September 2025: The Winter Bee
The Winter Bee by Danny Harvey
The biggest concern for beekeepers going into the fall is ensuring their colonies are strong and healthy enough to survive the winter. Fall is a crucial period for preparing the hive to withstand the cold months, with multiple threats to a colony's survival.
Primary threats to bee colonies in the fall:
Varroa mites: Fall is the most critical time for managing varroa mite levels. A hive's mite population peaks in the fall, and the mites shift from infesting drone brood to infesting the "winter bees". These winter bees, responsible for keeping the hive warm, are already weakened by the mites and can spread viruses, leading to colony collapse by mid-winter or early spring.
Starvation: With the summer nectar flow ending, bees must have enough honey stores to last through the cold, non-foraging months. Beekeepers must ensure they do not harvest too much honey, as this is the bees' food for winter. If food stores are insufficient, the beekeeper must provide supplemental feeding with sugar syrup or pollen patties before temperatures drop.
Moisture buildup: As bees cluster together for warmth in cold weather, their respiration produces moisture. If this moisture condenses and drips onto the cluster, it can chill and kill the bees. A wet, cold environment also encourages diseases like Nosema. Proper ventilation, often through a top entrance or quilt box, is vital for a dry hive.
Robbing: The scarcity of nectar sources in the fall can cause stronger colonies to rob weaker ones. This can result in the loss of food stores, destruction of the hive, and the death of the queen. To prevent robbing, beekeepers reduce hive entrances, avoid spilling sugar syrup when feeding, and perform quick inspections.
A failing queen: The success of a colony depends on a healthy queen entering the winter, which ensures there will be enough worker bees to maintain heat and hive functions. A failing or unproductive queen can lead to a small winter cluster that is unable to survive. Beekeepers may need to requeen the hive in early fall to prevent this.
Beekeeper's Fall Checklist
To address these concerns and prepare hives for the cold season, beekeepers perform the following tasks:
Treat for mites: Monitor and treat for varroa mites in late summer or early fall after the honey harvest.
Ensure food stores: Assess the hive's weight and feed supplemental sugar syrup if honey stores are insufficient.
Combine weak hives: Combine smaller or weaker colonies with stronger ones to improve their chances of survival.
Protect against pests: Install entrance reducers or mouse guards to prevent rodents from entering the hive.
Insulate and ventilate: Ensure proper ventilation and, in colder climates, insulate hives to prevent moisture buildup while still allowing air circulation.
Position hives: Move hives to a sunny location that is sheltered from the wind.
Reminder: Be sure that when you are wrapping a hive, that you do not seal off the hive entrance and the upper ventilation holes. The bees will take cleansing flights on warm days during the winter and sealing them up is not conducive to colony health.
What to do with bees in September & October?
Follow these beekeeping tips to keep your bees safe and healthy and make the most of the fall season.
Check the Honey Reserves. ...
Provide Extra Food. ...
Inspect Your Bees. ...
Keep Your Hive Healthy. ...
Consolidate Hives. ...
Adapt to the Weather. ...
What is the coldest temperature to open a beehive?
Working the hive on a colder day can be dangerous for the bees. The way bees stay warm is to bunch together in a complex cluster. Honeybees begin to cluster if the temperature drops below about 57 degrees.
If you work the hive after the cluster has formed, you may cause the bees to become disorganized, and they may not get their cluster rebuilt before the temperature drops, causing the hive to be more susceptible to the cold. If you must manipulate them during colder weather, do so in the morning to give them plenty of time to get their cluster organized again before temperatures plummet.
The optimum time for hive management is during nectar flow when most of the bees are gone from the hive collecting nectar. This occurs when most flowers are in bloom and producing nectar and pollen for the bees to use. The timing varies based on your climate. Check with your local beekeepers’ association or extension agent to find out when nectar flow happens in your area.
As we go and prepare for our duties starting in Fall, everything we do now in advance of winter can increase our bee’s chances of making it till next spring.
Click here to read a very informative Article that was included in a previous Newsletter, Keeping Your Hive Healthy: Navigating Varroa Control in Changing Times.
Authored by: Danny Harvey
