Subject: wintering bees

From: [email-masked] (Robert Nesius)
Date: 17 Jan 1995 14:23:40 -0500

Hi,
  I just perused the discussion on the various practices beekeepers employ 
  in wintering their bees in the colder climates.  

  In Northern Minnesota (near Fargo, ND), I think virutally all beekeepers 
  try to get their bees through the winter, and do not let them die off. 
  Those big black cardboard boxes that fit over the hives can really pay 
  big dividends by greatly increasing the survival rate of the hive.  We
  generally left about 100-110 pounds of honey with the bees in their two 
  deeps.  

  When I was running my small beekeeping business(25 hives or so) I had about
  an 85% survival rate.  If another hive swarmed I'd kill the swarm queens 
  before they hatched, order a new queen, and do a division.  I usually 
  increased the number of hives I had each year by this method.  

  Now adays I no longer run the bees, and my dad doesn't have the time 
  manage them as closely as we used to, so we leave them enough honey to 
  make it through, but we don't go out of our way to help them out.  When
  they swarm they usually swarm right into a nearby hive.  The survival 
  rate is not as good.

I hope that answers a few questions any of you may have still had.  
Happy Beekeeping.  :) 

Rob