As the weather across the Maritimes gets colder, it is time to ready your hives to survive the winter months ahead. Taking care to correctly prepare now will help ensure your colonies thrive in spring. Also careful fall preparation will mean there is little work needed during the cold months.
Preparing your hives for winter in the Maritimes
Before the weather gets too cold for opening hives, it
is important to check your varroa mite levels. Varroa destructor are one
of the biggest threats to honey bee health in Atlantic Canada, especially
heading into winter. Even a low
Varroa mite infestation in the fall is weaken your honey bees as they cluster up
for the winter.1
Two effective methods to evaluate mite levels are
sticky boards and alcohol washes. ATTTA recommends treating if you find 1 mite per 100 bees in an alcohol wash, or over 9 mites in 24-hour period
using a sticky board. If numbers are higher than the threshold, treat while
temperatures still allow. A good mite treatment for late fall is oxalic acid. This is why many
beekeepers in the Maritimes successfully use oxalic acid but there are some other options
such as formic acid or Apivar. All are effective in the correct circumstances, but timing and temperature
matter. Treating early keeps your colonies healthy and ready to manage the
colder weather.
To survive winter, hives must have food resources. It is estimated, for overwintering in the Maritimes, that full hives should weigh between 41
and 54 kgs (90-120Ibs) going into winter and for a Nuc box, roughly 23kg
(50Ibs).1,2 That weight ensures your honey bees have enough stores to last until
spring. If your hives feel light you can feed 2:1 sugar syrup in the fall until
it is too cold.1 Once the nights are consistently freezing, switch to
fondant placed under the inner cover. If you come across small or struggling
colonies, you should consider combining two weak hives into one stronger unit. This
combined hive has a far better chance of keeping warm and surviving throughout
the winter.1
Winter Heft Test (ATTTA©2023).
Winter winds and dampness are two of the biggest problems3 for honey bees in the Maritimes. Wrapping your hives with insulated covers helps retain heat. There are a couple of options beekeepers like to use when it comes to wrapping hives. Some beekeepers use black tar or roofing paper which will absorb some heat from the sun. Another common method is bubble wrap and pallet wrap in combination for good insulation and heat absorption. Make sure to not cover upper and lower entrances. Other options include polyurethane hives which do not require winter wrap due to their thermal qualities.4 Ventilation is important as moisture buildup can chill a colony. A good setup has a top entrance or vent hole to release moisture while keeping cold drafts out. An upper entrance is one of the most efficient ways to manage humidity.2 Some beekeepers use quilt boxes and add insulating materials or wood shavings to absorb excessive moisture to protect the colony.
Once the snow comes, you will not be opening hives but it is still good to check them. You should gently lift the backs of the
hives to check its weight. It is an easy way to tell if your bees are running
low on stores without disturbing them. If it feels noticeably lighter, you can
add more fondant on a warmer day. Make sure the entrance is not blocked by
snow, ice, or dead bees. Keep your shrew guards tight. These little checks
might not seem like a lot, but they can prevent losses from moisture, pests,
starvation. Winter beekeeping in the Maritimes is all about the preparation.
Focus on mite control, feeding, insulation, ventilation, and small mid-winter
checks. Each step builds on the next, and when you do it right, your colonies
will come out strong and ready for spring.
Written
by Gregory Dugas, ATTTA Seasonal Apiculturist
Connecting with ATTTA Specialists
If you’d like to connect with ATTTA specialists or learn more about our program, you can:
visit our website at https://www.perennia.ca/portfolio-items/honey-bees/
Email attta@perennia.ca
References
- McCallum, R., Menzies, C. 2016. Fall honey bee management guide. Perennia
- Melathopoulos, A. 2013. The biology and management of colonies in winter. Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists.
- Phillips EF, Demuth GeoS. 2019. The Preparation of Bees for Outdoor Wintering. Project Gutenberg.
- Alburaki, M. and Corona, M. 2021. Polyurethane honey bee hives provide better winter insulation than wooden hives’, Journal of Apicultural Research, 61(2), pp. 190–196. doi: 10.1080/00218839.2021.1999578.