Wintering Bees in Cold Climates | Step By Step how to with Bruce White

Wintering Bees in Cold Climates. In this ste-by-step video you'll learn all about Wintering Bees in Cold Climates or just about any climate. We've included indexed chapters in this Beekeeping for Beginner's guide to easily navigate with detailed demos including Choosing Position; Clearing the Entrance; Slope the Hive; Check the Weight of the Hive; Decide if Feeding is Needed.
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👉 Here's what you'll learn in this video 👈
00:00 intro
00:17 observing the flight & entrance
01:07 the importance of keeping hives in the sun during winter
01:34 sloping (traditional langstroth) hives forward
02:07 keeping the hive entrance clear
02:48 strapping the hive
03:22 preparing to open the hive
04:04 feeling the weight of the hive
04:23 removing the lid
04:42 observing frames covered with bees
05:16 removing the supers & observing the weight to indicate stored honey
07:21 the brood box (or nest)
08:01 observing the brood frames
08:51 frames covered with bees
09:26 inspection of brood health
10:33 observing stored pollen, honey & brood
11:25 controlling SHB (small hive beetle)
13:35 removing excess supers or mat
17:35 wrapping so most frames are covered with bees & kept warm
19:06 wintering bees checklist
19:44 reducing the entrance
20:32 conclusions
21:08 reassembling the hive
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filmed 3 May 2020 at illawarra beekeepers
thanks to illawarra beekeepers for the use of their facilities and bee garden
special thanks to Bruce White OAM, for generously sharing his knowledge & time
thanks to Ian Phillips for assistance
music
Patent Doll: Freedom Trail Studio
produced by
save our bees australia
saveourbees.com.au
audio, cameras and editing by Emmanuel Farrugia
for save our bees australia and the illawarra beekeepers members, friends & all bee enthusiasts
for more info on illawarra beekeepers visit illawarrabeekeepers.org.au
© 2020 save our bees australia
#wintering bees in cold climates #beekeeping #beginnersguidetobeekeeping

[@SaveOurBees]

Make sure you check out the Feeding Bees video too at kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJCVgKdrac-Aq9U

[@RaniKorkise]

Love it, thanks Bruce! About time we had a a very experienced Aussie keeper teaching us about wintering in our climate. Please keep the videos coming!

[@SaveOurBees]

Will do! thanks for the support

[@rayheath7840]

Excellent advice well delivered, loved your use of the mat look forward to hearing more from you,regards ray.

[@Blackheathenly]

Love your work, Bruce! And all with bare hands!

[@SaveOurBees]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@Blackheathenly]

@@SaveOurBees I am one of your ex OTEN students! :D

[@willbell2339]

Thank you. Very well presented podcast.

[@rhondasavva2500]

Thank you for this video learnt a few things watching it and will put it into practice

[@SaveOurBees]

Thanks Rhonda, I hope it worked for you.

[@roycarter6235]

I learnt a lot from this video thank you.

[@SaveOurBees]

Glad it was helpful!

[@NolaSpiersMitchell-gu5iu]

Thank you very interesting to listen to

[@SaveOurBees]

Thanks for listening

[@parklifepep8056]

Good on ya Bruce!

[@SaveOurBees]

Thank you kindly

[@gjdsffk]

Thank you, I feel more ready for my first winter.

[@SaveOurBees]

Hi Jennifer, thanks for your feedback. It's great to know you have got something from this. Keep your eye peeled for more videos soon.😀

[@gjdsffk]

@@SaveOurBees I wintered my hives by reducing the entrances, elevating the rear ends and putting mats between the brood boxes and supers then left them alone until last week when the weather got quite hot. I'm a bit alarmed that both the supers have mould in them and one has slugs as well. The brood boxes are strong with plenty of bees but the supers are a worry. I've taken out the mats and opened up the entrances to let more air in but want to know if I just leave the supers for the bees to tidy up, or is more drastic action needed? I have killed the slugs.

[@SaveOurBees]

@@gjdsffk when you say you put mats between the boxes did you leave enough space around the matts (say 5cm on each edge at least) for the bees to travel up and down through the boxes?

[@gjdsffk]

@@SaveOurBees Yes, I left a gap but only on 2 sides as I thought that was enough. I'll cut them and make them smaller for next winter. In the meantime what do I do about the mould. The internet is divided between: 1. Lucky you - penicillin mould prevents ABF 2. Remove the frames, render the wax and bleach everything 3. Leave them alone - the bees know what to do and will fix it. You are a source I trust, so what should I do?

[@chriswelch7944]

I have 2 new hives, one package from Georgia; one a local nuc (NE PA). I have a deep hive body and medium super on each. I treated for mites twice with oxalic acid vapor back in late October. I was feeding syrup until late November. I wrapped each hive in 1" styrofoam with feeding ring and vivaldi board, plus 1" foamboard on inner part of outer cover. During a warm spell in early December, I checked both top supers quickly. I didn't see any real activity or bees. Some pollen patty had been eat, but little fondant. Do you think I should leave the hives alone and hope for the best, or should I cut the styrofoam down to the hive body, remove it and the medium super. Then put fondant and winter pollen patty on top of hive body and close everything up. Not sure if there are any stores left in the mediums. Very difficult decision. Don't want to lose a fairly lage investment. Any advice will be appreciated.

[@beekeeper213]

My only concern is with the queen excluder.. I always thought the bees migrate up as the winter goes on... but I could be wrong

[@heikeroberts1127]

Awesome information - just wondering when is it too cold to open a hive?

[@SaveOurBees]

Hi Heike, good question and there isn't really a clear answer on this, so we asked Bruce and his rely is as follows: "When is it to cold to open a hive? There is no clear answer as it depends on the task you wish to carry out, and how long it could take remembering bees incubate brood at about 34c and without brood the colony temperature is about 20c The best time in cold weather is between 11am and 2pm, only opening the hive when necessary avoiding wind rain and thunderstorms preferably above 15 degrees C and have the equipment ready you need to speed up the time the colony is open to give the bees the best chance to get the colony back to the temperature it had before being opened Cold is less likely to kill bees than excess heat Australia is mild compared to honeybee's origin in Europe " Bruce White

[@bradgoliphant]

Really helpful video. thank you. Are those bees Italians? Question. Do you find that you get stung on the hands a lot working with bare hands? Or not? If you keep a queen excluder on during winter won't the queen end up dying? How will she move up with the bees?

[@SaveOurBees]

yes mostly Italians. they are the most widespread in Australia As you get more experienced and confident with your bees you will find getting rid of the gloves will make it easier to work. work with your bees often, and you'll know when the time is right. there are a few schools of thought on queen exluders and we believe in general it's better to use them. when using an excluder there is no brood above it unless you've moved brood frames up yourself. so the bee clusters used to keep the.bood at 34c is going to happen in the blood box and that's where your queen will be when using an excluder. best of bees to you 😊

[@kathykatz5275]

Great video. Thanks I think i saw a few casualties :(

[@ianmcknight7310]

Yeah, I was thinking the same...........squish.

[@SaveOurBees]

Yes, a few casualties do happen unfortunately. We try to minimise it but it does happen.

[@twizeyimanainnocent4227]

How to feed bees like country that have not winter example Rwanda

[@WindowBeeTM]

Why winter losses of bee colonies are so high in U.K and U.S, is there any easy, meaningful explanation of the situation? I mean in comparition to other countries…

[@NolaSpiersMitchell-gu5iu]

What about ants

[@SaveOurBees]

Ants are not a common problem. If your colony is strong, it will defend against ants well. However, there are areas a "mechanised" hive that bees can't get to thet ants may gather.