10-18-2021 Planning Commission Packet

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Fall 0 Whether kept in two or three deep boxes, colonies will need 75-100 lb of honey as well as 3-5 frames with pollen.A 2-deep hive should have a gross weight of 130-150 lb. • Colonies kept in 2-deeps are more likely to need fall sugar syrup than colonies kept in 3-deeps. If your 2-deep colony does not have adequate honey stores by mid-September (75-100 Ib) you can feed them to try to bring them up to weight. Feed heavy syrup (2:1 sugar syrup). Stop all feedings by mid-October because the bees will likely not have time after that date to condense and store the syrup. • Instead of feeding syrup, it may be tempting to leave a super of honey on the colony for the winter for the bees. The problem with this is that the queen may start laying in the super come spring, and then that box will become part of the brood nest. Also, having different sized boxes in the brood nest means that frames cannot be interchanged among the boxes, which can lead to management difficulties (See the Words of Wisdom on Supers are for Honey, Only on page 23). • As with 3-deep colonies, avoid feeding your bees between November and March. Opening a colony and disturbing it when temperatures are cold is not a good idea. Dry sugar or"winter patties" are not an efficient nor effective way to sustain colonies in northern climates. It is easier on you and healthier for the bees if the colony stores sufficient honey during the summer months, or obtains sufficient wintering weight though sugar syrup feeding by mid-October. • Wrap colonies in a black protective cover made of corrugated plastic, tar paper(Figure 50), or a purchased style like a Cozy. Your apiary should be well-protected from strong winds (Figure 51). • Figure 50. Well protected wintered colonies wrapped with bee Cozys (photo by Brooke Nikkila). Figure 51. Ideal winter apiary site. y s�MA oat- a�*, — rJ any. - 2 f s PT _.-.--- "IN;4'e,,,RAV IV 410 Beekeeping in Northern Climates 71