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Author Topic: Condensing a hive for winter.  (Read 1384 times)

Offline Bob Wilson

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Condensing a hive for winter.
« on: September 11, 2021, 09:14:56 pm »
Although there is a wide range of winter conditions experienced by the varied beeks in this forum, I would like to know how small you condense your hives in the fall for winter prep.
Do your hives do well pushed back into a single box? Does a single, deep, 10 frame box supply enough room for the brood nest AND winter stores?

Offline The15thMember

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Re: Condensing a hive for winter.
« Reply #1 on: September 11, 2021, 10:14:46 pm »
I run all mediums, so I can't speak to single deeps, but I usually condense my hives into two mediums for the winter.  Smaller weaker colonies sometimes go all the way down to one medium.  I have debated trying 3 mediums for big colonies, although I have never done it, but I might if a colony was large enough.  To my best knowledge my hives are essentially broodless from sometime in November through at least January.  When I close up the hives at the end of October, I like to have all frames without brood packed full of stores, that way I probably won't have to feed to get the colony to spring.  Single mediums will invariably need winter food.  Looking back at my notes from last year, most of my double medium colonies had about 3 frames of brood and 13 frames of stores (all mediums of course) going into the winter, and only one needed feeding before brood rearing began in late February.         
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Offline AR Beekeeper

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Re: Condensing a hive for winter.
« Reply #2 on: September 11, 2021, 10:28:30 pm »
Here in north Arkansas colonies can be overwintered in single deeps, but I prefer to use a deep and a medium.

My reason for this configuration is because a single has enough food stores to make it into March before needing feeding, but adding a medium food chamber will allow the colony to make it into April.  Our spring weather can be very cold and wet so it is easier on the bees and on me if there are sufficient food stored in the hive for the bees without feeding.  When the surplus honey supers go on the queen is confined to the bottom deep with an excluder. I reduce the hive back to a deep and a medium when the surplus honey supers are removed in late June or early July, but the queen remains below in the bottom deep confining her laying to that box.

 A single deep can provide space for brood and food for winter but you have to be very careful not to crowd the queen's laying room until you are ready to do your final feeding.  By the middle of October I hope to have the adult bee population I need for winter, 7 or 8 frames fully covered by bees.  I feed heavy until I have in them all of the syrup the colony will take.  Usually the feeding ends by the first of November.

So, after a long answer to a short question, a deep can hold both brood and food, but it is necessary to stuff every cell with syrup after you have your adult bee population.  You may sleep better using a food chamber.

Offline beesnweeds

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Re: Condensing a hive for winter.
« Reply #3 on: September 12, 2021, 12:42:26 pm »
 In NY I know commercial and sideliners that overwinter in 1 deep, 2 deeps, or 3 meds.  Its more important for them when it comes to managing equipment and harvesting.  For me it doesnt make a difference how many boxes they are in as long as they have a very low mite count through out the season, a young queen, and enough stores for the winter they do fine.   Some years I dont get to all supers and leave them on for the winter. I overwinter in 2 deeps mostly, but have had many go through winter in 3 deeps or 2 deeps and 2 mediums.  Bees dont care, they just have to be healthy.  My favorite configuration is 5 over 5 nucs, for whatever reason they overwinter great and need to be split early.
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Offline Oldbeavo

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Re: Condensing a hive for winter.
« Reply #4 on: September 12, 2021, 07:26:41 pm »
About 2/3 of our hives wintered as 8 frame full depth singles, the earlier they were packed down the better they wintered. Time to pack out all the spare space with honey.
The other 1/3 were wintered as doubles, we are going to try to pack these down to a full depth and an ideal.
A local BK winters 1100 hives as full depth 10 frame. He packs down early every year, April.

Offline Bob Wilson

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Re: Condensing a hive for winter.
« Reply #5 on: September 13, 2021, 09:49:10 pm »
Thanks for the input. I keep long hives myself, but I have few new beek friends going into their first winters with standard langstroths.

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Condensing a hive for winter.
« Reply #6 on: September 18, 2021, 06:51:04 pm »
I've gone through all of the hives and removed all of the frames that are completely empty.  However many boxes that is.  Then, since they were light, I added a feeder in the top box and filled out with whatever I need to finish that box.  Then I fed.  Some of mine are six eight frame mediums.  Some are five.  Some are four.  Some are three.  One of them is two boxes and there is one more that I may compress down to two boxes in the near future.
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Offline Oldbeavo

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Re: Condensing a hive for winter.
« Reply #7 on: September 20, 2021, 07:34:54 am »
Bob
There are no rules, what you do is dependant on
Severity of winter, how cold , how long.
If you have an Autumn honey flow or feed
The boxes you have to work with.

You can pack down wthout much brood, so long as the brood area is chocked out with honey.
We winter 5 frame nucs, full depth as singles and they survive our winter.

My only observation is the more they are packed down, congested, then they will winter better.
A hive packed down tight will use less honey that the same amount of bees with more room.

Offline 2Sox

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Re: Condensing a hive for winter.
« Reply #8 on: September 26, 2021, 10:50:39 am »
I have all mediums and if I bring the number down to 4 boxes, I?m happy. I?ve overwintered with 5 and it was fine. If there are any frames with only foundation or foundation-less, I remove them. To accomplish this, I often remove the bottom box filled with mostly pollen but make sure I leave enough frames with pollen overall. I leave sufficient empty drawn comb for the bees to fill when I feed them.
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