Now that the leaves are falling and the temperatures continue to drop, we have prepared our beehive here at Cox Reservation for the winter. Why do this you ask? Bees stop foraging for food and hunker down in the winter. Without our help, bees often don’t make it through winter, but there are steps we can take to help ensure the survival of our pollinators until spring.
Through the process called "overwintering" we provide the bees with some essentials to help them brave the long, harsh winter to come.
First, we've given them a candyboard with a pollen patty to feed them through the winter.
We also wrapped the hive with black paper to help keep them warm (bees produce their own heat!) while still allowing for proper ventilation.
Finally, we add an entrance reducer to keep mice and other small pests out.
We are hopeful that they will have a good strong winter and we will greet them happily in the spring!