WINTER BEES Between August and November the queen will start to lay eggs that will develop into winter bees. By the end of November all the bees in the hive will be winter bees. These will take the colony through to spring and are sometimes called diutinus bees from the Latin for ‘long lived’. They will live for up to six months. The winter worker bees are physically distinct becauseof their enlarged fat bodies. This has a special function of producing large amounts of a protein called vitellogenin. This egg-yolk like protein is added to brood food which enables bees to live longer.
These bees will only develop into healthy long-lived bees if there is enough feed available during their development and that they have not been weakened by Varroa.
Treating for Varroa There is much written about treating bees for Varroa and different methods come into favour and then dismissed. Some beekeepers completely disparage the use of chemical treatments in their hives, relying on the natural ‘hygienic behaviour’ of their particular breed of honey bees.
The management of varroa is aa all-year activity. The aim of treatment is to keep the level of mite infestation to a low level where harm to the health of the colony is kept to a minimum. It is arguable that treatment at this time of year is the most effective time since the size of brood is reduced.
The first thing to be done is assess the level of varroa infestation you have in each colony. Only then can you decide what needs to be done. Put the varroa board into the slot at the back of the hive floor and leave for a few days – no more than a week. It can then be inspected to see the level of varroa infestation. You can then decide on whether treatment is needed. If you can count 10-30 mites then action is needed – now.
More on Varroa and its treatment – Lynfa’s podcast
Also read Kirsty Stanton article – Varroa management in honey bee colonies, page 32 Welsh Beekeeper, Summer 2024.
Next time: DOC discusses Queen excluders and mouse guards