Winter Beekeeping in Cool Climate Australia: Melbourne, Canberra, and Tasmania

Preparing Colonies for WinterIn cool temperate Australia, winter preparation begins in April. By then, each colony should have: at minimum 10–15kg of stored honey (equivalent to 4–5 full deep frames plus a medium super of honey); a young, well-mated queen less than 2 years old; and a population of winter bees (the longer-lived bees raised in late summer and autumn specifically for overwintering). Weak colonies that cannot be built up should be combined with stronger colonies rather than over…