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Beekeeping in Northern Climates <br />Food Reserves <br />Estimating Food Reserves <br />Ɣ Determine whether a colony has adequate food reserves for winter. This is a good time to practice the <br />KHIWLQJVNLOOV\RXKDYHKRQHGRYHUWKHVXPPHUOERIKRQH\DUHUHTXLUHGDQGIUDPHVZLWK <br />SROOHQDUHGHVLUDEOH WKHJURVVGHHSKLYHZHLJKWVKRXOGEHOE $VDGHHSIUDPHKROGVDERXW <br />OERIKRQH\DFRORQ\VKRXOGKDYHWKHHTXLYDOHQWRIFRPSOHWHO\IXOOIUDPHVRIKRQH\VWRUHG,ID <br />IUDPHLVQRWFRPSOHWHO\MDPSDFNHGIXOORIKRQH\GRQRWFRXQWLWDVDIXOOIUDPHVLQFHKDYLQJIXOO <br />IUDPHVRIKRQH\LVQRWWKHVDPHDVKDYLQJSDUWLDOIUDPHVRIKRQH\)UDPHVWKDWDUHIXOORIKRQH\ <br />are easier for the bees to winter on than frames that are partially full. Full frames mean the bees have a <br />shorter distance move in order to reach food when it is very cold outside. <br />Ɣ Determine whether the winter honey reserves are properly located in the hive. The top hive body should <br />KDYHRUIUDPHVIXOORIKRQH\7KHPLGGOHKLYHERG\VKRXOGKDYHDQRWKHUWRIUDPHVIXOORIKRQH\ <br />Ɣ ,WLVRIWHQGLI¿FXOWWRGHWHUPLQHZKHWKHUWKHUHDUHDGHTXDWHSROOHQUHVHUYHVEHFDXVHSROOHQFDQEH <br />VWRUHGXQGHUKRQH\$QLQVXI¿FLHQWDPRXQWRISROOHQLVUHPHGLHGE\IHHGLQJSROOHQVXEVWLWXWHDQGRU <br />supplement in early spring, when the queen begins laying eggs again after a winter hiatus. 'RQRWIHHG <br />SROOHQLQODWHVXPPHURUIDOO when the bees are winding down their brood rearing for the season. It is <br />LPSRUWDQWWRIROORZWKHEHHV¶OHDGWKH\VWRSUHDULQJEURRGLQWKHIDOOLQRUGHUWRUHWDLQSURWHLQDQGOLSLGV <br />in their adult bodies to survive the long winter months. Pollen patties stimulate brood production; do not <br />stimulate brood production in the fall. <br />Feeding Colonies in Fall <br />Ɣ ,IDFRORQ\GRHVQRWKDYHDGHTXDWHKRQH\VWRUHVE\PLG6HSWHPEHU OE \RXFDQIHHGWKHPWR <br />WU\WREULQJWKHPXSWRZHLJKW)HHGKHDY\V\UXS VXJDUV\UXS 6WRSDOOIHHGLQJVE\PLG2FWREHU <br />EHFDXVHWKHEHHVZLOOOLNHO\QRWKDYHWLPHWRFRQGHQVHDQGVWRUHWKHV\UXSDIWHUWKDWGDWH <br />Ɣ 2QHJDOORQRIVXJDUV\UXSFRQWDLQVDERXWOERIVXJDU,I\RXUFRORQ\LVOEVKRUWRIWKHLGHDO <br />ZLQWHUZHLJKWIHHGJDOORQVRIVXJDUV\UXS <br />Ɣ 'RQ<br />WIHHG\RXUEHHVEHWZHHQ1RYHPEHUDQG0DUFK2SHQLQJDFRORQ\DQGGLVWXUELQJLWZKHQWKH <br />WHPSHUDWXUHVDUHFROGLVQRWDJRRGLGHD'U\VXJDURU³ZLQWHUSDWWLHV´DUHQRWDQHI¿FLHQWQRUHIIHFWLYH <br />way to sustain colonies in northern climates. It is easier on you and healthier for the bees if the colony <br />VWRUHVVXI¿FLHQWKRQH\GXULQJWKHVXPPHUPRQWKVRUREWDLQVVXI¿FLHQWZLQWHULQJZHLJKWWKRXJKVXJDU <br />V\UXSIHHGLQJE\PLG2FWREHU <br />Winter Cluster and Inspections <br />+RQH\EHHVFOXVWHUWRPDLQWDLQKHDWLQWKHZLQWHU7KH\IRUPDFOXVWHUZKHQ <br />RXWVLGHWHPSHUDWXUHVDUHEHORZƒ)8QOLNHKXPDQVWKH\GRQRWKHDWWKH <br />³KRPH´WKH\RQO\KHDWWKHFOXVWHUVSDFHWKH\RFFXS\7KH\KDYHDYHU\HI¿FLHQW <br />V\VWHPRINHHSLQJKHDWZLWKLQWKHFOXVWHU7KHFOXVWHUH[SDQGVDQGFRQWUDFWDV <br />outside temperatures increase and decrease. When expanded, the cluster will <br />move as a unit to new frames in the hive in order to always have direct access to <br />stored honey. <br />Words of <br />Wisdom <br />,WLVGLI¿FXOWIRULQGLYLGXDOEHHVWROHDYHWKHFOXVWHUWR¿QGVXJDUIHHGSODFHGRQWRSRIWKHFRORQ\$EHH <br />VXUYLYHVRQO\DIHZPLQXWHVRQKHURZQDWWHPSHUDWXUHVEHORZƒ):HUHFRPPHQGWKDW\RXGRQRW <br />IHHGRUFKHFN\RXUEHHVXQWLOWHPSHUDWXUHVDUHDWOHDVWƒ)LQODWHZLQWHURUHDUO\VSULQJ <br />AVDUXOHRIWKXPEDYRLGUHPRYLQJIUDPHVIURPDFRORQ\LIWKHEHHVDUHQRWÀ\LQJ ƒ) $Q\EHHV <br />WKDWIDOORIIDIUDPHRUFUDZORXWRIDER[PD\QRWPDNHLWEDFNLQWRWKHFRORQ\,ILWLVEHORZƒ)GRQ¶W <br />RSHQDFRORQ\IRUPRUHWKDQDIHZPLQXWHVEHFDXVHLWGLVUXSWVWKHKHDWLQJV\VWHPLQWKHFOXVWHU1HYHU <br />RSHQDFRORQ\RUUHPRYHIUDPHVLIWKHWHPSHUDWXUHLVEHORZƒ)