September in the Sweet Drop Apiary

Already at the end of summer you can notice changes in the hive’s life, the bees start preparing for winter at the end of August, during this period the bees drive the drones out of the hive, regulate their family’s strength: they start saving food supplies and feed the mother less. In preparation for winter, the bees gradually tidy up their housing: the pitch fills the cracks in the hive, especially in the upper part, so that there are no drafts in the hive. September – the end of winter beekeeping – is the bees that hatch in the bee colony in late August and September. The bees still bring pollen, but the main honey bear is over, and it is necessary to prepare the bees for the winter.

Wintering of bees begins with the last flight of bees in the fall and ends with the first flight of overwintered bees in the spring. Preparing bees for the winter is one of the most important and essential stages of beekeeping. Therefore, wintering must be organized in such a way as to minimize losses to the bee colony. It is necessary to be able to feed the bees by the middle of September, because at that time the food bees are processed by the summer bees for the winter, and the winter ones remain stronger, they have not used up their energy.

Well-overwintered bee colonies are strong in the spring. In such families, the mother quickly begins to lay eggs in the spring, and the bees feed many broods. Last year’s bees, which overwinter well, live long in the spring, which contributes to the rapid growth of families. For bee hibernation to pass safely, it is necessary to prepare strong families with as many young bees as possible. Provide adequate, good quality food supplies for bees. Create normal temperature and humidity conditions in the sheep and maintain silence, as bees should not be disturbed in winter. There must be silence in the apiary.

When preparing bees for the winter, every beekeeper must evaluate:

– the number of hives – the degree of readiness of the hive for wintering depends on it.

-amount of honey and bee bread to avoid food shortages.

-suitability of hives for wintering.

-bee family condition: health, tick infestation.

Our work in the apiary is complete: every family, fed, healed, diligently prepared for the cold period. Bees do not sleep in the winter, so we wish them a CALM WINTER! Bee peace is the beekeeper’s biggest concern in winter.