In Bayburt, the bees’ “sweet sleep” is starting.

In Bayburt, where the cold weather is felt intensely, honey bees are being put into winter dormancy.

The bee hives that are taken out to the highlands in the spring have been moved back to the villages as the weather has turned colder. With the drop in temperature, beekeepers narrow the hives and protect the bees using materials such as sacks and cloth to shield them from the freezing cold. This method helps beekeepers prevent the bees from dying and ensures they enter the next season healthier.

Abdullah Gümüş, who is conducting winterization efforts for bee hives in Bayburt, stated that once it starts to snow and the cold intensifies, beekeeping activities will completely cease and that the bees have begun their winter dormancy.

Gümüş provided the following information regarding the winterization of bee hives:

“When the internal temperature of the hive drops to 14 degrees, the bees cluster together to form a winter ball. The temperature at the center of the ball is around 33 degrees, while the outer surface may be about 6-8 degrees. Bees produce the necessary heat by consuming honey, and as the temperature increases, they expand the ball. Any disturbance during winter can cause bees that fall from the winter ball to die as they cannot return. To prevent disruption of the winter ball, colonies should not be disturbed during the winter and cold periods. To protect against seasonal conditions, hives can be placed side by side and covered on top, but this cover must not prevent ventilation of the hive.

Bees will narrow their entrance holes themselves. However, if this has not been done, it is necessary to narrow the entrance with a piece of frame. The direction of the hive entrance should be opposite to the direction of strong and cold winds. If this is not taken into consideration, the hive may not maintain the necessary heat inside. Placing hives on stands 40-50 cm off the ground is the most appropriate action. If the hives are directly on the ground, they should be lifted off the ground before entering winter.

Snow accumulating on the hive does not pose any problem; on the contrary, it provides better protection against the cold. However, especially on days with heavy snowfall, the entrance holes of the hives should be checked and opened. On sunny days when there is snow outside, a piece of wood should be placed at the bee entrance in such a way that it does not obstruct ventilation, to prevent sunlight from entering the hive. In such weather, bees that see sunlight may attempt to exit the hive.

If there is a food shortage among the bees during winter, they should be fed with bee cakes instead of syrup on a sunny day. If there are tasks to be done for spring, attend to those and wait for spring days to manage the bees. While bees are in the winter ball, if a bee falls from the ball, it cannot return and will die. If this happens several times, the bee population decreases and it may even lead to the extinction of the bees.