What does a beekeeper do in the winter?

[mlewis48]

 This is my first year as a beekeeper. What started out as 1 hive to help in my orchard has turned into 7 hives. The "sting" has turned into an addiction, you could say. I wish that I would have found this hobby 20 years ago. This web site has helped in so many ways, the advise that you can get is priceless. Not many beekeepers in my age group. But, now that winter is coming fast, in southern ohio, and I can't spend the time working with the "ladies" that I got to do in the summer. Do you build equipment in the down months? Plan next years hive locations? 

[randydrivesabus]

i'm building stuff.

[JP]

This is my first year as a beekeeper. What started out as 1 hive to help in my orchard has turned into 7 hives. The "sting" has turned into an addiction, you could say. I wish that I would have found this hobby 20 years ago. This web site has helped in so many ways, the advise that you can get is priceless. Not many beekeepers in my age group. But, now that winter is coming fast, in southern ohio, and I can't spend the time working with the "ladies" that I got to do in the summer. Do you build equipment in the down months? Plan next years hive locations? 

Get ready for the coming spring. Build enough honey supers that you don't have to do it come spring time. If you're using all mediums paint them as well. Some paint the honey supers some don't, I don't usually, perhaps I can now. Have enough brood chambers ready for new hives you may house. If you want to catch swarms, purchase swarm traps now. I can think of others but you know what you want to acomplish, think ahead so you don't get jammed up once things get cranking.

[patrickp]

What does a beek do in the winter?

Make money to support the hobby next year!   At least, that's how it feels for me. 

[Dick Allen]

I have a part-time job at a ski resort south of town as a chair lift operator and tram operator. So I go skiing while the bees are taking the winter off.

[BMAC]

I like to ride my bike and have alot of fun while the girls are hanging about in their home.  Well that and go hunting and such.  Time of the year to put some venison on the table.  Cut more firewood for the next winter and other winter chores.....

[Mklangelo]

This is my first year as a beekeeper. What started out as 1 hive to help in my orchard has turned into 7 hives. The "sting" has turned into an addiction, you could say. I wish that I would have found this hobby 20 years ago. This web site has helped in so many ways, the advise that you can get is priceless. Not many beekeepers in my age group. But, now that winter is coming fast, in southern ohio, and I can't spend the time working with the "ladies" that I got to do in the summer. Do you build equipment in the down months? Plan next years hive locations? 

You plan, then you build.

[Scadsobees]

Yeah, build stuff.  A few years ago it was beekeeping equipment, now it is stuff like bookshelves, bunny cages, and bug boxes for the kids... :roll:

And relax a little and catch up on sleep.  I tried to play a video game the last few years, but boy, I don't have time for that anymore even in the winter.

Rick

[BeeHopper]

Deliver Propane gas on weekends to supplement my endeavor, plus build new hives  :-D

[Understudy]

Winter?

We sit outside in shorts and drink frozen margaritas and call our friends in the north.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

[tig]

i don't have a winter in my country but a very rainy season that lasts about 2 months.  during that time is when i inspect all the equiptment, give it a thorough cleaning, scrape off the propolis from the frames and boxes, do some painting and carpentry repair and inventory and restocking things like wax foundation sheets.  if you have a lot of hives like i do, its enough to keep you busy the whole 2 months and more!

[JP]

Winter?

We sit outside in shorts and drink frozen margaritas and call our friends in the north.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

We don't have much of a winter either, I guess you can say we get teased.

[BeeHopper]

Winter?

We sit outside in shorts and drink frozen margaritas and call our friends in the north.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

Frozen margaritas  :shock:  I hate you  :-D

[Moonshae]

Frozen margaritas  :shock:  I hate you  :-D

We can make those, too, just leave the mix outside! All without using any electricity!

[beeginner]

I BUZZZZZZZ  OFFFFFF :-D

The people I wrok for just got some new land may be 2 miles from me well on the land there is a huge concret milk barn. Well the guy that had it was a beekeeper so the lady and hasband I work for GAVE me the milk barn. It has city water and well water and power. + in the barn is a bunch of keeping stuff. And the stainless steel pipe the mik went in is all mine. So in the cold ill be cleening it all up.  It even has a bath room. There is 3 rooms the bath room and the back part where the cows came in at and then the frist room. Where the cows came in at is about 4 feet higher about 6 feet wide well thats where im puting all my supers it even has a ramp so I can back a truck up to it and unload stuff.  The hole place is about 35 45 feet long and about 30 feet wide. So ill have a lot of room for a honey house.  The pipe is 2 inch pipe and I have about 60 feet of it and the good thing is aobut that its all clamps that lock in it place just pull a leaver and its taken apart. Then theres 5   3 hp engines in there so that can run my pump the honey in the pipe line. Any ways thats what ill be doing the rest of the year   :shock: lot of work

[Brian D. Bray]

What does a beek do in the winter?

Make money to support the hobby next year!   At least, that's how it feels for me. 

Winters are spent fixing, repairing, buying new stuff, putting it together, painting, embedding foundation into frames, planning for next season, and a host of other things that needs doing.   Spare time?  What spare time?  I have 2 hobbies and an 1 1/2 acre farm.  Oh, yeah....I'm on a disability retirement.

[sean]

Winter?

We sit outside in shorts and drink frozen margaritas and call our friends in the north.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

dont forget white rum and appleton. If you want to get more exotic then "sex on the beach", "dirty bananas"
or anything with "Tia Maria" in it. Of course you need the right ambiance to go with it, The Beach, with your tongue hanging out.

[TwT]

I build nuc's, hives bodies, supers, feeders, tops, Bottom boards, ect.

[Michael Bush]

Type in old bee books, update my web pages, take care of my horses, build equipment, repair equipment, plan, go crazy...

[JP]

Hey Michael, ya mean crazier right? :-D