On the eve of the online “Natural Beekeeping class (with Adam as the Instructor) being released with the School of Traditional Skills, we are super excited for this next season! We will be continuing to expand our online store, and we are already planning and preparing for next spring with Bootcamps, Homeschool classes and more services than ever!!!
That said, we have a little season called Winter knocking at the door, and this Sunday morning the low temperature will be 38 degrees here in Middle Tennessee. Once we return from the Homesteaders of America Conference, it will be time to winterize the hives (you can read about Winterizing Bee Hives). For the honey bees, the cooler temperatures mean clustering up to keep the queen and brood warm as well as slowing down activity for the winter…they cannot let the temperature inside the cluster fall below 64 degrees or they will go hyperthermic and perish. The bees will go into a semi hibernation state, conserving energy, and eat through their honey stores slowly. During the winter we make regular walks to all of the hives on the property are to observe the bee hives and watch for normal bee activity, such as bees making cleansing flights. Sometimes, we will put our ear up to the back of the hive to listen the cluster buzzing…this just reassures us that the bees are still alive and doing well.
Winter is also a great time for us as beekeepers and future beekeepers to take inventory and start planning for next spring. It is also a great time to read a book, watch videos, attend bee clubs, and take online courses in preparation for the next bee season.
Make sure to check out the Natural Beekeeping class on the School of Traditional Skills, and follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
This article was first published in the October 2023 Newsletter.