What Should I Do When a Cold Front Is Coming? Should I Insulate My Hive?

For most of us, cold weather is inevitable at some point over winter. Does the meteorologist on TV tell you, “Wrap your plants, your pipes, and your bees”? Odds are, they don’t include the last one. Even if snow is being predicted, bees tend to handle cold weather quite well. If a cold front moves in with a rapid drop in temperatures, there is nothing at all you need to do for your bees beyond some minor comfort measures. The same applies for the fall—bees are already prepared to handle cold weather, as long as you’ve properly prepared them for winter.

Ensure that:

• Bees have food stores of 30-40 pounds in temperate zones and 60-100 pounds in northern climates.
• Entrance reducers are in place (if you use them).
• The screen bottom board is closed off or drafts around the bottom of the hive are blocked with hay, cardboard boxes, or wind blocks.
• Weak colonies are combined with stronger ones.

Don’t worry if:

• You left your honey super on. This can be an insurance policy for feeding if needed. A lot of beekeepers, especially in cold climates, make this a management practice.
• The entrance reducer didn’t get in place. Bees are pretty good at adapting and will propolize the entrance if they need to.
• You didn’t get the screen bottom board closed off. Most hives will survive an extreme cold (short-term) event even if they don’t have the bottom board in place. For extended periods, blocking off the bottom of the hive to prevent cold air from blowing up inside is a good idea.

What if:

• I have a weak hive and no other hive to combine it with? In this case, it would be advantageous to place something close on either side of this hive as an insulator. This can be stacks of empty bee boxes or even stacked cardboard boxes with bricks inside—anything that can act as an insulator without wrapping the hive unless daytime temperatures are maintained below 40 degrees. If they are, see below.
• My honey stores are low? In this case, you will need to feed. Ideally this would be with a honey frame placed close to the brood nest, as opposed to the outer frames in the brood box. If you have other hives with an abundance of honey, it would be great to feed. If not, consider feeding thick syrup (2:1) or premade syrup, understanding that the bees aren’t likely to consume cold liquid. Although, if your daytime temperatures are 60+ degrees for a day or two, this should be warm enough for them to take it. Products such as Stan’s Soft Sugar Bricks are ideal in these situations. They not only contain real pollen but also sugar (carbohydrates) that will ensure your bees have the energy to warm the hive. Note: I’ve read a lot about using the Mountain Camp Feeding method (feeding dry sugar) to give bees the carbs needed when food stores are low. In my research (I have no personal experience with it), I have found that moisture must be present for bees to consume dry sugar. For northern climates where moisture boards are used, apparently feeding dry sugar is great; the sugar actually acts like a wick and pulls moisture out of the hive and into the sugar, where the bees can consume it. However, if you don’t have high moisture, the recommendation is to moisten it, making a sugar cake in essence.

• My hives are in a vulnerable place and getting cold north winds directly on them? In this case, consider putting up a wind block such as a suspended tarp or board on the north side several feet away from the hives. Late fall and winter are also great times to move hives that are not in an optimal location. See "Moving Bees" 

Should I wrap my hive?

This is a great—and much debated—question! This practice involves wrapping your hive in tar or felt paper, a blanket, or a specially made wrap for hives. The short answer is that, if you are in an area that averages 40+ degree days during the winter with occasionally warm sunny days in the 50s, it’s not needed. If you are in a much colder climate, it still isn’t critical but can be somewhat helpful. Keep in mind that bees don’t keep the entire inside of the hive warm; they keep only their cluster warm. A few inches away from their cluster could be nearly the same temperature as outside. So insulating the hive won’t necessarily keep them warmer. Plus, if the hive is too sealed, condensation can form on the inside of the lid during the winter, which is why northern beekeepers who wrap hives also install moisture boards. Moisture can greatly damage or kill a hive. They need some ventilation (even if it’s just small cracks in the woodenware) to let some moisture escape.

Alternatives to wrapping

Apimaye hives are a great alternative to wrapping. These fully insulated hives are great for keeping hives not only warmer with less work in the winter but also cooler with less work in the summer! These hives are specially designed to outlast traditional wooden hive boxes and to not create moisture.

Another quick and easy (inexpensive) way to protect weaker hives from extreme cold weather is to build a cardboard-box housing around the hive, leaving an air space between the hive box, lid, and the cardboard, creating a dead airspace so that moisture doesn’t become a problem. Same with the lid—keep any insulation factor (cardboard or insulating board) suspended away from direct contact with the box, ensuring moisture is much less likely to form.

If moisture does become a problem simply because it’s cold outside and warm inside the box, just as you would ventilate a hive in the summer, simply place a toothpick or penny in the corners up under the telescopic cover. This should be enough to prevent any moisture from accumulating under the lid and causing issues for the hive.