Overwintering an Apidea

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Hello everyone. Do you have any tips for overwintering an apidea with a mated queen in it.
Hi yes I've over wintered a few, best done on a double apidea and make sure it's fed well, also damp can be a real problem, I made a mesh top for mine and I found it better to over winter them inside a brood box, you also have to watch out for wasps attacking them
 
Hi yes I've over wintered a few, best done on a double apidea and make sure it's fed well, also damp can be a real problem, I made a mesh top for mine and I found it better to over winter them inside a brood box, you also have to watch out for wasps attacking them

:iagree:Yeah that's what I was told to do
 
You need 10 or more Apidea frames (so a 2 or 3-decker) plus the extra feeder and LOTS of extra insulation.
Without a mesh floor, condensation becomes a real problem if the roof and walls get cold -- they are much thinner than poly hive walls (so less insulating) and you have fewer bees to generate heat --- so they need all the extra insulation that you can provide.

It ain't easy.

It is much harder than overwintering a polynuc.
 
Just helped a friend here set one up Susan for winter but he had more apidea kit than you may have. Layer 1 apidea with feeder removed and 5 drawn frames, layer 2 apidea super with 5 drawn frames, layer 3 apidea feeder (holds maybe 1lb fondant).
More bees = more warmth. If you have a couple left over from Q rearing that still have bees they can be united. As others have said, condensation is a problem. I tried bringing a small colony through last year "wrapped" in kingspan insulation but they only made it to late December.
Nosema is always an issue in v.small colonies in mini nucs, use some of Hivemaker's receipe for thymolated syrup.

It can be done, but if you have just one single apidea weather is going to play a big part, and realistically outside chance only of making it.
 
Also Susan, Jon in Belfast runs a lot of apideas and has some good advice on the Scottish forum on setups. He got some through winter 2011/12 but I think 2012/13 they all didn't make it. In County Antrim we do not have the same weather as, say, Kent. Cold and damp, sure that's why it is so green around here!
 
Thank you for all the advice. I only have one Apidea so I think I will just see if anyone needs a queen instead. Does anyone in NI want a queen?
 

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