Wintering

[keeper007]

Is 1 brood box and 1 medium super enough to get a hive through the winter in iowa?

[Brian D. Bray]

It is in the PNW but our winters are not as severe as they are in the mid-west, even so, I would lay odds it is sufficient.  Out here our standard winter hive is with 2 deeps or 1 deep & 1 medium.  I use 4 mediums--that's my basic hive which equates to a little more than 2 deeps.

[amymcg]

Not sure what your winters are like, but here in the northeast, most of us use 2 deeps.

[Robo]

It depends on how frugal the bees are and how hard of Winter it is.  I have overwintered a dozen or so late season splits with 1 deep and 1 medium without issue.  I have even overwintered a few in just 1 deep.  You just need to keep an eye on them and make sure they don't run low on food.  Perhaps most important is to make sure they are mite free and healthy in the Fall.

[keeper007]

thanks for the help :D

[Finsky]

In Finland I may say that 5 frames of brood goes over winter, but in pring that tiny hive have difficulties to build up.

One box of bees  in late summer have same difficulties in spring.

We use insulated boxes. If you have uninsulated box you may put hive into shelter over winter.

It is very important that one box hive has no too much food because it restrict the brood area.  It should have maximal size of brood area in August and after brood has almost emerged you feed hive full of  sugar.

To get one box wintering bees it needs usually  4 boxes during summer.

[keeper007]

In Finland I may say that 5 frames of brood goes over winter, but in pring that tiny hive have difficulties to build up.

5 FRAMES!!!!
whoa