So it begins…

Honey Bees and other pollinators are preparing for winter.  They sense the cooler weather and shorting days.  While some pollinators either travel to areas south of the Equator, others stay as solitary adults in a dormant state when the weather really gets cold.  

Honey Bees do not leave but are actively getting ready for cold weather.

The Honey Bee colony enters survival mode.  The colony size is reduced as older workers die and fewer new bees hatch.   The queen has begun reducing egg production. The drone bees have been removed from the colony.

The workers bees are still searching for available flowering plants and will be bringing in nectar and pollen for the colony. However, the size of the nectar flow is small compared to the spring flow as the number of flowering plants is much smaller. There is very little fall honey produced in our region.

Beekeepers in our coastal plain do not experience the harsh winter conditions that exist in northern areas of America.  Nighttime temperatures general stay well above freezing through mid December. 

 There are things that beekeepers are doing to ensure colony survival. 

Most beekeepers are ensuring during these months that all their managed colonies are pest free.   Varroa Mites and Small Hive Beetle are the biggest concern as both can destroy a colony when their numbers become too large.  

Additionally, beekeepers are monitoring the weights of all the hives to ensure there is enough food for winter survival.  Feeding with a sugar water mix is often necessary.

Starvation is a concern if the colony does not have enough food and pollen through late November and December with the onset of freezing nights. Adequate food reserves are needed for the colony to form a tight vibrant cluster that keeps the brood warm. 

 This is a relatively slow time for beekeepers.  However, monitoring the colony through a quick hive evaluation every two weeks is recommended.  Conditions within a colony can change within that two week window.   

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