Fall/Winter Cycle - Clarification Please

[FrogPond]

So if I understand this correctly, the queen will quit laying in the late fall or early winter, right? About when does this happen?

And when she quits laying, do the bees have time to store honey in the brood cells, or is it too late in the year?

In my area people sy they are good to over-winter with two deeps (also my configuration) and other resources state the conditions required in "pounds of honey." Well, so far my bees CRAM the frames with brood - and except for some small areas of pollen or honey, the frames are largely brood. I was wondering if this was typical, how much honey was on a "brood frame" and so forth. This will be my first winter with bees and I would like to see the little ladies make it successfully! Since I am not using chemical treatments, strong hives are especially important to me. Thanks for the pointers.

[Michael Bush]

>So if I understand this correctly, the queen will quit laying in the late fall or early winter, right? About when does this happen?

Here it happens about November.  She cuts back earlier, but by November there is usually NO brood in the hive at all.  Sometimes it happens as early as October.  Mabye it's just the length of days that drives it and maybe it happens the same time anywhere.  That I don't know for sure, but here that would be when I would no longer expect to see brood.

>And when she quits laying, do the bees have time to store honey in the brood cells, or is it too late in the year?

If there is a late flow they will fill it but she starts cutting back in September and usually there is enough of a flow, here in Nebraska, that they have most of it filled long before she totally quits laying.  That doesn't leave a lot of empty space.  If there isn't a late flow because of drought or early frost then I'd feed to get that filled.

>In my area people sy they are good to over-winter with two deeps (also my configuration) and other resources state the conditions required in "pounds of honey."

Pounds of honey is a far more useful measurement.  Two empty deeps obviously won't get them through the winter.  :)

> Well, so far my bees CRAM the frames with brood - and except for some small areas of pollen or honey, the frames are largely brood.

Normal for this time of year.

> I was wondering if this was typical

This time of year, yes.

> how much honey was on a "brood frame" and so forth.

Usually just around the edges.

> This will be my first winter with bees and I would like to see the little ladies make it successfully!

Make sure they have lots of young bees (in other words, if there isn't a late flow, feed them so they can raise some) and lots of stores.  here I try to have 100 to 150 pounds depending on the size of the cluster.

> Since I am not using chemical treatments, strong hives are especially important to me.

What are you doing to handle Varroa without treatments?

[Miss Chick-a-BEE]

Well, so far my bees CRAM the frames with brood - and except for some small areas of pollen or honey, the frames are largely brood. I was wondering if this was typical, how much honey was on a "brood frame" and so forth.

If my memory serves me right, I get about 5 pounds of honey per deep size frame. I've just given a wild guess myself as to how much honey there is when the frame is mostly brood with just the honey in the corners. I've guessed about a pound. Typically what I've seen in my hive is this - (I have 11 frames per deep) 7 generally brood, 4 generally honey - 2 on each side of brood. So with my rough estimations, I'd figure I had roughly 55 pounds of honey in two deeps if it was all maxed out.

Here in Georgia though it has been ultra easy to raise bees. I have yet to leave them any actual honey frames. I just leave them the corners on the brood and they have still had some left by spring. Both winters so far, my hives have eaten less than 10 pounds of honey.

Beth