Feed them 1:1 sugar:water and keep it on until first frost. Hopefully they can build enough comb and store enough to make it. I'm not familiar with warre hives, but putting a top of dry sugar through the winter can save hives that are shy on stores.
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Beekeeping is local. I figure you get lots of snow in your area? You might want to look at providing a top entrance. I don't know anything about "wrapping" hives for the winter but some northern beeks wrap their hives to help them make it through the cold. The best thing is like Ray and rwlaw said...feed them up. Take care, though, that they don't pack the comb with syrup. The queen needs room to lay in so that she can build up a good population to overwinter.
Several options on feeding...mason jars, in-hive feeders, hive-top feeders, baggies, etc.,. I use mason jars inverted over the escape hole in my inner cover...over this I place another box and the top cover. "Boardman" feeders (an inverted jar that slips into the front entrance of the hive) are usually frowned upon due to contributing to robbing problems (robbing can decimate a colony).
For winter/survival feeding you might do a search for "mountain camp", "candy board", and "fondant". Here's a link to some youtube videos with the search criteria of "winter honey bee feeding"... http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=winter+honey+bee+feeding
Basically you've given shelter (which they need badly). Now give them nourishment so they can build up a population and put stores up for winter.
Best wishes and congratulations on becoming the incidental beekeeper!!!
Ed
Several options on feeding...mason jars, in-hive feeders, hive-top feeders, baggies, etc.,. I use mason jars inverted over the escape hole in my inner cover...over this I place another box and the top cover. "Boardman" feeders (an inverted jar that slips into the front entrance of the hive) are usually frowned upon due to contributing to robbing problems (robbing can decimate a colony).
For winter/survival feeding you might do a search for "mountain camp", "candy board", and "fondant". Here's a link to some youtube videos with the search criteria of "winter honey bee feeding"... http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=winter+honey+bee+feeding
Basically you've given shelter (which they need badly). Now give them nourishment so they can build up a population and put stores up for winter.
Best wishes and congratulations on becoming the incidental beekeeper!!!
Ed
I'm a newbee, so I haven't overwintered yet, but I think what you did was awesome!
If you can, find out from some local beeks what your fall flow is going to be like. Here, a swarm caught this late would absolutely have to be fed continuously until winter and likely need supplemental candy for winter, as we apparently don't have a fall flow of any size. They can also help you figure out how much stores they need to overwinter, so you don't under or over feed.
If you can't attend a meeting (for a variety of reasons, I can't attend any local meetings myself) I found a ton of information out there that is rather applicable to my area via google. You might find the same. I have also found that if I send an e-mail to local beeks, they are always happy to talk local bees
Again, too cool! And how funny about the neighbors
If you can, find out from some local beeks what your fall flow is going to be like. Here, a swarm caught this late would absolutely have to be fed continuously until winter and likely need supplemental candy for winter, as we apparently don't have a fall flow of any size. They can also help you figure out how much stores they need to overwinter, so you don't under or over feed.
If you can't attend a meeting (for a variety of reasons, I can't attend any local meetings myself) I found a ton of information out there that is rather applicable to my area via google. You might find the same. I have also found that if I send an e-mail to local beeks, they are always happy to talk local bees
Again, too cool! And how funny about the neighbors
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