How bees hibernate

The wintering of bees worries and interests many beginner 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 it is necessary to approach wintering responsibly and prepare the 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 during the summer period they cannot survive without a queen, then in winter they can do without it, 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 move them to a specially prepared and insulated room.

When the bees leave for the winter

In beekeeping, wintering occupies a special place, since with improper preparation, it is possible to lose the whole family. As a rule, insects are harvested for wintering at the moment when the low temperature outside becomes stable. Dry weather is chosen for the transfer of hives. 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, work on warming and preparation is carried out as quickly as possible. It is not recommended to disturb insects with extraneous noise for too long.

Where do bees hibernate in winter?

In autumn, active insects go into dormant mode. In the last days before wintering, insects fly around only 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 development of special substances, the decomposition process stops.

During the winter months, bee colonies can be located:

• in specially created winter quarters;
• in insulated rooms, in this case greenhouses, sheds, baths or basements;
• on the street.

For each option, all conditions must be met to create peace.

What do bees do in winter

In order to survive the winter, the 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 they maintain the required temperature regime. All insects are constantly in this ball, in motion, during which those individuals that have already warmed up and stocked up with the necessary amount of food are pushed out of the center.

The movement increases if the temperature drops. The club is constantly moving, as the insects not only keep warm, but also look for food. The heat can increase up to +30°C inside and up to +15°C 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, the bees are in the hives, carry out a normal type of life activity – they feed, react to changes in the environment.

As a rule, insects prepare nutrients – nectar and pollen for the winter in advance. As a result of the fact that the metabolism is slow in winter, insects consume a small amount of food, while the intestines are not cleansed during the entire wintering period.

Can bees survive the winter without a queen?

In most cases, bees without a queen undergo disintegration in winter, as a result of which they cannot further gather into a single ball to maintain the optimal temperature regime and simply die. In such situations, the family dies completely or partially.

It is important to take into account that there are cases when insects completely ignore the death of their queen and continue their normal life activities, and live out well in spring. In any case, if the uterus died during the winter, nothing can be done, all that remains is to wait. Such insects leave the winter rather weakened and the best option is to unite with the family that has a queen.

How to keep bees in winter

To keep bee colonies during the winter, you should follow the following recommendations:

• it is better for bees to winter in properly prepared rooms. The temperature regime should be about + 5 ° С, the humidity level – up to 85%;
• protect honeycombs from pests, as they cause significant harm – they gnaw out honeycombs, destroy insects;
• check the bees several times every month, identifying and eliminating existing errors;
• if everything is prepared correctly, then the insects make a smooth, barely perceptible noise, with 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, as in this case the bees will begin to consume a large amount of food, as a result of which the intestines overflow, the bees become thirsty, fly out of the hives and die.

By adhering to these recommendations, you can save bee colonies without any problems.

Wintering bees in a polycarbonate greenhouse

Few people know that an ordinary greenhouse made of polycarbonate 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 are 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 save the family, it is necessary to properly prepare a place for wintering. For example, on sunny days, the greenhouse warms up more strongly, as a result of which a 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 the barn

In most cases, beehives with bees are transferred to wintering in barns. Initially, it is worth preparing the room and insulating the walls. A layer of sand, dry leaves, branches and straw is poured onto the floor. The wall at which the hives are planned to be set must be insulated and protected from strong gusts of wind. To do this, use boards or slate.

As a rule, beehives with bees are put in one row, placing them on the floor or on the flooring of the boards. If there are gaps on the walls, then they must be eliminated, which will avoid the penetration of sunlight and rodents. The notches 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, bee houses are covered with spruce branches.

Wintering bees in huts

This method for wintering bees is chosen by those beekeepers who live in areas where a large amount of snow falls in winter. For a hut, it is necessary to choose a place located on a hill, while water should not leak.

The preparation looks like this:

1. The first step is to remove the top layer of soil.
2. They mount the flooring from boards or logs, on which the hives will be moved in the future.
3. Hives exhibit in 2 tiers. On the first tier there are 3 rows of hives, on the second – 2 rows.
4. A hut is erected on top of the resulting pyramid with the help of rafters, after which it is covered with straw.

Snow covers the hives, and the bees hibernate in this form. Throughout the winter, it is not recommended to disturb families. 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 in the autumn period for further wintering to specially prepared premises. In this case, you can use winterers or, as they are also called, omshaniki. As a rule, omshaniki are made of 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 optimum temperature in the room.

Norwegian bee wintering method: advantages and disadvantages

The Norwegian method of overwintering the bees is to sweep the insects onto the foundation in early September. After colonies have been transplanted, they are actively fed, as a result of which a rapid process of comb adjustment 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 cite the fact that brood rearing starts much later than other bees as a disadvantage. But, despite this, the growth of young insects is quite fast.

Pros and cons of high-temperature wintering of bees

The essence of high-temperature wintering of bees lies in the fact that special-shaped hives are made for spare queens or nuclei, in which insects will continue to winter 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 this purpose.

Since there are a small number of bees in the hive, and they are busy growing brood, they need to be fed in the winter, otherwise the whole family will die. Many beekeepers consider this moment a significant drawback, but it must be taken into account that if the winter is unfavorable for many families, then there will already be a basis for restoring the apiary.

Possible causes of death of bees in winter

During wintering, bees can die, which is influenced by a large number of factors. If you properly contain insects, then you can completely eliminate the death of bees in winter:

• weak bee family;
• the appearance of rodents;
• the death of the queen of the hive leads to the disintegration of the ball, after which the bees cannot reassemble and freeze;
• the family has been ill;
• lack of food;
• low temperature conditions;
• high levels of humidity lead to souring of honey, as a result of which the bees die of starvation.

To prevent diseases, beekeepers treat insects. It must be borne in mind that the processing must be carried out correctly, otherwise it will become another reason for the death of the 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.