Ask two beekeepers a question about bees and you'll get at least 3 different answers. That's the lesson we learned when we attended the October meeting of the Northeast New Jersey Beekeepers Association. The agenda indicated that there would be information about over wintering hives. this is knowledge we definitely needed so Jim and I went to the meeting.

An internet search for "overwintering bees" turns up 180,000 results. It is important that your search include where you live because not everyone will have a problem with snow, wind and very cold temperatures, all of which are a problem for bee hives. I added "northern New Jersey" to my search and got a better results list but I still wanted to hear from real people with real experiences. I had consulted my go to books and read bee magazine articles but there is nothing like personal experience to help guide the way.

Like many of the meetings, there was no formal agenda, just lots of sharing and discussion. One member swears by solid bottom boards and wrapping the hives in tar paper. Another member leaves the bottom board open, installed something called a slatted bottom board and does not wrap the hives. Others pile bales of hay around the hives. Others insulate the lid to help with moisture condensation which can drown bees. There is at least one member who tries very hard to replicate nature with his hives and he asked how bees in the wild survive winter without human intervention. Hmmmmm....no exact answers, lots to think about, and not a lot of time until the weather turns cold.

As I listen, I thought back to when I was  kid and tried to remember what my dad did with the 10 or so hives that lived in our back yard. They were not visible from the house, so I don't have any recollection of what they looked like in the winter. I'm pretty sure he got bales of hay to help block the wind. I know he would check the hives anytime there was a warm day and he would sometimes feed them with sugar water in front feeders. I also remember that not all the hives would make it through the winter and that would make him very sad. OK. I don't want to be sad in the spring. time to take some action to help the girls overwinter.

So here's what we did:

*Added a slatted bottom board which allows air flow, gives them a bit more leg room at the bottom and prevents cool drafts at the front door.

slatted bottom board
 

*Insulated the lid with 2" of foam board. This should help with condensation from the warm hive. (Didn't your mom always say wear a hat?)


insulation inside the lid
 

*Wrap the north and west sides of the hive with 2" foam board insulation because those are the coldest sides. The hives faces east and south and gets nice sun on those sides. We used bungee cords to hold it all in place.

insulation for north and west sides

bungee cords to hold the insulation

 

bungee cords and corner protectors

*Sit a gargolye on top of the hives to keep the lid on in case of strong winds and to warn off evil spirits. Yes for the wind, no for the spirits. A rock or brick will do just fine, you don't have to use a gargolye. We just happen to have a cast concrete gargolye named Dobie who is just perfect for the job.

Dobie keeping things under control

 

OK mother nature, bring on winter. McBees are ready!