BlueRidgeBee

Preparing for Winter Video Honey bees prepare for winter in several ways to ensure the survival of the colony: 1. Honey Storage: Bees work hard in the warmer months to collect nectar and pollen, which they convert into honey. This stored honey serves as their primary food source during winter when foraging is impossible. 2. Reducing Activity: As the temperature drops, honey bees become less active. The queen reduces her egg-laying, and the colony's population decreases, as fewer worker bees are needed to maintain the hive. 3. Forming a Cluster: To stay warm, bees form a tight cluster around the queen in the hive. The outer bees shiver their flight muscles to generate heat, while the bees in the center of the cluster stay warm. The cluster moves around the hive as needed to access stored honey. 4. Sealing the Hive: Bees use propolis (a resinous substance) to seal any cracks in the hive, insulating it against cold drafts. This helps maintain the temperature inside the hiv...

 In late August in South Carolina, as in other places, we sometimes see bees bearding in front of the the hive box. This can happen for several reasons and should not be mistaken for preparing to swarm. The times I have seen a hive getting ready to swarm there was a large number of bees in front and flying around the hive.  Bearding happens because it is hot in the hive in late afternoon and they are helping to keep the hive cooler by hanging outside. Also, when the nectar dearth happens, there is not much nectar to be found, they don't have as much work to do. Also, there may not be any empty cells for nectar. Always do a hive check and make sure everything looks good and there is room for growth. See a bearding hive at 5:16 PM vs 2:35 PM. 5:16 PM 2:35 PM  Here is a pre-swarm hive. You can see a big difference. This was happening in April. I put them back in the hive but swarming was on there mind and eventually they did swarm.  

Honey Harvest 2024  

 

We have Installed a couple new packages for 2024.