What happens to honeybees in the winter? How did the hives weather this winter weather as we move into spring? Nick Thill, Wisconsin Honey Producers Association President, says he has been getting mixed reviews from beekeepers throughout the state. He shares how these pollinators handled the cold temperatures and what to expect moving into spring, including potential hive invaders.
“I’ve heard a lot of beekeepers in the state have had an amazing survival rate,” says Thill. “This winter has been a little milder than previous years. The temperatures have been relatively mild yet there are also some hives that have been decimated this year and with high losses.”
An average winter loss for Wisconsin beekeepers is between 25 to 35 percent. Thill says the last few years they have been trending within that range and evening out in terms of loss and success.
To help determine this average, beekeepers look at their hives once it gets warmer and assess if they have sufficient food stores to get them through to the first nectar source. If the hives are running low on food, beekeepers will supplement it with sugar cakes or granulated sugar.
Throughout the majority of winter, bee colonies are clustered together to stay warm. It isn’t until the beginning of March that they will become a little more active and the queen bee will begin laying eggs. With these eggs comes the need of greater food sources and Thill says dandelions are the prime nectar source.
He adds, “I know many people don’t like to see dandelions in their lawn but beekeepers are very excited to see dandelions because that’s the first nectar source that the bees can really collect a decent amount of nourishment for them. I encourage people to leave them in their yards until it really warms up to help these growing colonies.”
With spring comes some nuances to be aware of. The number one leading cause of death in honeybees is mites. Thill says it is important for beekeepers to put a mite treatment on their hives early on to make sure the bees are able to flourish.
Another invader of these hives is the black bear. The Wisconsin Honey Producers Association has formed a bear committee and created a portal on their website where beekeepers are able to share their information, photos, and damage in the unfortunate circumstance that a bear does attack their hive. Thill says this data is helping them to track frequency as well as location of where bears are key deters in the state.
“We also became stakeholders in the Black Bear Advisory Committee for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources,” explains Thill. “We’re hoping to bring more light to the financial impact that these bears are having on our members throughout the state and enact some change.”
The Wisconsin Honey Producers Association is an organization dedicated to helping beekeepers become better and advocating for the industry. Thill encourages anyone who is in the market for honey to look at a local beekeeper first. You can find a list of beekeepers on their website.
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