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Fall is here!
Prepare your colony to thrive through the winter.
New to beekeeping?
Here's our guide to getting started.
Winter is coming...
In many places, there won’t be any forage available during winter, so it’s very important to ensure your colony has enough resources and to prepare your hive, especially if you live in a very cold climate. The steps you need to take will depend on local conditions.
It's a good idea to connect with local beekeepers to understand specific overwintering practices for your area. Or put your questions to our Community forum to engage with beekeepers around the world and get a range of advice.
Winter preparations
Local knowledge is key!
Your winter preparations will be guided by the conditions specific to your region.
Make sure you’re set up for success: Before winter hits, you’ll want to ensure that your bees are healthy and disease-free, have adequate food stores, and an appropriate hive size, and consider insulation and ventilation.
Top Tip: Watch our overwintering video with beekeeping expert Fred Dunn as he outlines the steps needed to prepare for a long, cold winter.
Pest inspection
Fall is the time to conduct your final brood inspections of the season. Check for pest or disease issues to ensure your bees are healthy before going into winter.
Many beekeepers will apply a treatment for varroa mites in the fall. See our blog on varroa management options for more.
Top Tip: Check out TheBeekeeper.org for in-depth video lessons on beekeeping pests and much more.
Honey for the bees
Check your colony’s honey stores in advance of winter. You may be able to harvest some honey during fall, but only if you’re sure the bees have enough stores to last the winter.
Depending on your region and climate, your bees may need up to 100 lb of honey to get through a long winter. You may need to feed your bees with sugar syrup during fall - use a 2:1 sugar-to-water ratio for fall feeding.
Top Tip: Always feed your bees refined white sugar, rather than brown, organic or unrefined sugar as these can cause dysentery.
Bee organised, save time
The caddy helps you store, organise and transport your beekeeping essentials with ease and comes with a range of handy accessories.
Top Tip: Don’t get caught out when inspecting your hive. Keep your bee brush, smoker fuel, lighter, log book, pencil and any other equipment close to hand.
Reduce the size of your hive
You don’t want empty space in the hive during the colder months. The bees spend energy heating the hive, so any extra space will deplete their resources more quickly.
Reduce the hive to the minimum number of boxes needed for the bees and their honey stores. If you leave a super with honey on the hive, make sure to remove the queen excluder.
Top Tip: Store your Flow Frames in a sealed tub or a freezer when not in use.
Learn seasonal beekeeping tips
There’s always more to learn to grow and deepen your knowledge in beekeeping.
So in conjunction with the world's experts we've created TheBeekeeper.org. It lets you fast-track your learning easily and enjoyably. Learn in your own time with high-quality videos explaining what you need to know in order to feel confident looking after your bees.
Holiday Season offer
Plan for next spring
Pick up a sweet saving with our Holiday Season offer. Including a Flow Hive 2 bundled with a suit, smoker, and a sweet $110 saving.
We're here to support you in your beekeeping journey!
Our customer service team will get back to you with an answer to your beekeeping question.
Share with a friend
Help a newbee set up a hive or split your colony with a friend! It’s a great way to speed up your beekeeping knowledge.
Our Refer-A-Friend program allows your friend to receive $50 off their first hive, and you receive a sweet $50 reward (no further discounts apply).
If you don’t have a beekeeping buddy, consider linking up with someone local on the Flow Community Forum or a Flow Hive Facebook group.
