More colonies die between November and March than at any other time of year. Cold doesn't kill bees — starvation and moisture do. Proper winterization gives your colony the best chance of emerging strong in spring. Here's how to do it right.
When to Winterize
Start winterization when nighttime temperatures consistently drop below 50°F and daytime highs are in the 50s-60s. For most of the US, that's October. Don't wait until the first frost — by then, you may have missed your window for a final inspection.
Step 1: Final Inspection
Before you close up the hive for winter, you need to verify three things:
Is the Queen Present?
You don't need to find her — just look for evidence of recent laying: eggs (tiny white grains standing upright in cells) or young larvae (small white C-shapes). If you see brood in various stages, the queen is alive and working.
A queenless colony going into winter will not survive. If you can't find evidence of a queen, combine the colony with a queenright one (newspaper method).
Are There Enough Stores?
This is the most critical factor in winter survival. Your bees need:
- Northern climates (zones 3-5): 80-100 lbs of honey (roughly a full deep and a medium super)
- Mid-Atlantic/Midwest (zones 5-7): 60-80 lbs
- Southern climates (zones 7-9): 40-60 lbs
The heft test: Tilt the back of the hive up an inch or two. If it's difficult to lift, stores are probably adequate. If it comes up easily, the colony is light and needs feeding.
If stores are low, feed 2:1 sugar syrup (2 parts sugar, 1 part water by weight) as soon as possible. Bees won't take syrup once temperatures drop below 50°F, so time is critical. Once it's too cold for syrup, switch to sugar candy boards or fondant placed directly on top of the frames.
What's the Mite Load?
If you treated for varroa in August (as you should have), do a follow-up count now. If mite levels are still above 2-3 per 100 bees, a late-fall oxalic acid treatment during a broodless period can help. Varroxsan oxalic acid strips are effective and easy to apply in cold weather.
Step 2: Configure the Hive
Remove Empty Supers
Take off any honey supers that are empty or mostly empty. You want the bees consolidated into the fewest boxes possible — typically two deeps or one deep and one medium for a strong colony. A smaller space is easier for the cluster to heat.
Install a Mouse Guard
Mice love beehives in winter — they're warm, sheltered, and full of food. A stainless steel mouse guard over the entrance lets bees pass but blocks rodents. Install this before the first cold snap — mice move in as soon as temperatures drop.
Reduce the Entrance
Use an entrance reducer set to the smallest opening. This helps with heat retention and makes the entrance easier to defend against robbing. If your mouse guard serves as a reducer, you're already covered.
Ensure Upper Ventilation
This is the step most beginners skip, and it's the one that kills the most colonies.
When bees cluster and eat honey, they produce moisture through respiration. That warm, moist air rises to the top of the hive. If it hits a cold, sealed inner cover, it condenses and drips ice-cold water back down onto the cluster. Wet, cold bees die fast.
Solutions:
- Notched inner cover: Many inner covers have a notch along one edge. Position it face-up with the notch open for ventilation.
- Moisture quilt: A shallow box filled with wood shavings or burlap placed above the inner cover. It absorbs rising moisture and lets it evaporate slowly. This is the gold standard for winter moisture management.
- Popsicle stick shim: Place a popsicle stick or small wedge between the inner cover and the top box to create a tiny gap for airflow.
The rule: Seal the bottom, ventilate the top. You want airflow, not drafts.
Step 3: Protect From the Elements
Wind Protection
Cold wind blowing directly into the entrance can chill the cluster. Options:
- Face the entrance away from prevailing winter winds (south or southeast is ideal in the Northern Hemisphere)
- Place a windbreak — a fence, wall, straw bales, or evergreen hedge — on the windward side
- Strap the hive down with ratchet straps to prevent it from blowing over in storms
Hive Wrapping (Cold Climates)
In zones 3-6, wrapping the hive provides extra insulation and wind protection. Options include:
- Tar paper (roofing felt): The traditional, cheap option. Wrap the hive body in a single layer of black tar paper, stapled in place. The dark color absorbs solar heat on sunny winter days.
- Commercial hive wraps: Purpose-built insulated wraps are easier to install and reusable year after year.
- Rigid foam insulation: Cut pieces of 1-2" foam board and attach to the outside of the hive with tape or straps.
Important: Don't wrap so tightly that you block ventilation. Leave the upper ventilation opening exposed, and don't cover the entrance.
Tilt the Hive
Tilt the hive very slightly forward (a shim under the back edge works) so rain, snow melt, and condensation drain out the front entrance instead of pooling on the bottom board.
Step 4: Leave Them Alone
This is the hardest part for new beekeepers. Once you've winterized, do not open the hive until spring. Every time you break the propolis seal and separate the boxes, you let heat escape and stress the cluster.
What You CAN Do During Winter
- Clear the entrance: After snowfall, brush snow away from the entrance so bees can take cleansing flights on warm days
- Listen: Put your ear to the side of the hive. A healthy cluster will produce a low, steady hum. Silence is concerning.
- Heft test: On a mild day, gently lift the back of the hive to check weight. If it's getting light, add a candy board or fondant on top of the frames (this is the one time you can quickly open the top without a full inspection)
- Check for dead bees at the entrance: A small number is normal — bees die over winter and the living ones push them out. A large pile suggests a problem.
Winterization Checklist
- ☐ Verify queen presence (eggs or young brood visible)
- ☐ Check honey stores — heft test, supplement if light
- ☐ Do a varroa mite count — treat if needed
- ☐ Remove empty supers — consolidate to minimum boxes
- ☐ Install mouse guard
- ☐ Reduce entrance
- ☐ Ensure upper ventilation (notched inner cover or moisture quilt)
- ☐ Set up windbreak if needed
- ☐ Wrap hive if in zones 3-6
- ☐ Tilt hive slightly forward for drainage
- ☐ Strap hive down for storm protection
- ☐ Place emergency feed (candy board) if stores are marginal
When to Start Checking Again
In late February or early March, when daytime temperatures start hitting 50°F, you can do your first quick peek. Look for signs of life, check remaining food stores, and plan your spring management. Don't do a full inspection until temperatures are consistently in the upper 50s to 60s.
A colony that makes it through winter will explode with growth in spring — and that's when the real fun begins again.
Track your winterization tasks in your Beekeeping Central hive log so you have a record of what you did and when for next year.
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.