Understanding Winter Hive Space: Colony Size and Hive Configuration
As we move into spring, colony population growth is well underway. Between March and June, a hive's bee population can surge from approximately 10,000 bees as they emerge from winter to around 60,000 bees during the honey flow season.
Estimating the number of bees in a hive can be done using a straightforward rule of thumb: a deep frame covered with bees on both sides contains about 2,000 bees, while a medium frame, which is roughly 2/3 the size of a deep frame, houses around 1,500 bees when fully covered.
A typical healthy cluster coming out of winter occupies about 5 frames of bees, roughly the equivalent of what fits into a 5-frame deep nuc box.
The principle I advocate for is that hive size should align with colony size. This correlation is vital for colony thermoregulation, hive defense against pests and intruders, and effective swarm control.
The Keeper's Hive, when prepared for winter, consists of either 8 or 13 deep frames, depending on your chosen winter configuration. Some beekeepers might argue that this is insufficient. The more conventional approach is to overwinter with 20 deep frames, 30 medium frames, or a combination of 20 deep and 10 medium frames, providing space for 40,000-50,000 bees. In contrast, The Keeper's Hive in winter configuration accommodates 16,000 to 26,000 bees.
The argument for more hive space often revolves around the need for ample honey stores to sustain the colony through winter. It's worth noting that a deep frame filled with honey weighs about 6 pounds, while a medium frame weighs approximately 4 pounds. Consequently, The Keeper's Hive can store between 50 and 80 pounds of honey, while traditional winter hive configurations can hold more than 100 pounds. If you aim to have greater honey reserves in your hives during winter, it means sacrificing some of your honey harvest or increasing the need to feed sugar syrup in the fall.
Ideally, bees spend their winter in a state of torpor, which is a condition of reduced metabolic activity resulting in lower body temperature. When torpor is achieved, bees consume less food and generate less moisture.
Several management decisions can help your bees enter a state of torpor. These include providing less hive space in winter, along with practices such as hive insulation, eliminating top ventilation, using solid bottom boards, and possibly having fewer stored honey reserves to position the CO2 dome closer to the winter cluster. It's a complex balance that requires careful consideration.
Understanding bee biology and aligning your hive design decisions with your beekeeping goals is essential for effective hive management.
Warm regards,
-George
