Getting ready for winter

The beekeeping season is signaled that is officially winter for the bees is when they kick the drones out for the winter to die.

After this the beekeeper has a few winter jobs to get the hive/s ready to endure what could be a long cold winter. The Queen bee stops laying eggs at this time and the bees who are now only female worker bees all cluster together around the Queen to keep her warm.

The bees take it in turn to rest on the outermost part of this cluster where it is colder, this way all the bees spend time in the warm cluster.

Bees can survive harsh winters this way, however when it's cold outside and warm inside you get condensation in the hive. If the cold water from the condensation drips on the bees it chills them and they are likely to die.

One way to reduce the chances of this happening is to drill a hole near the top of the hive that is large enough for the bees to use as an alternative entrance but small enough not to allow mice in to nest for the winter. This second entrance will act like a chimney and allow the warm air to escape out the top hole, which will reduce condensation build up.

Another job the beekeeper needs to do is to fit a mouse guard over the main hive entrance, this will stop mice from entering the nice warm hive over the winter.
Bees need at least 60Lb of honey that they can feed on over a winter, if for whatever reason they don’t have this amount as a reserve the beekeeper can help by providing the bees with a block of sugar fondant on top of the crown board, the bees will crawl through the hole in the crown board in order to eat the sugar fondant.

Sugar syrup is another way to feed your bees until it gets cold enough for it to freeze.

Sugar syrup is simply sugar dissolved in water at a mix of 2Lb per pint of water. The bees will feed on this instead of the honey stores they should have.

 
Fondant for the Winter

Fondant is ideal for winter-feeding the bees, this can be fed directly to the bees by placing the fondant over the hole in the crown board, the bees will crawl through the hole and eat the fondant as they need it.

By placing the fondant on to the crown board it also allows the beekeeper to replace the fondant quickly, simply by removing the hive roof and placing a new block of fondant over the hole in the crown board. Once the fondant block has been placed there the beekeeper can put the roof back on the hive, this reduces the time the hive is open anytime over the winter months.

How to make sugar fondant

4 parts white sugar (by volume) + 4 parts 2:1 syrup mix (by volume) + 3 parts water (by volume).

In this case, boil the water and slowly add the sugar and syrup, stirring until all is dissolved. Keep heating until the temperature reaches 114°C (238°F). Let the mixture cool, without mixing, and when just warm to the touch begin to mix again and allow the mixture to air, it should lighten in colour. Pour into shallow dishes and save for later use.

I recommend storing the fondant in small plastic containers (old takeaway containers work very well) with lids and when ready to feed the bees, remove the lid and place the container upside down directly over the hole in the crown/clearing board. This is providing that the fondant is firm enough and not likely to fall down through the hole. This method reduces the risk of disturbing the bees in any way.

Some beekeepers leave fondant on the crown board all winter, so that if the bees need a feed it is available to them. Others like to check regularly and feed as and when required. It’s all personal preference, but whatever your way of feeding just ensure the bees do not starve.

Preventing the Sugar Fermenting

If sugar syrup is left for a while, the syrup can start to ferment and go mouldy. To prevent this you can add small amounts of Thymol and surgical spirit.

Add a teaspoon of Thymol and Surgical Spirit to every gallon of syrup mix, these are such small amounts that they have absolutely no effect on the bees - in fact, it is the healthiest option, and protects the bees from mould and bacteria that could potentially wipe out an entire hive. 
 

Quick Update

Thymol is a pure bugger to get a hold of - once I manage to track some down I will let you know where I bought it from.

Below is a video which show how to make a fondant that has no Thymol in it.

I'm going to be honest with you, I've just spent the last two days trying to make the fondant for my bees and I'm not 100% sure if I've got it anywhere near right as it looks like and tastes like very nice toffee.

As I have not yet managed to get this right I have gone online and bought some frome a beekeeping online store.

I will keep trying as it will be a lot cheaper making it as it's about £40 for a 10 kg box (5 2kg blocks, which if I get making it right would cost me just over £6 to make myself).

The few batches that didn't work as good as I wanted have still been given to my bees, who have cleaned the tubs better than you would have thought possible. They never even left a sticky residue on the insides of the tubs.

UPDATE

I have got it right at last, the secret is to stir it while it's cooling and as it's very hot it helps a lot to add ice to the water you place the pot to help cool it down quicker.

Pour it out the pot before it gets too thick or you will not get it out without heating it up again.