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Overwintering colonies in Virginia

2K views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  JWPalmer 
#1 ·
Hello. I am a new beekeeper and have a few questions about overwintering colonies. Here in Virginia where I live we have mild winters and don't get over 4 inches of snow. If i gave the bees 1-2 supers of honey for the winter and took care of mites would I have to feed the bees? Also would I need to wrap the hives in any special materials? This is the first year i'm a beekeeper and I would not know.
 
#2 ·
William, 40# of honey or capped sugar syrup will get you through winter and into Spring here in VA. You will not need to wrap the hives or insulate unless they are in an exposed open field. I do insulate the inside of the telescoping top to cut down on heat loss. A piece of 1/2" foam board from Lowe's is what I use.
The mite issue is one you will need to address. You should start treating no later than the beginning of August. The bees should continue to raise brood into about the second week of October. After that, you will winter what you have so they need to be mite free and healthy.
 
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