How to facilitate the flourishing of your bees: a winter hive check
Simply passing by a beehive during the winter can be enough to inspect it. If you often glance quickly, you'll be prepared to see any changes.
What are the telltale signs that it's time to inspect your winter hives? On what a regular basis? Care to take a look inside? Is a checklist necessary? What if there are problems?
Keeping tabs on my beehives every week throughout the winter makes me as anxious as a cat. So, that's my simple response. However, the word "check" is not definitive. What I look for is conditional on my findings. Excuse me, but isn't that just doublespeak?
In order to keep an eye on things, I have to pass past each hive and give it a quick inspection. I always look further if a quick glimpse makes me wonder something. I press on regardless. Give me an example.
Facing gravity head-on
My spouse discovered it initially last weekend. He rushed up to me, visibly worried, and said, "You have a hive that's tipping over." As it turned out, he was correct. Due to the front two legs of the stand collapsing into the ground, one towering hive perched on its own support was swaying like the Tower of Pisa.
The moles had apparently undercut the ground, as was shown upon closer study. The parched ground had stayed firm and supported the stand throughout the dry summer. The hive stand was sucked into the mud when it collapsed after being wet with winter rain.
I dug up the dirt underneath and forced in some paving stones while he pushed it backwards thanks to the tie-downs that held the entire thing together. We managed to level the hive in the space of a few minutes. Once they were no longer bothered by the churning sensation in their bellies, I could almost hear the bees sigh in relief.
Discoveries can be made at any time. Trees falling on top of beehives, animals getting in, snow covering the entrances, and water pouring into the hive instead of draining out are all potential problems. Insulation ripped off, lids blown off, or hives vandalized—it all depends on your setup.
Just the right amount of bees that have died
On the landing board, I can't help but notice the number of dead bees. Seeing some dead bees is reassuring to me because it shows that the remaining bees are carrying out their job of maintaining a clean and healthy hive.
When I check the hive for dead bees and don't see any, I give it a little tap till I hear purring. Assuming all is in order, I poke a stick into the opening to be sure it's clear. However, I take out the reducer and use my hive tool to remove the heaps of decaying bees if there are a lot of them behind it.
Conversely, I sort through the landing board if I notice a large number of dead bees. Does it have a queen? Are those misshapen wings I see? Do they not have heads? Do you have any more bugs in there? If there are a lot of dead bees on the landing board, it could be a symptom of a varroa mite infestation. Different insect parts could indicate an infestation. If a vole's head is missing, it can suggest it's living it up.
The presence of mites, insect pieces, or dripping honey might prompt me to get the varroa tray. The size and location of the cluster can be determined by analysing the comb debris. Invaders might be spotted by honeycombs.
I might check again in a few days if the varroa tray isn't being used, after which I'll put one in. If you suspect something other than mites, the varroa tray is still a useful diagnostic tool.
Sneaking a peek inside
When I think I need to take a closer look, I might open the lid to see what's within. When I haven't heard anything, I've anxiously removed the lid, only to see them huddled together in the sweets, happily munching. Maybe they're not so bad at "talking" when they're full of words? Even if I can't make out their sound in the sweets, I always enjoy seeing them.
Still, you need to look into it more if the bees are congregating on the upper frames without any extra food. Moving honey frames closer to the cluster or adding extra food may be necessary if you decide to enter the hive.
If necessary, open the hive.
It's not uncommon for me to hear beekeepers lament that their swarm has run out of food, but that it's too chilly to open the hive. When bees are famished, it's never too chilly to open the hive, in my view. Some bees may perish from the cold if you open the hive and squish in some food. Yeah, I see. Waiting till it's warm will likely cause them to starve to death. The word "no-brainer" makes me cringe, but that's exactly what this is.
Combining hives is also an example of this. I swiftly used a single piece of newspaper to merge the hive with another after discovering a deceased queen among the landing board bees. Even if they were successful in raising a queen, the hive would have perished in December due to the inability to mate with her. The mix undoubtedly exposed it to cold air and likely killed some, but the next spring, it produced a healthy colony.
In beekeeping, it's common to have to sacrifice some for the sake of others, but that's just fine. That's precisely what they do. Make a decision that kills a few bees; it's better than losing the colony as a whole, as that philosophy underpins their whole social system.
Oh, the water is everywhere
Make sure there isn't any buildup of moisture once you've put the lid on. While honey bees that are dry are able to withstand very cold temperatures, honey bees that are damp will die.
How you deal with excess wetness can vary greatly depending on your location. As an alternative to water falling on the bees, some beekeepers prefer to tilt a condensation board so that it runs down the inside of the hive. Others install additional ventilation systems. The moisture quilt is my go-to since it soaks up moisture and gradually lets it out into the air.
Honey bees were able to stay dry as they made their homes in tree cavities, thanks to the punky interior. However, in artificial hives, we frequently need to provide a hand. Thanks to modern technology, there are apps like BroodMinder that can track not only the temperature but also the humidity in your beehives.
It is entirely up to you to decide when and what to do.
Nothing has been found for the majority of my weekly rounds. When this does happen, I do my best to find a solution as soon as possible while also considering the colony's best interests. We can put off some tasks till the weather is nicer, but we can't put off others. The onus for making that determination is on the beekeeper.
Is that so? How and what exactly do you check?
More inspiration here:
https://www.beekeepercentral.uk/blog/2023/01/19/have-your-bees-died-from-cold-or-starvation
https://www.beekeepercentral.uk/blog/2023/01/17/it-could-bee-a-stinger
https://www.beekeepercentral.uk/blog/2023/01/17/honey-bee-scouts-3-ways-to-recognize-them
https://www.beekeepercentral.uk/blog/2023/01/16/the-short-lifespan-of-honey-bees
https://www.beekeepercentral.uk/blog/2023/01/13/we-need-bees-more-than-honey
https://www.beekeepercentral.uk/blog/2023/01/08/what-caused-my-bees-to-leave
