How do Honey Bees Survive the Winter?

Many people are curious about how honey bees survive the winter. I explain what bees do to survive and what I do to help improve their chances of survival in my hives.
#beekeeping #beehive #beekeeping101 #layenshive #honeybees #beekeepingforbeginners
I grew up on a farm on the edge of the Nebraska sandhills. A cattle ranch that bears our family name, founded in the late 1800s by my ancestors, is still owned and worked by my cousin. Life events have put me in the suburbs of a major metropolitan area in middle America, where my wife and I have raised our two kids. It's in this environment that I work to make as sustainable a life as I can, converting much of our backyard to grow food, including a garden, fruit trees and bee hives.
I attempt to use natural methods, as much as is possible, in my gardening and beekeeping. I garden organically and continue to learn to work with the soil and the plants, without the use of chemical supplements, herbicides or pesticides, to improve our harvest. Our honey bees are sourced from local colonies through swarms, trap-outs and cut-outs, and are kept, using treatment-free, natural methods, in Layens horizontal hives.
Email: [e-mail]
Patreon: / suburbansodbuster
Facebook: / ssodbuster
Instagram: / suburban_sodbuster

[@kenthompson6539]

It helps to tilt the hive in the same direction as the frames run as the condensation will then run to one side of the hive, roughly a two inch tilt..

[@kenthompson6539]

I wrap my hives in clingfilm 4or five times round the hive. It has worked for three years now.

[@bradwamsley3465]

Another great video, was amazed that we agree on every point you made. Only difference is I use 100% Langstroth hives (insulated). You are a natural educator, keep doing videos - I will be looking forward to watching them.

[@candy-janes6934]

I'm in Canada, and I'm more than obsessing about this topic right now.

[@sheabutta7508]

Fascinating! You answered several questions I had. I love the way you painted your boxes, too.👍

[@SuburbanSodbuster]

Thank you! I'm glad this was helpful.

[@dcsblessedbees]

All lessons I am/have learning this 1st Winter.

[@sandirickert8714]

Loved the "girls going together" comments ...... LOL!!!

[@ranger46074]

Pretty good overall. Torpor is defined incorrectly. Also the temperatures mentioned in the beginning are wrong. The moisture issue is discussed well.

[@curly-hairedcountrygal1275]

Great video! I didn't know it was called a cleansing flight when they went out in the winter! So they only use one or two frames during the winter? Boy I hope I left enough honey on frames for them! Nice transitions, I liked the fade to black/white

[@SuburbanSodbuster]

The number of frames they need for winter will depend on the population. At the end of the year I'll condense the hive down to just the brood frames + 2 honey frames. But I wouldn't go smaller than 5 frames, total. As long as they have enough honey at the top of the brood frames they should be okay. Those honey frames, one on each end of the brood, are for spring as the hive builds up. They also add a little insulating value on each end of the cluster.

[@beebob1279]

I would have liked you to discuss the moisture issue in winter a bit more. Moisture will kill the colony. But having someplace for the moisture to go is important. The Layens has a place for moisture to go. Langstroth takes just a small stick for the air to flow. The solution is easy to the problem.

[@SuburbanSodbuster]

As I mentioned in the video, I don't subscribe to the idea that moisture kills the colony. Rather, excess condensation above the bees, which can drip down on the cluster, is a detriment. Condensation will be greatest wherever there is the least barrier between temperature differences - i.e. 3/4" of pine between the hive interior and freezing temps outside will promote condensation on the inside. I often say that one case doesn't prove a point, but my Langstroth hive which was wrapped in insulation, had 3" of insulation on top, and was completely sealed except for one small lower entrance, overwintered extremely well. Dr. Thomas Seeley has observed that bees in the wild tend to favor a low entrance for the hive and don't particularly look for upper ventilation - in fact the less drafty a cavity is the better they seem to like it. You obviously have experience with a top vent on your hives and, apparently, have had success with that. There are certainly different paths to success. But it seems that an upper vent on a vertical hive would created a chimney effect, lose much of the heat that the cluster generates, and require much more honey for winter survival.

[@5canwalk]

So educational!🎉

[@ericwagoner9149]

When you winter your bees in the layens hive do you open the other entrance farthest away from the cluster for air circulation?

[@SuburbanSodbuster]

No, I don't. In fact, I usually close my entrances down to a small (1-2 bee sized) opening to reduce drafts. That may not be necessary, though, as the bees will often reduce the entrance on the interior with propolis as they see fit.

[@joso7814]

How do this hive do coming out of winter? Did they survive, did your experiment work?

[@joso7814]

Did you find that condensation was a problem?

[@SuburbanSodbuster]

I assume you're referring to my experiment of the insulated and sealed Langstroth hive? They did great! I show my first look inside of that hive in this video at about the 11 minute mark: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJ_QnJ2ves-nsNU Condensation wasn't an issue in the hive. In fact, I've noticed less issues with condensation (i.e. mold on the divider boards, etc.) since I've started fully insulating the hives instead of using ventilated lids.

[@jomiller4397]

So informative! I am still trying to decide between the langstroth long or the Layens insulated for my first hives. do you have a recomendation? My Bee source uses langstroth frames so I would be able to easily source those. I am leaning toward the insulated hive since the Texas summers have been a bit much with the La Nina patterns. Any suggestions?

[@SuburbanSodbuster]

I will try to keep my reply brief, rather than writing a book, but I much prefer the Layens hive. Langstroth equipment is much more widely available, and many more people currently have experience with them, but I think the Layens system works better for the bees and is easier for the keeper. Langstroth works well for the convenience of large-scale, migratory, commercial beekeepers who need modular equipment sized for loading onto pallets. But the deeper frames of the Layens hives allow bees to build continuous comb from the top down, which is more natural than the divisions between frames of the Langstroth boxes. My experience is that the Langstroth hives require more monitoring and work, while bees seem to take to the Layens box very well with little intervention. As for the insulation, I do find that the insulated hives conserve resources better in the winter and, of course, insulation can help to regulate temperatures in the summer as well.

[@SuburbanSodbuster]

Incidentally, if you haven't watched it yet, I recommend my "5 Things to Know About Keeping Bees" video as you consider getting started: kzbin.info/www/bejne/anjWlqqkmKmKg6s

[@jomiller4397]

@@SuburbanSodbuster Thank you for this it reinforces what I was thinking as I watch your videos. I think I will start with the best possible tools and the insulated hive model seems to be where I am being led. I have even started wild flower seeds with my garden seeds.

[@jomiller4397]

@@SuburbanSodbuster I did re watch this one and Yes I do believe there may be a book if I am not careful as well. Along with the help of nature, I have finally convinced my husband that yes this is next 🤠 I do want relaxed and organic I want to be able to absorb the Purpose driven peace of the colony even if it stings sometimes, I through your playlist journey have seen the music of the Bees, the rhythm and beauty they can bring. It is playing in my brain a new song a harmony. I have contacted a friend who does Bee Rescue and that is where I will get my first Bees. So many questions have been answered, and yet new ones are spring to my brain so I keep watching, I am playing the ads through so hopefully you can get something out of this while I absorb your information as well 🤓 I had a customer at work tell me that I "Look like someone who would keep Bees" I am not sure if that is good, and I have Never been accused of being cool, but I will take it anyway 😎 Thank you for BEEing so kind. May GOD Bless you and your BEEs this year.

[@davidsoloninka7742]

What state r u in?

[@SuburbanSodbuster]

Missouri

[@beebob1279]

Oh, 3-5 inches of honey won’t do it where I live. Even with an insulated hive they will need more. But a Langstroth hive will need 60 to 70 pounds of food to survive winter. Where is your varroa management. I know two keepers who use horizontal hives who will lose hives if the varroa are not managed

[@SuburbanSodbuster]

As I mentioned in my other response, I believe that bees acclimated to the local area will store up appropriate resources. The key is using locally acclimated colonies. All of my hives are populated with local bees from feral sources (trap-outs, cutouts and caught swarms). This is a strategic (and economical) choice for resource management but also to leverage the improved likelihood of hygienic and grooming traits for varroa management. From where do your friends get their bees? I posted a video about treatment-free beekeeping here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aIKQfp-VaNh-ns0 and in this video I do say that a quick way to failure is to populate a hive with a purchased package with no varroa-resistant traits and just not treat them. Past results don't necessarily predict future outcomes, but this winter I had 100% survival. In fact, the only colony that I lost to varroa borne disease was a (treated) colony given to me by another beekeeper. That one died out last summer.

[@el5495]

I'm in Northern California and I'm blessed with a swarm. Any one with info please I'm a rookie and a sponge

[@SuburbanSodbuster]

Are you asking about how best to prepare the swarm for winter? If they don't have adequate stores of honey then I'd recommend feeding heavily with heavy syrup (2:1 sugar to water by weight). Under normal circumstances I don't feed my hives, but bulking up a late swarm for winter is an exception I'll make in my hives.