Question for SC Beeks

[prscotty]

I live in Liberty, SC which is in the foothills of the upstate. How much honey should I leave the bees for the winter?

[sds888]

I am new to this but I have been told a one deep to be safe. I lived right down the road from ya.

[sc-bee]

I live in Edgefield SC you are only a little cooler than we are. A prepared deep (brood chamber) and an additional shallow should be fine. A second additional shallow offers piece of mind but I have not found it necessary. I guess one additional deep could take the place of two shallows. Also as they expand into the additional deep (w/brood) it makes it easy to split the colony as an increase if you desire (an advantage to the deep).

February is usually our Month to really start looking close (warm days, cool days, busy bees back and forth-- begin to really use stores) and most people begin to start feeding along this time frame to stimulate the queen anyway.