Preparing my hives for winter here in Australia

[OzBuzz]

Hi Everybody,

I'm starting to prepare my hives for winter tomorrow - we're about 8 weeks out from cold weather.

I'm wondering what exactly i should be looking for and what sort of stores i should leave. Obviously the queen laying is important... I was planning on leaving 2 frames of capped honey, two frames of honey/pollen and the rest as brood. The capped honey frames would be in position 1 & 8 - the honey/pollen in positions 2 & 7 and the brood in between. I have some hives that have ample stores so i will be distributing those amongst any hives that dont have sufficient stores. I'm also considering giving a pollen patty to my hives - i'll also be putting a sheet of vinyl above the brood nest to keep in the warmth. Any extra frames of honey i'm going to extract - i believe i'm on to a small flow at the moment so i might put those boxes back on the stronger hives and take them through winter as two boxes high - the others as singles. Our winters aren't freezing - we don't get snow - although we do get some mornings of 0oC and some frosts. I'll also make sure the hives are tilted forward... anything else i should be doing?


Thanks for your help

[AllenF]

I would not use the pollen patty. 

[OzBuzz]

What would you use Allen? Also, I requeened four weeks ago - all were released but I haven't been able to confirm that all were accepted. I injured myself and have been unable to tend my hives. A friend helped me today to get them ready for winter... Some had great stores, some very few, so we divided the good and gave some to the bad. What I noticed in some hives though is no eggs, no capped brood but a very quiet hive with good population of bees. Could the queen have temporarily stopped laying completely until there are more stores/pollen?

[Tommyt]

Oz
Your winters are not very cold are they ??
Do your bees shut down? or just slow up
Is there no forage for "X" amounts of months?
Just curious


Tommyt

[Grieth]

Winter is OK in Melbourne city as there are lots of gardens.  Mine are still bringing in lots of pollen. 
Lots of locals recommend that as a rule of thumb, pack down to one box (two if a very strong hive). About half the frames should be stores, and the boxes thick with bees so it is easier to keep warm.  Thick syrup will add to stores (2 parts sugar to one water, and lots of stirring).  Another guy I know had queens go off the lay a few weeks ago with the first run of cold.  I fed my weak hive thin syrup to get the queen laying again (2 parts water and one sugar), which got her going, but I am not sure if I have tricked her into thinking it is spring but the hive is much stronger for the winter. Will inspect again on weekend for stores, but the box still feels very heavy. 

[Finski]

.
There is an Australian research where hives were tried to keep strong over short cold  period. 

hives got a bad nosema and they were weaker than unfeeded hives when canola start bloom.

[Grieth]

Do you have a link to the Australian Research Paper?  I would like to read it.