Winter Beekeeping

The bees have been tucked in for winter

and for the most part, I shouldn't open the hive and expose the bees to the cold.

 

However, a few days ago we had unseasonably warm weather - in the 60's.

Then we got 2.75" of rain and combined with the melting snow,

the creek flowed dangerously close to the hives.

Luckily they stayed dry,

 and I took the opportunity to check on the bees' honey stores.

Hives can die of starvation if they don't have enough honey to make it through the winter.

The green hive, which had produced quite a bit of honey was dangerously low,

so I gave them a fondant patty

(yes, fondant icing used in bakeries).

Then I worked on making candy boards to supplement the hives' food supplies.

 

Taking a winter inner cover, 

I blocked the opening on the end with wood scraps and left the jar lid on the feeder hole.

I weighed out 8 pounds of sugar.

I added 1 tablespoon of Honey B Healthy to 1-1/2 cups of water.

This has a strong mint aroma which will stimulate the bees to eat the candy board.

I mixed it up until it was like wet sand.

 

 I placed a pollen patty in the bottom of the lid. 

It will give the bees some protein which will help them begin making new brood.

Placing it at the bottom of the candy board means it will take them a while to get to the pollen.

The wet sugar is pressed into the cover, burying the pollen patty.

The sugar is allowed to harden and dry and should stay in the lid

 when I flip it over and place it in the hive.

Hopefully in mid February, they will have eaten through the sugar to the pollen,

which is about the time they will need to start making brood.

Six weeks later the new brood will be ready to forage the spring flowers.