Winter Is Coming... Are Your Bees Ready? Tips To Help New Beekeepers Prepare

Winter is coming, are your bees ready? Learn a few basic tips that will help new beekeepers prepare bee hives for the cold winter months. Bee hive winter preparation is very important and if the right steps are not followed the chances of the bees overwintering is very low.
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[@GEEZBEEZ]

Thanks for the video. Enjoyed it.

[@jeffharper6624]

1st year Newbee in Wayne County Ohio. Thanks for the tips.

[@JCsBees]

Good luck!

[@peterlightbody8443]

Going into a hot summer here ,feel for you going into a cold winter there with all that snow take care Peter Australia

[@petermurphy6216]

Hi JC, thanks for sharing your tips for winter prep for your bees.

[@micksbeesstephens5327]

I'm a big fan of sugar boards as an insurance policy, especially on winter nucs. Thanks for the weekly updates.

[@dinobernardi170]

Hello Jason. Little help. We are third year beekeepers in Michigan. We lost all last year and year before. Have educated ourselves with mite management and now struggling a little with winter prep for moisture control etc. Anyhow here's what I have at the moment. Made and added a - 2 1/2 inch shim to top of hive - 3/8 hole in shim side for upper entrance. - 5/8 holes with screen one per other 3 sides for venting. - Added sugar cakes to top of frames - Added medium supper on top of 2 1/2 inch shim with wood shavings and empty toilet paper roll in each corner for air movement. - Added lid on top of medium with 2" insulation board for buffer to the outside cold hitting top of lid and condensing. What you will notice is that I have kept my inner cover off.....not sure if that's a good choice it's bothering me seems as tho i could be losing a lot of heat from the cluster. Could you please review my setup and offer me a little guidance. Thank you for your help and instructional videos. Thanks again Dino

[@JCsBees]

@Dino Bernardi Sorry to hear you have had past issues with overwintering, I struggled for 3 years when I began so I feel your struggle and pain. Glad you keep trying though, I know it get expensive starting over each season. As far as your inner cover, I see it a good idea to add back to colony. My concern and maybe it's just lack of experience using them but it would be with the quilting box. I tried them years ago and I remember the shavings getting too wet and dripping back on the cluster which didn't survive. The following year, I stopped using the quilting boxes and started using the mountain camp method. That with timely mite treatments before winter is why I credit my bees for overwintered ever since those years I struggled. That said, use your own thoughts, I know many beekeepers who swear by the quilting box. Do you know why your last colonies didn't survive winter? Were they wet? Did they have food? Did you treat for mites early enough before cold weather hit that the bees had time to raise healthily mite free bees to overwinter with? In Ohio, I treat in August. I wish you all the best!!

[@dinobernardi170]

@@JCsBees Jason thank you for your advice and encouragement. I like what you did with your nucs. I'm going to apply the same to my 10 frame Lang's. Shim with upper entrance and ventilation holes. Then insulation board and lid. Thanks for being there for us. Every year that goes by is an enormous amount of experience gained. Can't waste it by giving up. Can't imagine the feeling when the first hive makes it through winter. As far as why I think we lost our previous hives a have to attribute it to varroha. This is the first year we have treated and since we have learned about moisture control. Regards Dino

[@anabelaramos8399]

Planting plants for the bees is a good idea, I don't know if those plants are going to grow, if so I wouldn't plant them so next to the bee hives. It's a problem when we are opening those boxes. Better to have a clean space around them. I have that next to 2 of my hives and each time I go there I just feel like cuting them, I hate those plants when I am working the bees, believe me!!!

[@robertdelay7826]

Nice video our asters here in New Mexico are annuals. We have a lot of them but my bees aren't using them much. Pollen is still coming in no frost yet but several thirty degree mornings. October 4th we should have had a freeze. Love your vids.

[@johnburgoon8711]

Thank you, sir, I noticed I had some upper boxes with empty comb and a few frames of foundation not even drawn out. Tidied that up after seeing your video. Thanks! I have been planting oregano and thyme and transplanting mountain mint to the ends of my fence rows, etc. Never thought of asters, that's a great idea. Cheers from southern Indiana. I hope the bee winter over well this year.

[@MrFHLH]

Always good sound advice, thanks Jason. About to fit my mouse guards as soon as this weather will let me without getting soaked.

[@bobbybighoof]

great video as always :) good to see ladybug, and awesome on the plant transplants consider box gardens at the ends where you put your transplants in. I see you got a good bit of clay in your soil. Still good and fertile though so that's good. great stuff man keep up the great work

[@JCsBees]

Thanks so much! 😊

[@ClickinChicken]

winter is a long time, going to bee interesting! shared this with my sis.

[@stufarnham]

Oneotherconsiderationforthistime of year is colony strength. The consideration at this time of year is not how many colonies you go into winter with, it is how many you come out with in spring. DO you have colonies that are weak and have struggled to build up numbers? If so you should consider combining a couple of weaker colonies into a single stronger one. Look at your colonies. If you find two that look like they need combining, go back over your notes to evaluate queen performance over the year. Consider queen age as well, and decide which queen is the better to get a colony through winter and come out strong in the spring. Remove the other queen, dispatch her, and do a newspaper combine. It will likely feel like you are losing a hive, but in fact you are increasing your chances of having one live colony in spring instead of two dead outs. Bees are livestock, just like cows or chickens. Emotion has no place in your husbandry decisions. Make the hard decisions when you face them and you will do better over the long run. Stu

[@karenwaitley9515]

Earlier this year I also had the bad foot smell, I checked my bees a few days ago and the smell coming from the box is oranges, yea oranges. My property is covered with marigolds and calingia.(pot marigold) . They will be in full bloom till a hard freeze.

[@JasonEmery9]

Hello Jason, I have learned a lot from your videos. I believe you said that, going into Winter, you don't want frames in the top box with non-drawn out foundation. Are you saying it is ok to have a mixture of frames with honey and and other frames with drawn out comb, even if they don't have brood of honey? For example, I had a couple of August swarms, and got spooked. So I put boxes on top of several hives that probably didn't need them (except for swarm prevention). Should I now remove these boxes, as the bees have not had had enough time to make much progress in drawing out the comb, storing honey, etc. Or would it be better to grab a few frames of drawn out comb/honey from a laying worker hive I let wither to almost nothing?

[@JCsBees]

Jason, Yes it's fine to leave frames that contain brood, honey or pollen and if you have to leave an empty but drawn out frame to keep the box full of frames fine too. I'd rather see you do that than leave and empty space where a frame should be. Hope this helps!

[@garydungelman6530]

Don't forget to sunflowers they're the best for the bees

[@JCsBees]

Bees do like them but I wouldn't say there the best for the bees. Sunflower nectar is very quick to crystallize.

[@JeriRushing-g8h]

In regards to the Asters, should we plant that close to the hives?

[@JCsBees]

It doesn't need to be close to the hives for the bees to access it.

[@younginsong4355]

1. reduce the size of entrance 2. take out empty frame 3. feed 2 :1 sugar syrup

[@marlenebasiago7964]

Good video Jason. Where did you purchase your belt with the magnet that holds your hive tool?

[@hubertpounall1323]

Great video Jason I'm I'm living in a tropical situation as a Beekeeper for over 40 years its always useful to reduce your entrances, One thing I can tell whether you're in a tropical situation or not,Bee Behavior are basically the same.

[@badassbees3680]

I like them purple Asters their pretty,I haven't noticed any purple Asters by my bees,there's millions upon millions of white lil Asters though ,FleaBane? They have yellow centers

[@JCsBees]

Me to they are very pretty! You can buy some seeds and add the purple to your area. Have you considered that? Yes, I think it is Fleabane.

[@larrytornetta9764]

I think the asters will do better on the edge of the woods. They also like wetter areas.

[@JCsBees]

Why? They are growing down the side of my driveway with no issues.

[@Makermook]

I'm brand new, so I have a lot to learn... Let's say I make a late split or for some other reason have a colony that doesn't really fill more than one deep box. Heading toward winter, would they survive better if I rearranged them 5-over-5 in a couple stacked nuc boxes? Or is it better to leave them in their 10 frame box and arrange them with brood in the middle and food to the outside?

[@markpenman4089]

Hi Ian I am a Bee Keeper from Queensland Austrlia Great videos very different to our climate, I use 3/8 entrance just wondering why you use 3/4

[@JCsBees]

@Mark Penman I think your getting me confused with the Canadian Beekeeper, my name is Jason not Ian. I use 3/4" because it just allows a little more room for traffic to pass through.

[@Bulldogges12]

Make sure to water the asters. Lots of water for the first week or so to get them established. ❤🐝

[@JCsBees]

That's the plan. Thanks!!

[@W3BKY_73]

When removing partially drawn frames in your nice, what do you replace them with if those are the only drawn frames you have. If you have a few full frames and a partial, would you just leave the partial?

[@JCsBees]

If I only had partial frames I would leave them and I would put them towards the outside edge on box. Bees usually avoid the outside edges as it's not as warm there. Bes of luck!

[@louiseibbotson588]

Thanks for all the info Jason , would you put dry sugar later on in the winter on the nucs .

[@JCsBees]

Yes, that is the mountain camp method.

[@davidrusso3183]

Great video Jason! What about quiltboxes? I find they are essential equipment in the northeast in order to prevent condensation raindown.

[@stansmith4054]

I started using quilt boxes two years ago on my lang hives. So far all 3 hives died out by January for some reason. I also found a lot of moisture inside the hives even though I changed the wet wood chips frequently. So I am not to optimistic about them. This year I will try cloth sheets in the quilt box and see if there is a difference.

[@Makermook]

New beekeeper here (south central Kentucky). I got a nuc in July and I've been trying to strengthen them for winter. I reduced a couple deeps to 7-over-7 because they hadn't drawn all 20 frames. They have an entrance reducer in place, but they're still really active, bringing in pollen. I just put a couple mason jars of 1.5:1 syrup on the hive and I'll see how quickly they go through it. Can you think of anything else I should do?

[@JCsBees]

You could add a wind block to help keep the cool winter winds off the hive. Hopefully you have done some form of mite treatment already?

[@Makermook]

@@JCsBees -- I did 3 rounds of Apiguard in August and I'm going to do oxalic acid in early December. I've been trapping small hive beetles, too. The hive is pretty sheltered from the wind already, behind my house and backed up to the woods, but it faces south and will get sun all day once the trees shed their leaves.

[@billc3405]

Is it wise not to place a entertains reducer if still feeding sugar water to help aid in evaporation of the sugar water ?

[@JCsBees]

It makes since to me but if you leave the entrance reducer off you will surely have a robbing issue. I use screened bottoms year round so a place for moisture to escape isn't a problem.

[@altaylor293]

Where did you get the tags with numbers for your hives?

[@JCsBees]

They are livestock tags like for cattle. You can get them on Amazon, TSC or Rural King.

[@nancynolton6079]

If you got a decent ball of roots they will survive and come up again next year. They may suffer transplant shock this fall. They are much tougher than you think. Just be sure to mark the plants otherwise you will end up weedwacking/mowing them down.

[@JCsBees]

Thanks for the tips. Your right, I better mark them of next spring I will think they are weeds and mow them. lol

[@nancynolton6079]

@@JCsBees I've found that bees like large patches of a single plant over a single plant here and there. So go dig up some more and plant them all together in an area that can expand and you will have plenty of those flowers next year.

[@beexdad457]

Like for lady big! Going to switch to 2:1 immediately, been feeding for the last 10 days so there has to be a lot of moisture in the hive

[@TammieYoMammie]

I was wondering if having flowers so close to the hives would encourage robbing in a similar way as having open feeders next to the hives? I've got some Russian Sage a few feet from my hive that I'm planning to transplant farther away in the spring for that reason.

[@bjornmaxwellnetland3569]

How do you prepare the 2:1 syrup? For the 1:1 syrup I was told to use the hottest water from the tap and NOT let it cook but just stir it by hand until sugar is absorbed. Can I boil the 2:1 syrup to make it dissolve more easily?

[@JCsBees]

I don't boil or cook any of my syrup, I do like you said and just use the hottest water I ave from the tap. It does take a little more stirring but it mixes fine. FYI though, my hot tap water gets to 153 degrees.

[@bjornmaxwellnetland3569]

Jason Chrisman Thank you very much indeed. I live on the west side of the Cascade range in the winter-soggy part of Washington state. Should I perhaps make the sugar “cakes” for them to feed during the winter to avoid even more moisture buildup?

[@JCsBees]

If your worried about moisture check out he mountain camp method I linked in this video. The dry sugar draws any moisture in the hive, check it out!

[@planbeeapiaries]

Put some tanglefoot on the stems so the ants and other insects can't clime up that and get in the hives ;). It will look awesome when it all grows out and blooms!

[@JCsBees]

Or better yet, plant some mint with the aster to deter the ants completely. I agree they should look awesome this time next year.

[@planbeeapiaries]

@@JCsBees once you plant mint you can't really get rid of it, spreads like wildfire...

[@JCsBees]

Very true! I have a pasture on our leased farm that has mint growing. The cows hate it and always avoid grazing where it's growing. I have tried to kill it naturally with no luck!

[@planbeeapiaries]

@@JCsBees the bees love it though

[@paulawear5177]

What do you use to keep your grass down in your bee yard. Thank you. I love your videos.

[@JCsBees]

I mow it with a lawn mower and weed whack under the hives.

[@paulawear5177]

@@JCsBees thank you so much for your quick response. Have a great day.

[@dannygun34]

I have 2 hives with 2 medium boxes in northern ohio. I heard that i should have 3 with medium boxes. Do I still have time to put on a third box? I dont have any drawn frames.

[@JCsBees]

No that time is gone! I would just consider a candy board at this point.

[@janemartin4959]

I live in NH and the day time temps are I the 60’s but night time temps are now in the 40’s. Am I right in thinking it’s time to stop the syrup feeding and go to Sugar cakes?

[@5hivesohio]

Hey Jason, I have about 7 gallons of 1to1 with some pro health in it. Do you think I can convert that over to 2-1 without any problems? Probably just add the equivalent in sugar again?

[@jameswoenker2659]

Would love to be in the deer woods. But I’m not caught up on chores yet ☹️

[@JCsBees]

Well I appreciate you stopping in while you work on chores. Good luck with your deer season!

[@sholt1968]

If you have drawn comb and you are feeding the bees, would it make sense to add another box to a 5 x 2 nuc

[@sholt1968]

5x2 8 frame. I have plenty of drawn comb from fall honey harvest. Thinking about adding a 3rd box on my one nuc.

[@JCsBees]

Bot sure they would have enough time to do anything in the 3rd box. Bees season is about over.

[@sholt1968]

Jason Chrisman i agree. I poked into the top box today of my nuc and it looks like they still have some room available. Decided not to add the third box. I’m camp feeding my four hives right now. Very active. BTW, I’m just about 70 miles due west of you (40 miles north or Dayton). Your insights on timing are always spot on.

[@joeymullins3859]

I'm a new bee keeper do you put the sugar water inside the hive or set it on the outside of the hive,i also have a colony of bees that are queenless did not make any honey this fall can I save this colony this late in the year .

[@JCsBees]

I prefer to feed inside the hive with a frame feeder as mentioned in video. Depending on your location it could be too late to fix your queen-less colony. Best of luck!

[@karendoyle2194]

This will be my first winter. Question, Even if I left full boxes of honey in nectar for my bees for the winter do I still need to feed them in the fall? I'm a little confused. I thought we just fed them in late winter early spring when all their resources were gone. Any information would be awesome, thank you so much

[@JCsBees]

Ok so depending where you are your hives needs to be at a certain weight as far as stored food. In Ohio, I aim for 100 pounds of food. If your hive is not to weight then that's when beekeepers have to feed. So yes, leaving the surplus honey does help but you could still need to feed. Hope this makes since. Good luck!

[@karendoyle2194]

@@JCsBees TY

[@thomasbacon]

Gotta eat breakfast, watch video later. But to answer your question, NO they are not and it sucks! Severe drought, no nectar all year, been feeding for almost 2 months and they are light as hell! 😠

[@jonathanswoboda]

Has anyone actually had mice problems? My entrances are always 3" x 5/16". Never seen a mouse in a hive. Mine are also normally very strong not sure how a mouse would survive in there.

[@wayneshoneybees5439]

3/8 height or smaller and mice can't get in. You're good.

[@jameswoenker2659]

Why not 2-1 all the time

[@JCsBees]

Because 2:1 does not encourage the bees to draw out new foundation. It takes 1:1 to do that, it's a lot more like nectar than the 2:1.

[@jameswoenker2659]

Jason Chrisman thank you 😊

[@badassbees3680]

First!

[@JCsBees]

You da man!

[@iceddevil205]

DAMMIT!

[@JCsBees]

@PA BKeeper He beat you again. Maybe next week! lol

[@garyleek7244]

Very happy 😍💋 💝💖♥️❤️

[@claprince]

Oh yeah. Do you love me? 😍💋 💝💖❤️