# Keeping bees in the snow



## WarriorMonk (Dec 23, 2007)

Hey folks! I just got my first hives, and I'm hoping y'all can give me some advice on how to keep them alive this winter. They are in an area that has a couple feet of snow throughout the winter. It gets down to an average of 20 degrees F in January/February; the record temperature was -20F (in 1975).

I'm thinking that:

1. the colonies need to be up on platforms about 3 feet high so that they'll be above the snow line.

2. I need some kind of small roof over the top of each hive.

Am I on the right track? What else do I need to be thinking of? Insulation?

thanks!

WM


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

We have temps much like you wrote about here in Michigan. Hives are kept on normal stands with 2 deeps for winter stores.
We in this area don't get the snow fall amounts you get normally at one time but think of the snow as insulation. Many or the more northeren Michigan bee keepers bank up the snow around their hives. Some even go as far as making PVC snorkle tubes so the girls get good venitlation in the winter. 

Fellow gave a talk about keeping bees in B.C. at -45F for many weeks. He wraped banks of 4 hives in insulation then a water proof wrap and buried them in snow.

 Al


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## flannelberry (Jul 14, 2005)

I was going to say - you don't want to keep the snow off them too much. The beeks I've spoken to here (don't have a hive yet) let the snow pile up as natural insulation.


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## WarriorMonk (Dec 23, 2007)

Well, I hadn't thought of that! Like an igloo for the bees, I guess. But don't they need to go outside periodically to clean out their waste? Otherwise the hive would basically turn into a cesspool after being buried all winter in snow, right?


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## barelahh (Apr 13, 2007)

WarriorMonk said:


> Well, I hadn't thought of that! Like an igloo for the bees, I guess. But don't they need to go outside periodically to clean out their waste? Otherwise the hive would basically turn into a cesspool after being buried all winter in snow, right?


Not really, most of your bees will die. Only a small amount maybe a couple pounds of bees will live through the winter to keep the queen fed and warm.


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## Elizabeth (Jun 4, 2002)

They will want to go out on warm days- ours were out in January on a day when the temp was in the 40's. You want to provide an upper entrance and then keep the snow away from it- don't worry if snow covers the bottom entrance.


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

I do not know the answer.

I have kept bees for a total of three seasons. So far each spring my hives die.
At that time, it is to late to re-order new nucs, so there is a one year delay, in getting started once again. I have not yet mastered the 'art' of finishing the winter with healthy bees.

I have attended many bee keeping workshops.

All bee hives will have some level of mite-load, being contained inside their hive all winter, most of the bees die off, and the mite population grows. 

Each week of winter, the mites will grow in population density; while the queen is shrinking her colony size into a tiny ball.

Come spring very sick and heavily infected bees will emerge and begin to clean out their hive; while the queen tries to lay her new spring batch of larva. So that as the temps climb so does her hive's population climb.

Around here it seems 'normal' to loose about half of your hives each spring. So each beekeeper needs to be looking at dividing his hives each season.

If you do anything to artificially warm the hive, or protect it from winter; it may effect how the queen proceeds. If she keeps her colony too large, then she may not have enough feed to last until spring, and they will starve. 

Below freezing temps, do not allow for syrup feeders. The syrup freezes and shatters the jars. And as ice it is not available to the bees anyway.

Warmth and humidity inside the hive also will form molds and fungi, which will also kill the colony. So the idea of a snorkel is a good idea. Bottom ventilation too.

Good luck


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## flannelberry (Jul 14, 2005)

It didn't seem that they totally covered the hive - there is room for bees to come and go.

I was curious about what people do feed over winter? If you're using sugar water as your syrup would it freeze as quickly as water? If you don't fill the jars more than half way they shouldn't shatter - although I'm guessing you're right, frozen syrup wouldn't do the bees much good.


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

flannelberry said:


> It didn't seem that they totally covered the hive - there is room for bees to come and go.
> 
> I was curious about what people do feed over winter? If you're using sugar water as your syrup would it freeze as quickly as water? If you don't fill the jars more than half way they shouldn't shatter - although I'm guessing you're right, frozen syrup wouldn't do the bees much good.


Freeze they will, and shatter their jars too.

Most assume [hope] that the bees will have enough honey left in storage to get them through winter.

I have seen dead colonies in spring that still had honey in comb. But the honey comb was a couple frames away from the hive ball. Singular bees wandering two frames away to get honey from comb, would freeze, and not be able to return to their queen with honey.

And so the colony dies.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Those that do feed during the coldest part of winter normally use a hive top feeder with HFCS.

Bees can and are kept in the winter with out major losses. We normally lose about 19% to 22% in a winter. I would be willing to bet if we ever had a normal winter the losses would be less.
When it is to warm the bees are more active and eat more so run out of stores. Yes they will have honey left on the side frames but bees work from the bottom up and not side to side. The queen will also start laying if the warm spell is long enough then the bees will not leave the brood.
A friend even made the comment this spring that the bees seem stupid compaired to years ago when he started keeping them. On warm days one would expect them to move stores from the sides to the area where the cluster is but it appears they don't do this any more.
Ventilation & food supplies are the most important things to be mindfull of over wintering bees in the cold. 

 Al


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