Overwintering success.

[Bob Wilson]

2019. My first year, I had a swarm just move straight into my new, empty Long langstroth, which I had just built. It was sitting in my yard, waiting for my swarm traps to catch a swarm. My long lang is 4 feet long, and holds 32 deep langstroth frames lined up like folders in a filing cabinet drawer. That is a tad over three deep hive boxes in a row. The swarm arrived late in the season and only filled out about thirteen frames. It over wintered fine.
2020. I mismanaged the 2019 hive that next spring. The bees backfilled the broodnest at the front entrance. It got congested and they swarmed... 3 times. I caught and hived those swarms, which also swarmed.
2021. Nevertheless, in spite of lack of understanding and proper managing, the three hives have overwintered well, with 3 or more frames of packed honey each. One is stressed some, and defensive. Another is also small, but calm and clean. The third is very large, strong, and calm.

[Ben Framed]

How do you manage a long hive where it does not get congested? What is your strategy this season? I do not have long hives, just interested.

[Bob Wilson]

Greetings Ben. Check the other thread I just started.

[Ben Framed]

Will Do thanks Bob..