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Wintering bees worries and interests many novice beekeepers. Winter is a period that affects the well-being of the bee colony. For 3-4 months, the family is in a hive or any other shelter. That is why you need to approach wintering responsibly and prepare a place in advance, having thought through all the available nuances.
Features of the life of bees in winter
If we consider the features of the life of bee colonies during wintering, then it is worth noting the fact that insects do not hibernate. In addition, if in the summer time they cannot survive without a queen, then in winter they can do without her, but only after that the bees will come out weakened. The hives can remain outside under a thick layer of snow, or the beekeeper can transfer them to a specially prepared and insulated room.
When bees hibernate
In beekeeping, wintering occupies a special place, since if improperly prepared, it is possible to lose the whole family. As a rule, insects are removed for wintering at the moment when the low temperature regime outside becomes stable. For the transfer of hives, choose dry weather. This is due to the fact that it is recommended to bring dry hives into the room.
In the Northern regions, insects begin to be prepared in the first half of November, for the Southern regions - several decades later. It is necessary to plan everything in such a way that after the transfer of individuals to the premises for further wintering, the insulation and preparation work is carried out as quickly as possible. It is not recommended to disturb insects with extraneous noise for too long.
Where bees hibernate in winter
In the autumn period, active insects go into a dormant mode. In the last days before wintering, insects fly around only in order to empty their intestines. At such times, the body of the bees increases, as a result of which they can hold up to 40 mg of feces. Thanks to the production of special substances, the decomposition process is stopped.
During the winter months, bee colonies can be located:
- in specially created winter houses;
- in insulated rooms, in this case greenhouses, sheds, baths or basements;
- outside.
For each option, all conditions must be observed to create peace.
What bees do in winter
In order to survive the winter, bees, in most cases, prepare themselves. It is not necessary for them to create greenhouse conditions for living.
During wintering, all the bees gather and form one large ball, in which the required temperature regime is maintained. All insects are constantly in this tangle, in motion, during which those individuals who have already warmed up and have stocked up with the necessary amount of food are pushed out from the center.
The movement increases if the temperature drops.The club is constantly moving, as insects not only keep warm, but also look for food. The heat can increase up to + 30 ° С inside and up to + 15 ° С along the edges of the ball.
Do bees sleep in winter
A distinctive feature of bees from other insects is the fact that they do not hibernate during the winter period. During wintering, starting from the first half of November and ending in March, bees are in the hives, carry out a normal type of life - feed, react to changes in the environment.
As a rule, insects harvest the nutrients - nectar and pollen for the winter in advance. As a result of the slow metabolism in winter, insects consume a small amount of food, while the intestines are not cleared during the entire wintering period.
Can bees winter without a queen
In most cases, bees without a queen undergo decay in winter, as a result of which they cannot later gather into a single ball to maintain an optimal temperature regime and simply die. In such situations, the family dies in whole or in part.
It is important to take into account that there are cases when insects completely ignore the death of their queen and continue their usual life activities, and live out the spring well. In any case, if the queen died during wintering, nothing can be done, all that remains is to wait. Such insects come out of wintering rather weakened and the best option is to unite with the family that has a queen.
How to keep bees in winter
To preserve bee colonies during wintering, it is worth following the following recommendations:
- it is better for bees to hibernate in properly prepared rooms. The temperature regime should be about + 5 ° С, the humidity level should be up to 85%;
- to protect the honeycomb from pests, as they cause significant harm - they gnaw out the honeycomb, destroy insects;
- check bees several times every month, identifying and eliminating existing errors;
- if everything is prepared correctly, then the insects make an even, barely perceptible noise; in case of strong noise, it is worth checking the temperature and the presence of rodents;
- the temperature in the room should be stable, but not too high, since in this case the bees will begin to consume a large amount of food, as a result of which the intestines overflow, the bees begin to feel thirsty, fly out of the hives and die.
Adhering to these recommendations, you can save bee colonies without any problems.
Wintering bees in a polycarbonate greenhouse
Few people know that an ordinary polycarbonate greenhouse will be an excellent option for wintering bees. Polycarbonate greenhouses are capable of performing a number of important functions:
- protect families from extraneous noise, which is the main irritant for bees;
- shelter from gusts of wind and sudden changes in temperature;
- contribute to maintaining the required level of humidity;
- increase the operational life of the hives.
It is important to understand that in order to preserve the family, it is necessary to properly prepare a place for wintering. For example, on sunny days, the greenhouse warms up more, as a result of which the temperature difference cannot be avoided. In this case, it is recommended to close the greenhouse with opaque materials, and inside it can be insulated with foam.
Features of wintering bees in a barn
In most cases, hives with bees are transferred to sheds for the winter. Initially, it is worth preparing the room and insulating the walls. A layer of sand, dry leaves, twigs and straw is poured onto the floor. The wall at which it is planned to put up hives must be insulated and protected from strong gusts of wind. For this, boards or slate are used.
As a rule, hives with bees are placed in one row, placing them on the floor or on the flooring of boards.If there are gaps on the walls, then they must be eliminated, which will avoid the penetration of sunlight and rodents. The holes are closed with a dense mesh or cones. The most important thing is that the room is not only warm and dry, but also dark and quiet. From above, the bee houses are covered with spruce branches.
Wintering of bees in huts
This method for the wintering of bees is chosen by those beekeepers who live in areas where a large amount of snow falls in winter. For the hut, you must choose a place located on a hill, while water should not leak.
The preparation looks like this:
- The first step is to remove the topsoil.
- A flooring of boards or logs is mounted, to which the hives will be moved in the future.
- The hives are displayed in 2 tiers. The first tier has 3 rows of hives, the second has 2 rows.
- A hut is erected on top of the resulting pyramid with the help of rafters, and then covered with straw.
Snow covers the hives, and the bees hibernate like this. It is not recommended to disturb families throughout the winter. In the spring, it is necessary to expose the hives from the shelter as early as possible.
Wintering of bees in Omshanik
Many beekeepers prefer to transfer hives with bees for further wintering in specially prepared premises during the autumn period. In this case, you can use wintering houses or, as they are also called, Omshaniks. As a rule, Omshaniks are made from boards, logs, bricks or any other building materials. As insulation you can use:
- sand;
- clay;
- moss;
- straw;
- wood.
With the help of ventilation pipes, it is possible to provide air inflows of fresh air, while maintaining the optimal temperature regime in the room.
The Norwegian method of wintering bees: advantages and disadvantages
The Norwegian method of wintering bees is to sweep the insects onto the foundation at the beginning of September. After the families have been transplanted, they begin to actively feed them, as a result of which a quick process of detaching the honeycomb is carried out.
The advantages of this method include the following points:
- since only clean combs are used for wintering, the bees remain completely healthy;
- as a result of the absence of bee bread, the brood will be grown at the moment when the beekeeper himself wants it.
Some beekeepers consider the disadvantages that brood rearing starts much later than other bees. But, despite this, the growth of young insects is quite fast.
Pros and cons of high-temperature hibernation of bees
The essence of the high-temperature wintering of bees is that for spare queens, either cores make hives of a special shape, in which insects will hibernate in the future at room temperature. At the same time, tunnels leading to the street will come out of the hives. In addition, during wintering, insects will be fully provided with water.
Thus, if we consider the advantages of this method, then one significant point can be noted - it is possible to grow an additional bee colony, using a spare queen for these purposes.
Since there are a small number of bees in the hive, and they are busy growing brood, they must be fed in the winter, otherwise the whole family will die. Many beekeepers consider this moment a significant disadvantage, but it must be taken into account that if winter is unfavorable for many families, then there will already be a basis for the restoration of the apiary.
Possible reasons for the death of bees in winter
During wintering, bees can die, which is influenced by a large number of factors. If you keep insects correctly, then you can completely eliminate the death of bees in winter:
- weak bee colony;
- the appearance of rodents;
- the death of the queen of the hive leads to the disintegration of the ball, after which the bees cannot re-gather and freeze;
- the family has been ill;
- lack of food;
- low temperature conditions;
- high humidity levels lead to acidification of honey, as a result of which the bees die of hunger.
To prevent diseases, beekeepers treat insects. It must be borne in mind that the treatment must be carried out correctly, otherwise it will become another reason for the death of bees.
Conclusion
Wintering of bees is an important moment in the life of any beekeeper, which must be approached as responsibly as possible. If the wintering room is prepared incorrectly, then there is a high probability that the bee colony will die from cold, hunger or rodents that have entered the room.
