How to keep your honeybees alive through winter

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Stop feeding sugar water from Thanksgiving all the way through till March. feed dry sugar only to avoid moisture problems. Dry sugar works excellent all through the winter this will keep your bees alive through winter also make sure you keep adequate ventilation to keep moisture out of your hive.

[@mizzshortie907]

I really love and appreciate that he teaches options that don’t require having to buy his products. It really shows he cares more about bees well being than just making a quick buck. Honestly makes me want to purchase his product more! Someone who honestly cares about what there doing and selling will make high quality products.

[@davidhaught84]

Honestly if you from someone else that doesn't bother me a bit. I just like teaching beekeeping, thats the fun part.

[@allennelson3679]

Why don't people like this guy in office. Educational video thank you.

[@noahriding5780]

@ 2 minutes in, it was pretty amazing how fast that wasp came in and smelled a chance to steal. Your videos are a lot of fun to watch.

[@anthonya1158]

And his ass is going to stay in there now since he trapped him in lol

[@ColinMill1]

Very interesting idea. I especially like the idea of using the removable feeder for this because, above 85%RH, sugar is deliquescent so may draw moisture from the hive and help prevent the build up of excess moisture in the hive if it can be removed and replaced with fresh sugar. I have used an eke lined and topped with Kingspan foam to keep the feeder as warm as possible.

[@StephenBiggers]

can't wait for the spring to get my package bees from y'all. I have another package coming from down by Texas A&M. Already put Georgia and Aggie decals on my hives. SEC showdown.

[@pamelastansbury1407]

You should write a book, this is great info, hope to visit your shop soon.

[@skywave12]

Am starting again in the Sierra Foothills in Ca. Found out there are California Buckeye Trees that likely killed off my small transferred Bee crop back in 2000 when I moved. The Buckeye's within 5000 Ft will be cut. Have Mann Lake Bee Pro Pollen ready, and Sugar feeders needed for quick Comb building. I ordered one of your 3-4 Lb Bee Package. I hope to mix them with 2 local Nuc's that will arrive late April, they will likely be Almond pollinators. Pollen shuts off around June here. It is a very arid Climate, and not that cold in Winter. Just finished painting 3 Virgin Hives :-))

[@garysplantshed2159]

David, have you ever tried using fondant? It's basically sugar/water cooked down like cake icing, but it has the consistency of modeling clay. Seems like it would be easier to work with than a pile of granulated sugar. There are recipes on YT and I've seen some Canadian beekeepers that like to use it for extreme cold weather that they get.

[@426superbee4]

That will work too! i just place a dinner tray on top of the frames made some 2 inch wide square rings as a spacer on top of the hive body and then the inner cover ect Yes i feed them powder sugar beginning of spring i mix it 50/50 powder sugar and flour as a pollen substitute

[@OklahomaBeekeeper]

Hey, David, this is Malcolm Megibben from Tulsa Oklahoma. Love your videos. I only argument is with the entrance reducer. I use open screen boards left wide open and only mice guards in the entrance. My first year over wintering nucs I experimented with some with entrance reducers and lost most of those to moisture. Joe May also lost a few with entrance reducers to moisture. Now it could be our colder temps and snow here in 6b (we're both in 6b him in Indiana and me Oklahoma)and we needed more air flow. If you have any loses to moisture open them up or if you can afford to experiment do a comparison of the open and reduced. Good luck with the winter. I've been posting your site on my Facebook hoping to help you grow. MAY GOD BLESS YOU, YOUR BEES, BUSINESS PARTNERS IN THE YEARS AHEAD. AMEN

[@davemaloneyvideos]

Hi, Malcolm. A number of years ago I started using a piece of Homasote (moisture absorbent material) over my top deep. Then a 1" solid foam insulation board on top of the Homasote. I use construction adhesive to glue them together. The open Homasote edges of the bottom sandwich layer allows any absorbed moisture to wick away to the outside. I am in mid-MD. I think that insulated inner covers are of vital importance to preserve warmth (75% is lost through the top) and minimize unwanted moisture.

[@OklahomaBeekeeper]

Dave Maloney agree with you. I also put a piece of Styrofoam board on top of each hive, no homasote. Thanks for the info

[@catherinemullens7057]

Malcolm Megibben 30 pounds in 90 days & have not gained it back

[@ryankahlor3563]

Thank you

[@jdeereyellow]

Hey David, I have really enjoyed following your videos over the last several weeks. You have some fantastic knowledge and I appreciate you doing videos. Who were your mentors over the years and are there any channels or keepers you like to follow? Any that you would recommend? Thanks

[@hunterhall5555]

David, as I finish my first year as a beekeeper, always enjoy your videos! Can I use pure cane sugar for the food? I got a 25# bag from Costco...

[@PhillipHall01]

Always look forward to you videos. Will the bees eat through the paper towels during the winter?

[@christopherdavis9012]

Thanks

[@theoeicher]

what do you filling the plastic doughnut feeder with sugar or this version directly onto top of the bars? Do bees manage to come up into the doughnut feeder during long cold spells?

[@davemaloneyvideos]

Great video. Last year I put no-cook sugar bricks on my 10-frame langs. Double deeps and triple deeps. I put them on early - in early December. The bees were all over it and kept eating it. So, I kept adding more. All the way through spring! Come spring, I could not pull out my mite boards because they were covered with sugar! The sugar was piled so high that it came up and through the bottom screens which made dragging the mite boards out to clean very difficult. They seem to be throwing it away. Do you find sugar on your bottom boards? Is feeding sugar to nucs different from feeding to full-size colonies? I now have many frames of capped honey in all my colonies, so will withhold adding sugar until late winter, I think. Still, seeing all those bees at the top even knowing there is honey in there makes me nervous and wants me to, once again, add some sugar bricks on top - but I think they will just throw it out, again.

[@hilldaflyer4593]

David, thanks for all the awesome content. I don't know if you'll answer a question after years, but have you ever tried to put Ultra Bee Protein Pollen on one side of the round bottom feeder and sugar on the other for winter feeding?

[@davidpaytonsapiary6911]

If I had empty drawn comb would I be able to fill the cells with sugar or would they try to clean it out?

[@dtruth6422]

Bundt cake pan with a lid

[@lucasbarahona9384]

Very helpful

[@jayrobertson1689]

Oh just what iz wondering about, thank you so much, do yall sale those feeders or i go to glory bee's ?

[@ximono]

I'm curious, why would a wide opening be too much ventilation? Where I keep bees (Norway), many (most?) beekeepers use screeened bottom boards and a wide entrance for ventilation, as in our parts, moisture is the greatest enemy during winter. We don't have ventilation in the top though, only in the bottom.

[@enstreetbees9968]

Hey David I appreciate all your vids very much. I am North of Houston a bit and starting two nucs in the spring first time bee keeper.. I want to keep a video history and your videos are great looking what camera are you using ? and what do you use to edit thanks

[@danielweston9188]

Dry sugar like chopping firewood warms you twice -

[@northshore03]

So do you feed straight sugar or ultra bee pollen substitute during the winter and why?

[@NBSTL68]

So why do people do sugar mush bags or hard sugar candy boards if just pouring in raw sugar works as well? Are there any advantages to the other methods? I know some of the solid candy boards are installed with the sugar side down facing the bees for immediate access in the hive... When it is real cold will the bees still come up into that cold top section to feed on your raw sugar and maybe die while up there?

[@natserog]

hey david...can you put raw sugar inside internal frame feeder and they be good....im down south.

[@rayikaikin]

I wish my bees were that gentle i checked my bigger hive yesterday and i had at least 20 circling my head... i dig in there until i saw some capped brood and that's as far as can go got stung on muy knee through jeans while packing up. I'm not sure why they are getting so aggressive

[@charliesheads6497]

Is there any advantage or disadvantage to feeding dry sugar the whole year?

[@dennissetzerjr]

Do you have plans to build the top wooden feeder?

[@rachelchasethefrumpfamily7952]

What breed of bees do you recommend for first timers? Thank you. 😁

[@quassalove6814]

Great video! I’m leaving my bees for a week in late September. Will this method sustain my bees for a week?

[@steveluepke9654]

Hi David. Im the guy who sent you the pictures from Wisconsin on the 2 frame mating nuc feeder i built. I have a dumb question. Do the bees convert that sugar to a liquid and store it in the open cells or do they consume it for immediate nutrition. Thanks for all the videos. You do a great job. Im going to order some packages from you guys when i figure out how many i need

[@lonemudasir7875]

M from Kashmir what I do to save bees in Winter &here is temp minus nd my honey bees r diyig

[@CelticTechno]

What kind are they? I have one hive that is Italian, and one that is Carniolan.

[@diggindeep100]

were do you get those round top feeders

[@navybaby911]

How often do you check them afterwards of adding the sugar to the top

[@SevenEightHeinz]

Hey, I found a singular young looking bee I found on my driveway this morning. He looked cold so gently scooped him onto a piece of paper and into the garage so he doesn’t freeze to death, is there anything I can do for him? The garage will get cold but not freezing.

[@alamenahlesetif]

Note only sugar is not wet or not well salted

[@abdelhamidschool3991]

الله يبارك جيد انك تستعين بالمحتوى الاجنبي و لا تكتفي بالعربي فقط انا اشاهد قناتك كذلك ما رأيك في التغذية بالسكر الجاف هل جربتها من قبل؟؟؟ في احد الاجوبة قال بانه يتفقد الخلايا كل شهر و يجد السكر لم ينفذ ؟؟

[@postbee8751]

What are your breeds of the bees?

[@bc58]

Could you make a mixer of dry sugar and Ulta dry bee pollen and feed in the winter ?

[@shocky481]

I have been trying to find out about putting pollen sub in a rapid feeder and cannot find an answer anywhere

[@wakingupcountry]

Do you do anything special to keep mice out?

[@joaniejones5114]

What month are you adding this sugar .

[@chrisphillips5346]

I see that you posted this video on Nov 20. What is the coldest temperature that it is ok to open the hive? Not the ones with the feeder top but the one you put the paper towels on. I need to put dry sugar on mine and it is mid 50s here.

[@chrisphillips5346]

Barnyard Bees Thanks, I was worried about not being able to get sugar on them.

[@jaycustard4711]

Barnyard Bees g

[@Joseph-fn8cz]

I'm thinking of getting bees so I can sort of learn to not rely on supermarkets and have more homegrown food

[@bluepsiongamer4909]

Make sure you are not allergic, get yourself a set and hop in. You will not in all likelihood get honey in the first year. I advise you to get two hives if you can afford it. My first year I failed and it stunk to have to start over fresh in spring!

[@christopherdavis9012]

How much are your feeding

[@a-m-kapiares-austenhicks8651]

Hey David @barnyardbees do you have a link to those specific feeders

[@micksbeesstephens5327]

FYI, for the round rapid feeders try Blythewood Bee Supply online, about $7 each

[@bradgoliphant]

David, I have a two deep hive packed with bees going into our NE winter. Which entrance do you recommend keeping open on the hive for winter?

[@wakingupcountry]

Great question. I also would like to know the answer to this.

[@bradgoliphant]

@@wakingupcountry Hello Waking Up Country--This is Brad. I asked that question a year ago, and since then, after not only experimenting, and I asked several mentors. And the Clear Winner: Only the bottom entrance, and only 1/3rd of it. I believe one should never open a top entrance in hard winters simply because heat rises. The bee need their heat in winter so leaving only 1/3rd of a bottom entrance open, they still have ventilation yet all their heat is retained on top. Hope this helps

[@Thatguy82719]

What month do you do this?

[@derek8c829]

The only problem with the straight sugar method is that they don’t get the nutrients like they do from honey

[@dogalarclk1541]

🇹🇷👍👍

[@geemailgmail3463]

Should I feed pollen also? I'm in columbus ohio Thanks

[@kade426]

Pollen can stimulate brood production which you don't really want during winter.

[@TriGirl123]

What state are you beekeeping in. Can I have sugar water in Texas?

[@426superbee4]

Not in the hives ok! Make FEEDING STATIONS away from the hives YES 3 bad things about sugar water in the hives ( 1 ) is ants, ( 2 ) is moisture in the hive, and ( 3 ) cause ROBBING in the hives ONCE THAT HAPPEN THERE NO STOPPING IT UNTIL THERE ALL DEAD i was lucky and lure a robbing condition away from a hive! By placing sugar water 10 foot from it! 2 days later move it 20 foot away! I was lucky and caught it early! What bad about it to THEY DEFEND THERE HOME TO THE DEATH! FEEDING STATION THERE NOT DEFENDING THERE HOME! and its Not as bad ALL IT TAKES IS ONE LITTLE SNITCH to bring the info back to her hive

[@skywave12]

One way of stopping Ant's is to put the stand Footing's in Water. Ant's won't Crawl across Water. Some might Float as a last ditch Colony in a Flood. Just a suggestion.

[@426superbee4]

Ant's flies crawls and floats. there wax shell make em water proof

[@dusanrancic2248]

Raw sugar? I saw this for the first time

[@pleindespoir]

The bees take the water they need to solute the sugar by licking snowflakes outside ;)

[@jayrobertson1689]

What's the web address ?

[@corycollins3597]

I'm not getting away with that it way to cold in Indiana not to wrap the boxes

[@alinice82]

Feed them sugar is not a good idea

[@charliesheads6497]

The Biden ad that showed before this is very unfortunate.

[@oscarmartinez9889]

Hey David do you make the sugar water too cuz I just started this year beekeeping and now I'm not sure how to feed the bees right weight

[@oscarmartinez9889]

@@davidhaught84 thanks a lot David I appreciate that