Closing down for winter

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trevort

New Bee
Joined
Jul 9, 2011
Messages
14
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Location
Norfolk UK
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
4
I wonder does anyone share my concerns re closing down for the winter?
That is, by now most would have expected much cooler conditions, all strapped up, fed and roll on spring!
Thus far I have put 2 brood boxes together expecting to be able to close down to 1 brood box with a super of honey on top.
The combined colonies remain huge, to close them into 1 box would be the wrong thing to do me thinks.
The fly in the ointment as I see it, is as winter creeps on and the colony diminishes in size are 2 brood boxes going to be too much space to keep warm?
Up to now keeping down to one box for winter has not been a problem, I suspect colony size this year for everyone has been noticeably different, ie remaining at high numbers.
I would be interested to hear peoples views on this and what they have done in this and previous years as we approach winter.
Its currently 18 degrees and blazing sunshine in Norfolk!
 
Many beekeepers overwinter large colonies on double brood. It isn't a problem. They move to the top of the hive space where it is warmest.
 
honeybees are not Pandas - honeybees survive in spite of us not because of us.

imagine a bombed and totally destroyed city e.g. Munich 1945 and honeybees were swarming in the summer and surviving really tough winters...

Martin Lindauer a soldier invalided out of the Eastern front did some of the basic research into Bee swarming behaviour in the ruins of Munich between 1945 and 1951.
The picture below is in 1949 less than 1km from where Lindauer did his research . The church is the Frauenkirche the catherdral of Munich, you are looking at the city centre
30017753-p.jpg
 
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Been overwintering my colonies on double broods for over 40 yrs. Never had any isolation starvation. My few losses can be accounted for by late supersedure drone layers plus the occasional loss from Nosema (and haven't had the latter problem in the last10 years).
 
Thus far I have put 2 brood boxes together expecting to be able to close down to 1 brood box with a super of honey on top.
The combined colonies remain huge, to close them into 1 box would be the wrong thing to do me thinks.

I would consider large clusters in a double deep as being a good thing as long as they have enough stores for wintering. My double deeps with a super on top often have clusters in October that fill the entire stack. They winter well, even in my harsh climate.
 
Many beekeepers overwinter large colonies on double brood. It isn't a problem. They move to the top of the hive space where it is warmest.
Thermally
a double national brood is almost a cube.... on simple model level that makes it optimal if filled. If the double brood is not filled they are not any worse off than in a single brood.
 
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Not to get ahead of myself but on current trends I am expecting some nice strong colonies next year. Not only are mine on double brood, they are filling them. Lots of nice stores to build up on next year.
 

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