During the last 2 weeks of the major honeyflow, colonies should be top supered, that is, add empty supers above the partly filled supers to crowd winter honey stores into the brood nest.

After the major honeyflow is past and all honey supers have been removed, check colonies for brood diseases and for condition of queens. Late summer is the time to replace old, defective queens and to treat colonies with drugs to control or prevent brood diseases.

Organization and amount of winter stores should be checked as colonies are inspected. If additional weight is needed, feed a heavy sugar sirup (2 parts white, granulated sugar to 1 part water by weight). Complete this feeding by about October 15 in the northern tier of States and southern Canada.

In late fall, when brood-rearing subsides (or stops in many colonies) feed 1 gal (3.8 1) of heavy sugar sirup containing 100 mg fumagillin as Fumidil B for nosema control. This sirup will be stored where the last brood emerges and will be the first food used for winter, thus suppressing nosema in early winter.

Finally, make sure that all colonies have top winter flight entrances and that the lower entrance is screened or reduced to prevent mice from entering.

Midwinter check

Colonies should be checked in midwinter on mild days with little wind. Most colonies should be in good condition if details were attended to in the fall. Gently remove the cover and confirm the colony condition without disturbing it. The only purpose of this inspection is to see that the clusters are normal and in contact with ample honey stores. A colony can often be saved by reorganization in February, if the colony is stranded on brood away from its honey. Honeycombs or even combs filled with warm sugar sirup poured from a sprinkling can, may be placed in contact with the outer edges of the clustered bees.

Early spring inspection and feeding

By early March, in most northern States, colonies will be ready to receive pollen supplement. Once such feeding begins, provide the supplement as fast as the bees will consume it and until they can begin foraging in the field.

A satisfactory pollen supplement formula is, by weight, 2 parts sugar and water and 1 part expeller-processed soybean flour and bee-gathered pollen by weight. The sugar-water fraction is 2 parts sugar and 1 part water. The soybean flour-pollen fraction is 1 part pollen and 3 parts flour by weight. Brewers' yeast can be substituted for the soybean flour fraction, but less water must then be used to obtain proper consistency. If pollen is not available, the soybean flour or brewers' yeast can be used alone as a third of the mix, but it is not as effective as materials including pollen.

Fumidil B can be incorporated in the sirup portion of pollen supplement at least for the first round of feeding to retard nosema buildup. Do not feed supplement to weak or subnormal colonies or to colonies light on honey because the stimulus to rear brood will, initially, still further weaken the colonies. Brood rearing reduces the longevity of the nurse bees drastically, and the initial shock of brood-rearing until emergence of bees occurs is severely felt in small colonies.

Because most starvation occurs in early spring as brood-rearing accelerates, pay particular attention to the amount and position of honey stores. Feed heavy sugar sirup or full combs of honey from heavy colonies.

Key Points for Effective Overwintering of Honey Bees

Adequate honey stores in the proper location-a minimum of 90 lb (40. 8 kg) of honey in October with about 45 lb (20. 4 kg) of the honey in the top hive body.

Large population of young bees-only the best colonies should be carried over winter; any subnormal colonies should be united or disposed. Colonies with much queen trouble in late summer generally should not be overwintered.

Good wind protection-windbreaks, shrubs, trees, or light tar-paper wrap around the hive.

Therapeutic feeding-about 1 gal (3.8 1) of sugar sirup containing fumagillin for each colony, in the fall, to retard nosema disease development.

Upper entrance-to allow escape of moisture-laden air.

Bottom entrance closures-to prevent mice entry.

Pollen-a good reserve of bee bread in the combs, as well as early spring feeding of a good pollen supplement, to insure uninterrupted brood-rearing until pollen becomes abundant in the field.

Winter inspection-to make adjustments of honey stores, if necessary.

Literature Cited

(1) Farrar, C. L. 1934. Pollen important for wintering. American Bee Journal

74: 533.

(2) -. 1936. Influence of pollen reserves on the surviving populations of overwintered colonies. American Bee Journal 76: 452-454.

(3) -. 1937. The influence of colony populations on honey production.

Journal of Agricultural Research 54: 945-954.

(4) -. 1952. Ecological studies on overwintering honey bee colonies.

Journal of Economic Entomology 45: 445-449.

(5) -. 1952. Management for successful wintering. American Bee

Journal 92: 413-414.

(6) -. 1968. Productive management of honey bee colonies. American

Bee Journal 108: 95-97, 141-143, 183-185, 228-230, 271-275, 316-317, 354-356, and 392-393.

(7) Moeller, F. E. 1961. The relationship between colony populations and honey production as affected by honey bee stock lines. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Production Research Report 55, 20 p.

(8) -. 1968. A study of the incidence of nosema infection in over wintered colonies in Wisconsin. Bulletin Apicole 11: 57-64.

(9) -. 1972. Effects of emerging bees and of winter flights on nosema disease in honey bee colonies. Journal of Apicultural Research 11: 117120.

(10) Owens, C. D. 1971. The thermology of wintering honey bee colonies. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Technical Bulletin 1429, 32 p.

(11) Todd, F. E., and Bishop, R. K. 1946. The role of pollen in the economy of the hive. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bulletin E-536 (rev. ), 9 p.

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