Nuplas Apiarist Supplies Advise on Preparing Your Beehive for Winter

Nuplas advise that preparing your beehive for winter is one of your most important jobs as a beekeeper. While bees are resilient enough to survive Australian winters, the cold is still a struggle for them, and apiarists can suffer heavy losses to their bee populations if they don’t winter pack down their hives properly, as it can disrupt their beekeeping cycle and limit their productivity the following year.

Packing down your apiaries will require different approaches depending on your location, but whether you’re taking mild precautions for the cool of a Queensland July or buckling down for the snows of Tasmania, Nuplas advise on what you need to know to prepare your beehives for the winter.

When it comes to packing down your hives, it’s best to anticipate rather than react, so keep an eye on the forecasts and pack down before winter is here to stay. Be sure to monitor the effectiveness of your winter pack down efforts from year to year, to get a better idea of what works and what doesn’t.

When the days grow shorter and the weather colder, direct sunlight will come at a premium for your hives, so consider moving them to a space that maximises their exposure to direct sunlight, and make sure to position the hives next to a solid windbreak and secure them. You also need to cover and insulate the hives, using reducers to control circulation and prevent pests like mice from taking refuge inside the hive. Plastic beehives are particularly helpful with this issue, as plastic is less vulnerable to mildew and rot compared to wooden hives.

It is important to remember that bees rarely leave the hive when the weather’s cold, so if you have harvested much of your colonies’ honey reserves, you’ll need to provide them with food to see them through the winter. Sugar syrup is typically cheap to buy and cheaper to make, while pollen patties can help suppress the growth of mites.

You also need to keep an eye on the hive entrances, sweeping away any dead bees or snow that may be blocking them, and keep checking the food stocks. Also,

don’t over-monitor the hive. Opening the hives releases much of the heat the bees have been working to create. Only check the hive when the weather’s warm enough for bees to venture out.

Whether you need to buy beehives or equipment, Nuplas Apiarist Supplies will have what you’re looking for, and you can check out their quality beekeeping supplies online, so for more information on hive components, bee hive frames, Nuplas Apiarist Supplies and plastic bee hives please go to http://nuplasapiaristsupplies.com.au/ .