Winter beekeeping: feeding, moving hives and cleaning

A colony still feels light, but the bees have stopped taking syrup. Should you switch to fondant? Can you move a hive across the garden in winter? And what's the best way to clean spare polyhives? In this week's Let's Talk Bees, I've got the whiteboard out to work through your beekeeping questions, including autumn feeding, winter insulation, moving colonies and planning next spring's splits. We also look at mini mating nucs, converting National frames for a Langstroth box, the challenges of treating double-brood colonies and why I'm still working on a repeatable, season-long Demaree system. 🐝 JOIN THE LIVE Q&As WITH 30 DAYS FREE IN HIVEQ Bring your own questions and join our community of beekeepers: https://learning.blackmountainhoney.c... IN THIS EPISODE • Feeding light colonies that have stopped taking syrup • When I'd keep offering syrup and when I'd use fondant • Whether to leave feeders on over winter • Insulation above the colony • Moving beehives in winter and the three-foot or three-mile rule • Cleaning and disinfecting polyhives in separate baths • Oxalic acid trickling on double brood • Sublimation access and mesh floors • Planning spring splits and keeping nucs balanced • Mini mating nucs and small-scale queen rearing • The Ben Harden method • Fitting National frames into a Langstroth box • HiveAlive in autumn syrup • Resetting a rolling Demaree for the following season ⚠️ SAFETY AND TREATMENT NOTES For hive moves, wait for a settled period when the bees aren't flying. A frosty morning on its own isn't enough, particularly if warm flying weather follows. Sodium hypochlorite can cause serious eye and skin injuries. Follow the written chemical and equipment instructions, use the correct concentration and contact time, and wear suitable protective equipment. For Varroa treatments, follow the instructions for the specific authorised product and application method you're using. Don't use an uncertain dose mentioned during a live Q&A as your treatment instructions. 🎓 14 DAY BEEKEEPER If you want structured, step-by-step training to help you understand your bees and make better decisions through the season, explore 14 Day Beekeeper: https://blackmountainhoney.co.uk/beek... 🐝 QUEENS, NUCS AND HONEY Find our queen bees, nucleus colonies and Welsh honey: https://blackmountainhoney.co.uk/ 📺 RECOMMENDED VIDEO This honey room problem needed a 300kg lift    • This honey room problem needed a 300kg lift   📂 RECOMMENDED PLAYLISTS Moving Beehives    • Moving Beehives - Safe Hive Relocation, Tr...   Queen Rearing Methods    • Плейлист   Demaree Split    • Demaree Split – Swarm Control, Brood Manag...   Overwintering Bees    • Overwintering Bees – Winter Preparation, C...   What beekeeping job are you still trying to get sorted before winter? Leave your question in the comments. If you found this useful, give it a like, subscribe and share it with another beekeeper. #beekeeping #winterbeekeeping #feedingbees #blackmountainhoney #letstalkbees