Introduction
Winter is a precarious time for honeybee colonies. As temperatures plummet and flowers disappear, these industrious insects face a survival challenge. Starvation is a leading cause of colony loss during winter, making proper planning and strategic feeding practices absolutely essential for beekeepers who want to see their hives flourish in the spring. A healthy, well-fed hive is more resistant to diseases and better prepared to expand its population when warmer weather arrives. This article will guide you through understanding your bees’ nutritional needs during the dormant months and provide you with practical solutions to ensure they have ample bee food for winter. The ultimate goal is to equip you with the knowledge needed to help your bees thrive, not just survive, the winter season.
Understanding Bee Needs in Winter
Honeybees require a significant amount of energy to maintain their internal hive temperature and sustain the colony throughout the winter. Unlike other insects that hibernate, honeybees remain active, forming a tight cluster to conserve heat. This clustering behavior requires a constant energy supply, primarily derived from carbohydrates. Bees use honey as their natural carbohydrate source. The breakdown of sugars in honey generates the warmth needed to keep the cluster alive, especially during prolonged periods of freezing temperatures.
While carbohydrates are vital for energy, protein is also crucial, albeit in smaller amounts during the winter. The queen bee often continues to lay eggs, albeit at a reduced rate, even during the colder months, especially towards the tail end of winter or early spring. The developing larvae need protein to grow, and worker bees need protein to support their bodily functions. Pollen provides the necessary protein, but when natural pollen sources are unavailable, supplemental protein feeding becomes necessary.
Honey stores are the cornerstone of a colony’s winter survival. Honey is the bees’ natural and preferred winter food. It’s readily digestible and contains essential enzymes and nutrients that support their health. The ideal amount of honey a colony should have going into winter varies depending on your geographic location and the length of your winter. Generally, a strong colony needs at least sixty pounds of honey to survive winter in a region with moderately cold winters. Beekeepers in colder regions may want to ensure their hives have even more stores. It is crucial to be aware that not all honey is created equal. Honey sourced from certain plants, such as honeydew, can have a high mineral content that bees cannot digest. This causes dysentery, which leads to reduced survival rates in the winter.
Natural foraging is often insufficient to meet the bees’ winter food requirements. During the winter, most flowering plants enter a dormant state, leaving bees without a natural source of nectar and pollen. Even in regions with mild winters, foraging opportunities may be limited due to cold temperatures, rain, or snow. The length of the winter season varies geographically. Regions with long winters may not provide sufficient foraging for bees to re-establish proper honey stores, necessitating supplementary feeding. Therefore, it’s imperative to evaluate a colony’s honey stores and provide supplemental bee food for winter as needed.
Assessing Your Colony’s Food Stores
The best time to assess your colony’s food stores is in late summer or early fall, well before the onset of cold weather. This allows you ample time to take corrective action if your bees need supplemental feeding. Avoid waiting until the last minute; a sudden cold snap can make it difficult to feed your bees effectively.
There are several ways to check the amount of bee food for winter. One of the simplest methods is to lift the hive. A full hive will feel significantly heavier than a hive with limited stores. Experience will help you get a sense of how much honey is in the hive based on its weight. Another more direct, but potentially disruptive, method is to inspect the frames. Open the hive carefully on a warm day and examine the frames in the brood boxes. Look for frames that are capped with honey. The more frames filled with honey, the better prepared your colony will be for winter.
A healthy colony should have at least eight to ten frames with considerable honey stores. If you find that your colony has limited honey stores, especially if the hive feels light when you lift it, you will need to provide supplemental bee food for winter. Remember that it is better to err on the side of caution and provide too much supplemental food rather than risk starvation.
Supplemental Feeding Options
Several supplemental feeding options are available to provide bee food for winter. The best option depends on your situation and preferences.
Sugar Syrup
Sugar syrup is a common and inexpensive option for supplemental bee food for winter. Beekeepers often feed a heavy syrup ratio (two parts sugar to one part water) to simulate nectar and encourage the bees to build up their honey stores. The high sugar concentration provides the bees with the necessary energy to generate heat and maintain the hive temperature. A lighter ratio (one part sugar to one part water) is sometimes used in late winter or early spring to stimulate brood production. You can prepare sugar syrup by heating water and dissolving the sugar until it’s completely dissolved. Be sure to let it cool before feeding it to the bees. Sugar syrup can be administered using various feeders such as frame feeders or entrance feeders. While sugar syrup is easy to prepare, it lacks the complex nutrients and enzymes found in natural honey.
Fondant/Candy Boards
Fondant or candy boards are solid sugar-based food sources that can be placed directly on top of the hive frames. These options are an excellent choice for providing bee food for winter as they are easy for the bees to access even during cold weather. Many beekeepers prepare their fondant or candy boards by melting sugar with water, corn syrup, and other ingredients. The mixture is then poured into a mold and allowed to harden. The resulting candy board provides a solid, energy-rich food source for the bees.
Protein Supplements (Pollen Patties/Substitutes)
Protein supplements, in the form of pollen patties or substitutes, are especially useful in late winter or early spring when the queen bee begins to lay more eggs. These supplements provide the bees with the amino acids and vitamins necessary to support brood development. You can purchase pre-made pollen patties or create your own using a mixture of ingredients. When feeding protein supplements, ensure the bees have access to water, as they need it to process the protein.
Dry Sugar
Dry sugar is another option for winter feeding, albeit not as nutritious as other methods. Dry sugar is placed on an inner cover above the bee cluster. It’s useful not so much as a food source but as a means of absorbing moisture within the hive. Excessive moisture can lead to mold growth and other problems, so dry sugar can help maintain a drier environment for the bees.
Best Practices for Winter Feeding
Timing is crucial when providing bee food for winter. Start feeding as soon as you determine that your bees have insufficient honey stores, typically in late summer or early fall. Continue feeding until natural nectar sources become available in the spring.
The quantity of supplemental bee food for winter you provide depends on the size of your colony and the severity of the winter weather. It’s generally better to provide too much food than too little. As a general guideline, aim to provide at least ten to fifteen pounds of sugar syrup, fondant, or candy board per month for a standard-sized colony.
Placement of the food within the hive is also important. Place the supplemental food source as close to the bee cluster as possible. The best placement option is on top of the frames directly above the cluster. This allows the bees easy access to the food, even when they are tightly clustered.
Regular monitoring is essential to ensure the bees are consuming the supplemental bee food for winter. Check the feeders or candy boards periodically to see if the bees are actively feeding. If the food source remains untouched for an extended period, it may indicate that the bees are not clustered near it or that there may be other problems within the hive.
Preventing robbing is also critical during winter feeding. Robbing occurs when bees from other hives or wasps attempt to steal the supplemental food you are providing. This can stress your colony and even lead to colony collapse. To prevent robbing, avoid spilling sugar syrup outside the hive. Use entrance reducers to limit the access point for robbers. Feed your bees in the evening when other bees are less active.
Other Important Winter Preparations
Providing bee food for winter is just one aspect of winter bee care. Other important preparations include hive insulation, ventilation, and windbreaks. Insulating the hive can help the bees conserve heat. Providing adequate ventilation prevents moisture buildup inside the hive, which can lead to diseases. Creating a windbreak can protect the hive from harsh winter winds.
Controlling mite infestations is another essential aspect of winter bee care. Varroa mites are a common pest that can weaken bee colonies and make them more susceptible to diseases. Treat your hives for mites in the fall, before winter sets in.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Several common mistakes can undermine your efforts to provide bee food for winter.
Waiting too long to assess food stores is a common error. By waiting too long, you may miss the opportunity to provide supplemental bee food for winter before the weather turns cold. Using inappropriate sugar syrup ratios can also be detrimental. Using too little sugar can lead to fermentation, while using too much sugar can make the syrup difficult for the bees to digest.
Overfeeding or underfeeding can both be problematic. Overfeeding can lead to excessive honey stores, while underfeeding can lead to starvation. Using contaminated sugar or water can harm the bees. Ensure that the sugar and water you use are clean and free from pesticides or other contaminants. Disturbing the hive unnecessarily can stress the bees and disrupt their winter cluster. Only open the hive when absolutely necessary and do so quickly and efficiently.
Conclusion
Providing adequate bee food for winter is crucial for ensuring the survival and health of your honeybee colonies. By understanding your bees’ nutritional needs, assessing their food stores, providing supplemental feeding when necessary, and avoiding common mistakes, you can help your bees thrive through the cold months and emerge strong in the spring. Remember to monitor your hives regularly and adapt your feeding strategies as needed. With proper planning and diligent care, you can reap the rewards of a thriving bee colony in the spring and beyond, contributing to the health of our environment and enjoying the sweet rewards of honey production. Successfully managing bee food for winter is a key element in responsible beekeeping and contributes greatly to the overall health and longevity of your apiary.
