Next
Page

Larger beekeeping operations often use huge temperature- and humidity-controlled warehouses like this one to overwinter their bees.

Larger beekeeping operations often use huge temperature- and humidity-controlled warehouses like this one to overwinter their bees.
© University of Manitoba

Next Photo

Larger beekeeping operations often use huge temperature- and humidity-controlled warehouses like this one to overwinter their bees. Hive boxes are kept on pallets with aisles between them to ensure proper air flow and ease of handling. The black plastic wraps around these hive boxes will help the bees inside regulate their temperature, even when the temperature drops and the snow flies. Large warehouses can hold thousands of hive boxes full of overwintering bees.

Overwintering Techniques

It's certainly no secret that Canada can have some pretty harsh winters, and so it's really important for beekeepers to protect their colonies from the bitter cold. Bees create their own heat by clustering together inside the hive, but the beekeeper can still help them out.

In the late fall, beekeepers may choose to wrap their hives with tar paper or insulation board to keep out the cold. Or they may bring their hives indoors to a basement or to a warehouse in which temperature and humidity can be controlled, putting them back outside in early spring.

Next Page