Safe overwintering for bees: reduce disturbances to prevent accelerated colony aging

    In the cold winter, the colony forms a ball on the combs around the queen, called the winter cluster. During overwintering, any disturbance to the colony, such as vibration of the hive, mouse damage, or light stimulation, will make the bees restless, causing the cluster to break apart, increasing feed consumption, accelerating bee aging, and endangering colony safety. Therefore, corresponding management should be applied according to the different overwintering methods.

How do bees overwinter safely

    Advantages of indoor overwintering: first, it avoids poisoning of bees and young bees in the late camellia period and avoids losses from robbing bees; second, it prevents bees from flying aimlessly on sunny days and increasing feed consumption; third, it reduces the labor of watching over the colonies. In addition, the indoor temperature is relatively stable, which can save feed and preserve the bees' energy. The specific measures are as follows:

    Overwintering room conditions. If an ordinary house is used instead, it must have front and rear windows for ventilation at night. Hang burlap or black cloth curtains and door curtains to keep the room dark. Use a concrete floor that has never stored pesticides. Wash the floor clean and spread a layer of sand or straw. The room should have a power supply so an electric fan can be installed.

    Method of moving them indoors. Conduct a colony inspection, keep records, and draw a map of the colony placement positions in the apiary so that when the bees are put back, the colonies can still be placed in the same positions. After dark, close the entrances, take out the straw curtains on the inner covers, move the colonies indoors, and open the entrances after the colonies have calmed down.

    Indoor management. Place the colonies indoors, open the entrances, put absorbent cotton on the bottom board in front of the entrances, sprinkle clean water on it, and then sprinkle water 2~4 times a day until the brood combs have emerged. When the daytime temperature rises above 14°C, sprinkle water on the floor, turn on the electric fan, maintain water evaporation and air circulation, and lower the temperature. Open the doors and windows at night to circulate the air, and close them well before dawn. If any bees leave the entrance, let them fly outside. Place a weak colony in the apiary to receive the bees that fly out. After 2~3 days indoors, move the colonies out to their original sites to let the bees fly and defecate, then move them indoors again at night. After 4~5 days, release the bees a second time, and after another 10~15 days, release them a third time. By then the brood combs have all emerged, and after defecation flights, the young bees then enter the normal management of colony overwintering.