Winter in Central QLD

Hi there. I am a very newbee, based in the Wide Bay area QLD. I’ve had my Flow Hive for two months, we got an advanced set of frames for the brood box from a local beekeeper a couple of months ago, and it’s humming.

I’m reading a lot of conflicting information about what to do in preparation for winter, I’m looking for advice about whether to take honey, removing the queen excluder etc.

We have had tons of flowering paperbark and lillypilly trees around recently, and the bees are quickly filling up the super. The super looks pretty full, with bees capping honey, but absolutely no honey at the ends!

Trying to send photos:

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Hi Shana, I’m a bit South of you in Buderim. I remove all the ripe honey out of honey supers right up to & including winter because I’m aware that there’s always something in flower somewhere where my bees are. Adding to that, the bees always constrict the brood during winter & replace it with honey, meaning there’s plenty of honey in the brood boxes.

I wouldn’t be removing the QE. You probably don’t need to remove the flow super during winter either. That just depends on how many bees are occupying it.

I would suggest to physically inspect the flow frames before harvest so as to determine what percentage is capped.

cheers

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:grinning: Thank you @JeffH ! Quick response, and useful.

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You’re welcome Shana, I should add that local knowledge of what flowers & when it flowers is real handy to know, generally speaking.
If you are part of a local bee group, that would also be helpful.

cheers

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