6. Some advice on advice
Advice: An opinion
based on experience.
Advice will vary because
opinions vary because
everyone’s experience is different.
The beginners lament: “Just tell me the best way to
keep honey bees. Is there a right way?
7. A relevant observation
Some hives just
won’t, don’t or can’t make it.
“Failure to thrive and survive.”
Put your time and energy
into the hives that show
promise and potential.
8. A New Trend?
Freezing supers prior to extracting.
Why?
“To kill off the bugs and pathogens.”
34. Winter Preparations
August 1st
• Get harvesting and extracting wrapped up
• Not the time to think about splitting
• Three Goals:
1. Strong population 6-8 frames of brood
2. Healthy colony (mite management)
3. Ample stores for winter
35. 1. Strong Population
1. Feed to encourage stimulate queen to
continue to lay eggs – 1:1
2. Supplement with Honey-B-Healthy (watch
out for robbing)
3. Feed a “stimulus” protein patty
(not a pollen substitute)
36. Stimulus Patty
• 8 cups of sugar (4# bag)
• 4 cups protein (AP23 from Dadant)
• 1 cup liquid cooking oil (canola or olive)
• 32-oz bottle of light corn syrup
• Mix in a bucket with electric drill –
(too sticky for kitchen mixer)
37.
38. Mid-September Evaluation
• Combine weak colonies into strong
Weak will probably die out
Strong colonies can use the resources
Other option: pull frames of honey and
brood from strong and give to weak
41. 2. Mite Management
• Earlier the better, once supers come off
• 50% Formic Acid – “flash treatment”
86 degrees or cooler
• ApiVar (a little expensive)
• Oxalic and Glycerine on shop towels
42. 50% Formic Flash Treatment
• West Virginia University, early 2000s
• Initial project conducted by Jim Amrine
and Robert Noel
• Follow up research done by Dennis Van
Engelsdorp, Robyn Underwood and
Diana Cox-Foster
• Used in conjunction with grease patties
43. Grease Patties
• 8 cups sugar (4# bag)
• 1.5# Crisco – hydrogenated vegetable oil
(half of a 48 oz canister)
• 1 cup honey
• 1/3 cup salt
• 3 tablespoons wintergreen oil
• 2 cups AP23 protein supplement
44. Preferred Plan
• ApiVar in while it’s still hot
• Follow up with grease patties
• September “clean up” with 50% Formic acid
45. 3. Ample Stores - Further Feeding?
• Mid-September – switch over to 2:1
• Start to consider solid feed
-candy boards (cooked fondant)
-sugar bricks (10# and 1 cup water)
• Cheap insurance
46.
47. Insulate the hives (?)
• Wrapping with roofing (tar) paper
Warms the hive to allow bees to
break cluster and move to an
area of new honey
• Moisture problems with condensation
• Insulation not needed in Missouri
48. My thought process
“The cold doesn’t kill colonies; it’s the
moisture (implying condensation).”
Conclusion: condensation is a problem
when the hive is poorly insulated.
Remember: Bees heat the cluster and not
the environment.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54. Anecdotal Findings
• The majority of the lighter hives with
insulation unexpectedly survived
• Some of the stronger colonies without
insulation unexpectedly died
• Concession: There are many variables
55.
56.
57. Protocol – October/November
• Lighter hives get a candy board
• 1” blue board over candy board or inner
cover
• Additional empty super on top of blue
board to account for telescoping cover
• Wrapped with 2” pink board
58. Protocol – October/November
• Screen Bottom Boards closed off
• No upper entrance (covered by insulation)
• No entrance reducer installed
• ½# screen wire for mouse guard
59. Observations
• Cost to insulate = $16 - $20 per colony
Fall of 2019 into
winter of 2020 = 80 hives
Lost 8 hives spring of 2020
