Hello from Vermont!

Greetings Flow Forum.

After an exciting summer, I now have a new season to report on.

I started earlier this year, and treated w avipar.

Everything has gone well, and I now am faced with a choice.

Do I harvest honey, or leave it for the hive.

5 of 6 frames are fully capped, the 6th is about 75%.

To be completely honest, I feel bad taking the honey.

This will be my first attempt at over wintering, and I want the hive to survive!

Thanks all!

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Harvest and remove the super for the winter. You really don’t want it on during the winter, especially if you have a queen excluder. You also don’t want the honey crystallizing in the Flow frames over winter. :blush:

You can always feed the honey back to the bees in the spring if they need it. Hopefully you have double deep boxes for brood under the Flow super, in which case they will have plenty for winter. If not, you are going to need to monitor closely and feed them fondant (candy) or sugar. They probably won’t take liquid feed with the weather cooling down now.

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Thank you so much, your wisdom is much appreciated!!

Single brood for now, I was thinking of adding a second!

Any tips on proper fondant delivery?

These bees are amazing & I want to take good care of them!

Don’t add it at this time of year. Next Spring in March or April, depending on the weather and nectar flow.

These articles from Rusty Burlew say it much better than I could :blush:

Just put the paper plate on top of the inner cover (leave the hold open and don’t cover it with the plate!).

If you want to do something simpler, I think @Michael_Bush just puts white (never brown) granulated sugar onto a plate. The bees will take the solid crystals if they need it, even when it is cold.

You might benefit from a moisture quilt or insulation in your climate too. I would ask your local bee club what they do. :wink:

Not exactly, but close…

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Thanks everybody for the wisdom, with a nor’easter on the way things are wintering up here in VT.

I have harvested the frames, several jars of delicious dark honey.

I plan on feeding most of it back to the colony this winter, along with some fondant.

I am currently engineering winter insulation, and a top entrance.

Fingers crossed!! Again, thanks!!

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