While winter is often short and mild on the Gold Coast, all beekeepers need to ensure their hives are adequately prepared for the colder months and shorter days. Often, there are fewer floral sources available to bees, meaning they need to have enough surplus honey and pollen to get them through.
Here are my tips for beekeepers to prepare their hives for the winter months.
Tip #1 - Food stores
This one seems obvious, but often beekeepers take a little too much honey during the season and are caught out by a late dearth going into winter. Leave more honey on the hive than you think they may need. Any surplus can be harvested as the next season warms up. A general rule of thumb is at least half a box of honey per box of bees, and a full box won't hurt.
Don't forget about pollen stores either. Bees require pollen for protein, and here in SE QLD hives brood throughout the year, so pollen is a necessity. Fortunately for us, there are some decent winter pollen sources such as acacia, that keep the hives going (even if it's not the best source of pollen) and allow good brood rearing to continue.
Tip #2 - Space
Make sure to "right size" each hive to ensure they do not have excess space. Remove empty or partially filled supers (surplus to their food requirements), and generally try to condense hives down to smaller volumes so that they don't have to keep too much space warm.
If you remove partially filled frames of nectar/honey, consider using these in other hives that may need a little extra food. This avoids having to store frames and deal with pests like wax moth and hive beetles.
Brood mats can help retain warmth in the brood box and reduce the amount of food consumed by the hive. Canvas is affordable and makes an effective mat, or I've seen old vinyl flooring and builder's plastic used also.
Tip #3 - Final checks
Before the winter kicks in, make sure to do final hive inspections including varroa checks. Ensure the hive has a laying queen, and that there are no other obvious diseases or issues.
Also, check the hardware to ensure there are no cracks or gaps that might cause heat loss. Cracks can be taped up or filled with excess propolis. If the hive hardware is too bad, consider replacing it now, before cold weather.
Tip #4 - Target ANZAC day
AZNAC day (April 25th) is considered by most experienced beekeepers the date by which all winter preparations should be done. By this date, all hives should have been inspected, repaired, and packed down ready for winter.
Tip #5 - Be prepared
While focusing on the job of preparing hives, it's easy to forget to think about the next 2-3 months and also planning for the next season.
Have emergency feeding plans in place and have sufficient resources to manage if needed. Sugar syrup is a great emergency feed for bees. Use a 2:1 (by weight) ratio of sugar to water for winter feeding.
Pollen patties can help but can cause problems with Small Hive Beetle in our environment.
Fondant is another excellent supplement and is often easier to apply than syrup.
Remember that next season starts NOW. Getting your hives through winter is just the beginning of next season. Out winter is so short, swarms can start in mid-July, so start planning and preparing now!
With a little thought and planning, you can easily get your hives through winter on the Gold Coast, and be prepared for a strong start to the next honey season.
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