Winter Prep for Bee hives

Cold weather is approaching!

Remove empty supers. Make the space inside the hive match the size of the colony. Check for a laying queen. Check for colony size and combine small ones. Come Spring it is better to have one live colony
than two dead ones.

1.  Check for honey stores. If your hives are too light, it’s time to start feeding with a vengeance.
2. Assure that the honey frames are in the right place. They should be on both sides of the cluster and  above it in a Lansgstroth hive. Move frames around if necessary.
3. Reduce hive entrances if you haven’t already. It’s time for mice and other small creatures to find a snug and warm overwintering place– one filled with honey is especially attractive.
4. Remove weedy vegetation from the base of the hive. Vegetation is a convenient hiding place for creatures who may want to move into the hive, and it can be used like an entrance ramp or step-ladder.
5.  If you live in a wet area, make sure your lids will keep out the rain. Make any needed repairs now.
6. If wintertime moisture is a problem in your hives, add a quilt box above the brood boxes.
7. If high winds are a problem, you may consider adding a skirt around the base of your hive to reduce drafts. Although you want adequate ventilation, you don’t want a wind tunnel; secure your lids with heavy stones or tie-downs. You may want to shield upper ventilation holes from sidewinds. Consider providing a windbreak. 
8. If extreme cold is a problem, consider wrapping your hives with insulation or tar paper...but, again, don’t forget the ventilation. 
9. If winter flooding is a problem, move the hives to higher ground now while the weather is still dry.

(Reprinted from the Apiary Newsletter from Arkansas State Plant Board, Apiary Newsletter 2017)