November & December Bee Calendar - What's Happening Inside the Hive

What’s Happening Inside the Hive?

The bees have changed to their wintertime mode. A large colony may have a small amount of brood in early November, but that will soon disappear. By now the queen has completely stopped laying eggs. Five or ten days in November will be warm enough for the bees to fly, but they will find nothing blooming.

As the weather gets cold, the bees form a tight cluster to keep warm. This ball of bees overlaps several frames of honey. The bees gradually consume their stored honey and generate heat. The colder it gets, the tighter the bees cluster. Week by week, the ball of bees gradually moves through the hive to find more honey. When the first snowfall covers the hives, consider that the honey bee is the only insect in Kentucky that keeps warm all winter. In early winter, mice may move into a hive and make a nest. This can occur even if the hive is alive and well overwinter. The bees are tightly clustered and the mouse finds a spot in the corner away from the bees.

Beekeeper Chores

The year is effectively over. There is now little to be done for the bees. They will not feed on syrup and it is too late to apply treatments for mites and diseases.

If you haven’t removed your mite treatments and queen excluder, do so on the first warm day in November. Otherwise, there is no reason to open your hives.

Attach an entrance reducer to the front of the hive. This serves two purposes: cold wind is kept out of the hive; and, mice are prevented from nesting in the hive. Entrance reducers may be purchased from beekeeping supply companies. Or, you can simply nail a strip of wood to reduce the opening of the hive. Be sure your entrance reducer is thick enough to be mouse-proof. Some have metal strips to deter mice.

Observations and ideas

Late November and December are the best times to plant trees. Black locust and tulip poplar seedlings can be planted where they will provide shade, windbreak, and nectar for the bees. These two trees are known for their rapid growth and copious nectar. As honey plants, trees are a long-term investment. They will not provide significant bloom for several years.

This is a good time to do some reading. Some fine books and videos are available from beekeeping supply companies. Books on beginning beekeeping, advanced topics such as queen rearing, and general interest are sold.

Beeswax candles are fun and easy to make. They can be rolled from sheets of foundation in minutes. Beeswax foundation comes in dozens of colors, available from beekeeping supply companies.

Source: http://www.ksbabeekeeping.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/beecalendar.pdf