Winterizing the Bees: Preparing the Hive for the Cold Season at Stone Lions Farm

As the air cools and the gardens grow quiet, honeybees begin one of nature’s most fascinating transitions - preparing for winter. Beneath layers of wood, honey, beeswax, and propolis, the hive remains alive and humming.

Why Winterizing Matters

Honeybees don’t hibernate. Instead, they cluster together within the hive, generating heat by vibrating their flight muscles. The queen stays in the center, where it remains the warmest, while the rest of the workers take turns rotating between the warm core and cooler outer edges. 

While bees have been overwintering for millions of years, modern-day beehives don’t always provide the same natural environment that wild bees choose to live in. It is important to realize these differences and provide the bees with a well-prepared hive for winter. Ideal conditions require insulation, food supply, and adequate airflow for the colony. 

Hive Health

Our first year hive here at the farm is a strong one. At only two deep boxes high with well over 80 pounds of honey, there was no concern about their strength - but before sealing everything up, we chose a mild day in late October to open and inspect the hive one last time. 

Important things to note:

• Reproduction: Although at a slower rate than normal, the Queen should still be laying.

• Colony Size: Make sure there are enough bees to form a strong cluster.

• Amount of Honey/Food Stores: Depending on the size and strength of the colony, bees typically need anywhere from 60-90 pounds of honey to survive the winter. 

• Pest Control: Colonies with high mite counts are more likely to perish due to the spread of disease. A healthy, low-mite colony is more likely to emerge strong in the spring.

Preparing for the Cold

Winters in Vermont can be unpredictable. With heavy snow and strong winds, insulation is key for survival. The hive gets wrapped in a black insulation sleeve, helping them retain heat. Inside the top box, we add a half-inch layer of foam board insulation - just enough to help trap warmth without sealing the hive too tightly. We also flip the inner cover so there’s a top entrance for airflow and cleansing flights on warmer days, then stretch a piece of window screen across the middle hole to keep out curious pests while allowing condensation to escape - moisture control is everything in winter beekeeping. A damp hive can chill bees faster than cold air ever could.

Up here on the ridge, in an open space, the winter winds don’t play around. Once the wraps are snug, we add a rope across the top cover and weigh it down with a few sturdy rocks. The hive is also tilted slightly forward so any snowmelt or condensation can drain out instead of pooling inside. It may not look glamorous, but a simple tilt and a few rocks can make all the difference in keeping our bees dry and secure until spring.

Another crucial step is pest control from the outside. Now that you’ve taken care of any pests inside the hive, it’s important to remember that as the temperatures drop, mice begin looking for warm, safe places to nest - and a hive full of honey and wax is prime real estate. The bottom entrance gets fitted with a mouse guard and entrance reducer to keep out unwanted guests while allowing the bees to come and go freely as the weather allows. 

The Bees Settle In

Once the wraps are snug and the entrances are secured, the apiary settles into stillness. We won’t open the hives again until the days lengthen and the maples begin to bud. Every few weeks, we stop by to listen - pressing an ear against the wood to catch that soft, steady hum that means the colony is alive and working together in the dark.

It’s a quiet kind of magic, knowing that under the snow, thousands of bees are keeping one another warm, waiting for the first hints of spring at Stone Lions Farm.

Final Reminder

Winterizing isn’t just a checklist - it’s a ritual of trust between the beekeeper and the bees. We do our part to keep them safe, and they do theirs to keep the hive alive.

When the snow finally melts and the first crocuses open, the birds return to the fields, and our bees begin again - ready to pollinate, create, and inspire us for another season.