Preparation of bee colonies and the wintering facility for the winter period

Optimal microclimate in the wintering facility

Successful wintering of bee colonies determines the strength of the entire apiary in the new season. During the rest period, bees form a winter cluster, lowering the temperature inside it to 10–27 °C, and consume 10–15 times less feed than during the warm season. The beekeeper's task is to protect the insects from sudden temperature fluctuations and to create optimal conditions in the wintering facility so that the colonies emerge for the first spring flight healthy and with minimal winter mortality.

• Wintering facility volume per colony — 0.5 m³
• Temperature in dry regions — from 0 to +2 °C
• Temperature in humid regions — from 3 to 4 °C
• Relative humidity — 75–85%
• Daily air exchange in the room — at least 10 times
• Minimum colony weight (south) — 2 kg
• Minimum colony weight (other regions) — 2.5 kg

Strict adherence to humidity levels is critical for the vitality of the winter cluster. When humidity drops below the norm, honey crystallizes, bees suffer from thirst, start to become restless and feed intensively, which leads to the overfilling of the intestines with fecal matter, diarrhea, and death outside the hives. High humidity is just as dangerous: open honey absorbs moisture from the air, thins out, ferments, and leaks from the cells, creating dampness in the hive. Typical wintering facilities are built 2.5–3 m high to accommodate hives in three tiers, and the room itself must remain dark, clean, and protected from mice.

Autumn inspection and colony nest assembly rules

Preparation for winter begins with an autumn inspection of feed reserves and the culling of empty honeycombs. Excess, unfinished, fresh light-colored, low-honey, and old combs subject to culling are removed from the hives, while low-honey frames with brood are moved from the center to the edges. From the summer, high-quality honey is prepared for the bees at a rate of 2–2.5 kg per bee space and at least 2 frames of bee pollen per colony. The total volume of feed per colony ranges from 17 to 30 kg depending on the climatic zone.

The final assembly of the nests is carried out immediately before wintering. This process requires care and strict adherence to the technology. The beekeeper must sequentially perform key actions to assess and optimize the nest:

1. Check the condition of the entire nest.
2. Reduce the nest according to the strength of the colony, leaving 1–2 frames not occupied by bees.
3. Remove low-honey combs and frames behind the follower board from which the bees have already moved the honey.
4. If necessary, supplement the reserves with feed combs so that there is at least 2.2 kg of honey for each bee space.

For successful wintering, part of the feed should be in the nest itself, and part should remain in reserve in storage. The distribution of feed reserves is planned in accordance with established technological standards. This ensures constant access for bees to food and timely assistance during the spring shortage.

Each colony needs at least 2–3 frames with bee pollen for the winter. The beekeeper chooses the method of arranging the frames in the nest individually. The final assembly scheme depends on the strength of the specific bee colony:

• Strong colonies: if all combs have at least 2 kg of honey, the frames are left unchanged (full honey combs of 3.5–4 kg are placed on the edges, combs with less honey and bee pollen are in the middle). In multi-story hives, the nests of strong colonies are formed in two bodies, concentrating feed reserves in the upper tier.
• Medium-strength colonies: frames are assembled in a corner pattern — the fullest honey combs are placed on one edge of the nest, followed by combs in descending order of feed, and the nest is also closed with a full honey frame.
• Weak colonies: the nest is assembled in a "beard" pattern — full honey combs are placed in the center, and low-honey ones are distributed to the edges.

After assembling the nests, the hives are insulated to ensure the bees do not waste excess energy on heating. On the north side, the nest is limited by a follower board, behind which a cushion with insulation is placed, and a cushion is also placed on top of the cloth under the roof or in the super. From the outside, the hives can be wrapped with roofing felt, with especially careful insulation for weak and medium colonies.

If the main feed reserves have crystallized or their volume is insufficient until spring, emergency top dressing with sugar syrup, candy, or honey solution is carried out. The feed is carefully placed directly above the cluster of bees, trying not to disturb the temperature regime in the hive and not to provoke bee robbing. Bees can winter either in equipped indoor wintering facilities with humidity and noise control, or outdoors under the protection of snow cover with open ventilation holes.

Mice pose a particular danger to overwintering colonies as they enter hives in search of warmth and feed. Rodents disturb the bee cluster, destroy combs, consume bee bread and honey, and also kill the bees themselves. To protect the nests, metal guards are installed on the hive entrances, and poisoned baits are placed inside the wintering house.

Traces of mice in the hive require immediate intervention. Rodents not only destroy combs and feed but also keep the bees in a state of constant stress, which leads to the collapse of the winter cluster.

During the overwintering period, the beekeeper must monitor for the emergence of dangerous diseases such as nosemosis and varroosis. Nosemosis exacerbates towards the end of winter due to dampness or poor-quality feed, manifesting as severe diarrhea in the insects. Varroosis weakens bees throughout the entire winter period; therefore, preventive diagnostics and treatments are carried out even before moving the colonies into the wintering house.

Monitoring the vital activity of bees in winter is conducted by listening through the hive entrances. Based on the sound, it is easy to determine the condition of the colony without opening the nest. A calm, steady hum indicates a successful overwintering, while sharp or fading noise signals issues with feed or ventilation.

1. Listen to the hives using an apiscope to assess the state of the bee cluster.
2. Clean the hive entrances of dead bees to maintain normal air exchange in the nest.
3. If a feed shortage is detected, place candy or a frame with honey on the top bars of the frames.
4. Place fresh rodent baits in the aisles of the wintering house.

The importance and establishment of a supportive nectar flow after the main flow ends.

Factors affecting the intensity of nectar secretion in plants.

Main types of nectar flows and their characteristics. Types of nectar flows in your zone.

How to determine the honey potential of the apiary's honey-bearing lands.

Why are honey bees the best pollinators of agricultural crops?

How to organize the most complete utilization of the nectar flow by bees?

Drafting a schedule for transporting bees in the enterprise for nectar collection and pollination of agricultural crops.

Rules for the storage of honey and beeswax raw materials.

Prevention of bee poisoning by toxic substances used in agriculture.

Rules for the placement of hives brought to honey plants for honey collection and pollination.

Methods for improving the forage base for bees at the end of the beekeeping season.

Importance and methods of building up young bees before wintering.

How to determine the presence of honeydew honey in winter feed stores?

What methods do you know for controlling the pollination work of bees?

Methodology for planning the pollination of agricultural crops in the region.

Methods for preserving natural populations of pollinating insects for clover and alfalfa seed crops.

Foundation and its properties.

Classification of beeswax raw materials.

Classification of honey.

Properties of beeswax, adulteration of wax.

Main measures for eliminating periods without a nectar flow in your zone.

What is bee training, how and for what purposes is it applied?

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