, it can be a valuable tool for keeping an eye on them, especially when you’re busy or unable to visit them in person.

Closing Thoughts

Preparing honey bees for winter is an essential task for every beekeeper. It’s a mix of science, art, and love for these incredible pollinators. The more that can be planned for will result in fewer surprises and greater success in 2025!

Disclosure:

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