We are regularly asked how our bees fared during the winter, so we caught up with our beekeeper Martin Knight from Knights Beekeeping to get the latest buzz about Bassett’s Rugbees.
What do our bees feed on during the winter months?
After the honey that has been taken from the hive, and then spun, jarred and labelled, the honey supers are removed, and clean empty ones are put on so the bees can still forage for nectar and pollen. There is still plenty available for them to store and eat during these leaner months.
What do you do to help them prepare for the winter?
We ensure the bees have plenty of food in the brood chambers. And by reducing the size of the hives with the removal of the supers beneath the chambers, the main cluster of bees can be nearer the top of the hive if they want, which is the warmest area in the colder months.
The hives are also insulated and strapped down to ensure they stay upright and warm and nothing can break into them for a sweet treat!
So the bees are happy and healthy?
We treat the bees for varroa mite (which has been a massive killer of bees in recent times). We do this by inserting special strips into the hive for 6 weeks. The bees slowly spread the chemical around the colony by walking over the chemical strips.
This is done twice - once in October and again in January. The strips will be removed in late February or early March before the bees really get active and start storing honey to ensure our honey is totally pure and the bees are free from Varroa.
Sounds like you've been busy!
Yes, regular inspections of the hives are required throughout the winter to check their weight (hefting). This determines how much food is left for the bees in the hive and they are fed with pollen-filled fondant if required.
We also check that the hive entrance isn’t blocked by a fallen branch or leave. On warmer days the foraging bees will be active seeing whether the spring flowers are out yet.
