Preparing for Winter
This time of year, everyone seems to be asking us, "What do you do with the bees for winter?" First, don't forget that the bees were getting for winter with their work over the summer! We left approximately 60 pounds of honey in each hive for them to eat during the long Minnesota winter. They have also been hard at work sealing every miniscule crack in the hive with propolis - it's very sticky stuff. Unlike the dwellings of some other stinging insects, the honeybee hive is year-round. The bees themselves cut down in number, carting the deceased or lazy outside and dumping them outside the entrance. The remaining bees huddle with the queen and do a sort of hibernation. Bees become quite inactive, but they are able to survive by clustering together and doing their normal work of regulating the temperature of the hive. It can be hard to winter bees in Minnesota, but we are going for it! "Discarded" Honeybees To...