Overwintering bees

[JP2K]

Hello everyone, I'm new here with some questions!

Since you need some honey storage for your colony for them to make it through the winter, i was planning on maybe 80 pounds of honey. Yes i know it may be overkill but better save than sorry, since I've experienced a lot of long winters here in Germany myself.

This amount is about 2 supers worth of honey. So i was wondering do i leave the supers on during winter so they have access to the honey or do I add another brood box so they can move the honey down and take the supers off?
Or do they store enough honey in a single brood box (10 frames), for that amount of honey?

Also i live in a colder climate (Germany and was wondering if i should go with a smaller broodbox (8 frames) for them to keep warmer, or is it unnecessary?

Thank you for all your tips and suggestions!

 

[Erichalfbee]

What size Langstroth brood are you using?
Bees like their winter stores around them
You don't really need 80 pounds of honey on top.
A langstroth deep brood is big enough to store all the bees need for winter
If you want them warmer put them in poly

 

[JP2K]

What size Langstroth brood are you using?
Bees like their winter stores around them
You don't really need 80 pounds of honey on top.
A langstroth deep brood is big enough to store all the bees need for winter
If you want them warmer put them in poly

I want to get started so I'm thinking of using an 8 frame or 10 frame Langstroth brood box. Which one do you recommend?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Modern bees are quite prolific so I’d go for the ten. I suppose if you got an eight you could play around with a Flow super once you have a couple of seasons under your belt

 

[JP2K]

Modern bees are quite prolific so I’d go for the ten. I suppose if you got an eight you could play around with a Flow super once you have a couple of seasons under your belt

I see, i would still like to keep 80 pounds of honey for my hive as a failsave so how would I make sure the bees have that much honey to work with?

 

[Erichalfbee]

What do beekeepers round you do?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I see, i would still like to keep 80 pounds of honey for my hive as a failsave so how would I make sure the bees have that much honey to work with?

give up on the idea of harvesting honey from your bees?

 

[JP2K]

What do beekeepers round you do?

I don't have much contact since there aren't many in my region and it's hard to get in touch. Some in Germany recommend 60 pounds of honey for winter, so if the winter is longer than usual im thinking of 80

 

[JP2K]

give up on the idea of harvesting honey from your bees?

I'm not planning on harvesting much honey, average is around 100 pounds per hive here, so 20 pounds harvested is plenty for me. Besides if the bees don't need the surplus honey i can just harvest it the next spring, no?

 

[Ian123]

60lb is a lot and I’d imagine if that’s what’s recommended in your area there is a margin for error already established. That’s not to say that’s the final word part of beekeeping is managing and monitoring your hive.

 

[Ian123]

I'm not planning on harvesting much honey, average is around 100 pounds per hive here, so 20 pounds harvested is plenty for me. Besides if the bees don't need the surplus honey i can just harvest it the next spring, no?

Depends what your bees have been foraging on lots of varieties will set solid over the cold winter period, some can ferment in frames!

 

[JP2K]

60lb is a lot and I’d imagine if that’s what’s recommended in your area there is a margin for error already established. That’s not to say that’s the final word part of beekeeping is managing and monitoring your hive.

Does 60 lbs of honey fit in one 10 frame Langstroth brood box? Or what should I do to ensure sufficient honey storage for winter?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Just about I would say.
40lb fits in a 14x12 with three frames to spare.

 

[JP2K]

Just about I would say.
40lb fits in a 14x12 with three frames to spare.

So come winter i would empty the super of honey take it off and the colony should have enough honey for winter? Or do they move honey down from the super to the brood box in fall.

My knowledge so far is that they first fill up the brood box and then move to the super correct?

 

[Ian123]

You’d hope the brood brood box will mainly be filled with brood and they will not pull honey down from a super above. The brood box may fill with stores as the autumn closes in and laying reduces. Like all things beekeeping though you have to judge each colony and respond accordingly it’s part of beekeeping… saying this is my plan and this is what I’ll do is often wishful thinking. You may need double broods and you may need to feed if colony’s require it.

 

[drex]

As per Ian above. In my early days I made lots of plans, in fine detail. The bees usually had different ideas. Now I may make rough plans, like this year I will concentrate on increasing number of hives, but how I do that depends on what the bees are doing and telling me on inspection.
I do not routinely feed my bees in autumn. If I get the amount of honey I take wrong, I can always feed some emergency fondant.