Question on Wintering...

[hagane]

Hey,

Bee-rethren, (Yes its a bee joke).

I'm not a real beek yet.

So I'm still in the studying things out phase.

I was wondering...whether or not your hives survive or die, or 'endure to the end' is that mostly based on getting through the winter? And would you say that over 90% of getting them to survive is getting through the winter too?

Maybe this seems like a simple question, but I'm not a real beek yet after all.

[Clayton Huestis]

I look at it this way. Winter lets you know if:

You have well fed colonies.
Healthy, disease free bees.

Winter in itself doesn't hurt bees except by direct exposure. It mostly lets you know it you are doing things right (or not) the rest of the year.