Beekeeping in Winter for Experienced Beekeepers

Is your hive winter ready?

Unless you’re lucky enough to live in a warm area with year-round forage, most beekeepers pack down their hives in winter to ensure their colonies will be kept warm and have enough honey stores to last the season. If you’re just getting started, winter is a great time to look ahead and start planning!

Your overwintering set-up will be specific to the needs of your colony in your climate – it’s best to consult with local beekeepers to learn the best over-wintering practices for your region. Some of the steps you may need to take are:

Winter hive set-up

Feed your bees

Look after your queen

Insulate and ventilate

Add an entrance reducer

Do not disturb

How to overwinter your beehive

To help you get winter-ready, we’re releasing this video from our Online Beekeeping Course, in which Frederick Dunn gives a thorough rundown of winter preparations in a cold climate.

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For those with extra-cold winters

If you’re looking for over-wintering advice, check out experienced apiarist and TheBeekeeper.org collaborator, Fred Dunn, who shares with his YouTube audience how to modify your hive for winter conditions. From insulation options, creating a winter feeder, and making a medium super, get set up for success with Fred’s top over-wintering tips.

Feeding your bees: Super on or off?

Many beekeepers will reduce the size of their hives during winter, removing excess boxes. The smaller the size of the hive, the easier for the bees to keep it warm.

Top Tip: If your Flow Super has a lot of honey in it, leave it on for the bees. If not, remove it for the winter – perhaps you’ve got an extra brood box of honey stores, or plan to feed your bees through the winter.

Look after your queen

Keep the queen in the cluster

The bees will form a cluster during winter, and will gradually move up the hive consuming the honey stores. It is vital that you remove the queen excluder so your queen does not get stranded from the rest of the colony.

🎬 Learn how to remove the queen excluder

Top Tip: The queen will not be laying eggs at this time, so it’s not a problem for her to get into the honey super during winter.

Insulate & ventilate

If you need, you can add insulation to the top cover using wood shavings or polystyrene.

The outside of your hive should be sealed and waterproof.

Depending on the severity of your climate, you can consider wrapping the hives for extra insulation. Consult with local beekeepers to get suggestions and ideas for your area.

Top Tip: The hive should have ventilation, but not a draught. Entrance reducers can help to prevent draughts and your hive becoming a rodent hotel.

A good time to study!

Expand your knowledge about bees

While there’s not much to be done in the apiary, it’s a great time to expand your knowledge about bees.

With contributions from specialists around the world, there’s no other source of beekeeping knowledge quite like this.

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Add an entrance reducer

Our Flow Entrance Reducer is handy for protecting against predators and robbing, reducing drafts in cold climates and can be used to seal the hive entrance for short periods when relocating your hive.

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Do not disturb

It’s best to avoid any hive or brood inspections when the weather is cold. The bees will maintain a brood temperature of 34-36°C (94 to 97°F). It is dangerous to expose them to low temperatures by opening up the hive, so keep it closed.

Top Tip: It’s possible to figure out what part of the hive the bees are in by listening closely. The nearer they are to the top, the less stores they have left – so this can be a way of knowing whether, and when you need to feed them.

Your winter questions answered

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You can connect with our team via phone, email, live chat or through our social platforms. Cedar even answers your questions live streamed from the apiary every Wednesday!

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