Winter inspection, how often is this needed in Canberra winter

Beekeeping - Basics Wintering your Flow Hive
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Hi new beek in Canberra, is there anyone on this forum located in Canberra? I am looking for some advice on opening up a hive to inspect in winter. Should I do this in winter or not? If so, how regularly should I do this? Many thanks, Karen

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I’m only new but I found this to be a helpful calendar (with Australian timings). I’m in Brisbane and only opening every six weeks.

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I don’t inspect over winter and, as a general rule, don’t open up the hive unless it’s 18 degrees plus and ideally a nice day (sunny with no/light breeze). That was one of the first things that came up in an intro to beekeeping course. There might be exceptions to this (eg. feeding but you’d want to be quick and stay away from the cluster).
I’ve read others go in when it’s colder but I steer clear. I still check for activity on sunny days.
The calendar is great if you’re in the southern hemisphere!

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@Nathan_Brisbane what an excellent resource, than for this, very much appreciated :slight_smile:

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@Outbeck thanks for the heads up, this is what I thought. Can’t seem to find any information from our local beeks in Canberra. Not too sure if there are any still on this forum :wink: