Beekeeping for the year is drawing to a close. Winter is fast approaching and the bees are going into a cluster. Time to plan for the next season and look back on the previous one. NIWA is indicating that this winter is going to be warmer and drier than average so plan for this. Could be that the bees will be out foraging during the winter on warm calm days.

Being situated close to the coast my bees don't close down completely during the winter so I have to work this into my management. Brood is reared all year round in some apiaries stimulated by winter sources of nectar.

The other day I was out wandering around a bush site looking at what's flowering. Surprisingly, the odd manuka bush is flowering again. Perhaps the sudden influx of 6mls of rain following our prolonged drought, or has this been triggered by high UV levels?

Several other species are budding up for winter flowering: Spanish Heath (Erica lusitanica) flowers mid-winter to early spring and is a valuable nectar source. Some beekeepers in the Marlborough area harvest this as a winter crop.

Kohekohe (Dysoxylum spectabilie) is budding up. This native tree produces a white lily of the valley-like flowers on stalks that spring from the bare parts of the trunk and branches. Unfortunately the possums love these flowers, so in heavily infested areas you will only observe the flowers on the thin outer branches of the tree. (Oh for an environmentally friendly treatment that will wipe out the possum).

Another bush source budding up in my garden is the five finger (pseudopanax arboreus). Located along the bush fringes and in creek beds, it usually flowers from July to September and is attractive to bees. One of the most valuable trees for bees, often overlooked because it is Australian, is the Banksia. This tree survives in poor, well drained, sandy soils. Some are frost tolerant. There are many varieties but the tall growing coastal banksia (integrifolia) which produces nectar and pollen during the winter and early spring does extremely well in our area. The pollen is not a complete bee food being deficient in one or two essential elements but bees build up on this if there are other sources of pollen around.

Review what's flowering around you apiaries. If there is a lack of early nectar and pollen sources, consider planting some. Ask the farmers if you could put in a few trees around your apiaries for nectar and shelter. Pussy willow and tree lucerne (in frost -free area) grow fast and provide early spring nectar and pollen, plus will shelter the slower growing trees. If this is not possible, look at putting pollen supplement in your hives. A lot of beekeepers simply feed sugar syrup to stimulate brood production in the spring. However, without good pollen sources, the bees use their own stored fats to produce brood and that next generation will be weaker and will have a shorter foraging life. One South Island beekeeper's philosophy is "Money In = Honey Out". Never scrimp during the spring build-up. Strong hives will always bring in a crop no matter what the duration of the flow.

Plan to replace any rotten woodware in the spring. Order it now so it arrives in good time to put together during the winter. Protect your investment. Supers these days are made from trees that haven't got a lot of heartwood so needs to be protected. Hobbyists tend to use metalex (copper naphthenate) and mineral turpentine, or an equivalent preservative. Commercial beekeepers use a paraffin hot dip procedure to protect theirs. More about this next month.

On the practical side, I usually try and visit all my apiaries in the middle of winter to see how the bees are getting along. Although I tie my hives with nylon cord to keep them on the pallets, cattle and storms do disturb them. Hopefully the ties will hold the supers together and prevent the combs and bees being exposed to the weather. Any that require attention are straightened up and the slope checked to see that rain runs off the bottom boards. Entrance reduces are checked to see that they are still in place and any hives showing cappings wax in the entrance are checked for mice. These little horrors can quickly make a nest in the top super and chew through the stores in no time leaving the hive to starve.

I also check under the split boards for condensation. The bees give off carbon dioxide (CO2) and moisture as they consume the stores when they shiver their wing muscles to keep warm. Hives require a constant circulation of about 2 cubic inches per second to replenish the atmosphere with oxygen and remove moisture. More than this and the bees use more honey to keep warm (those on the outside of the cluster cool faster). Less or no ventilation means the bees use more honey as they have to break from the cluster often to force ventilate the hive when the CO2 level gets too high. It's a fine balance.

Any hive showing an excess of moisture (completely damp split board or under the roof) should have small twigs or matchsticks placed in each corner of the super to raise the board/roof. Hives that have only a slight damp patch opposite the entrance in the split boards are considered ok. We are trying to prevent the lugs on the frames becoming damp. These rot away quickly if left wet over a few winters and become a nuisance during extraction and an additional expense. They are either rejected or a nail is driven in to replace the rotten lug. We want to provide an environment that does not stress the bees.

Beekeepers in the North and in frostier areas tend to winter their hives in single supers. This helps to prevent moisture build-up and allows the bees to totally fill the super making ventilation easier. The plus to this is that these hives have smaller populations, so do not swarm as much, but require more attention and feeding than those who prefer to leave their hives two or three supers high.

At this time of the year commercial beekeepers render down old frames to recover the wax. There are many methods in the books that recover approximately 50% of the wax in the old combs. Some are as simple as heating frames in a container of hot water. After the wax has risen to the surface, warm water is added which allows the wax to float off into a separate container. Others methods are more sophisticated. The idea is not to overheat the wax as it can quickly break down and turn to a soapy substance. Bees wax melts at 62-65 degrees centigrade. Try to keep the water within this temperature range.

For the hobbyist with just a few hives, frames for rendering can be kept for summer to use in the solar wax melter or used during the winter as a source of fuel for the fire. A word of warning. Old brood frames contain a lot of wax and burn fearlessly. Make sure the chimney has been swept and put pieces of the old frames on, a little at a time. It's rather embarrassing and dangerous to have a chimney fire. If you don't have the facilities to do either of the above, the wax frames and cell residue composts quite well.

During winter read a few bee books. Local libraries usually hold one or two but our own NBA library has many books and the latest in world magazines. For the non-reader, videos are now becoming a popular means of communication. If you have the patience to look at my videoing, past conference reports and seminars are held in the library. We do not take everything in first time when being lectured to. Every time I see a video, I pick up something different from it.

If you want to see the real thing, come to Conference in Queenstown during July. Most beekeepers take a break from work and have their holidays during winter. Seminar day is well worth the trip. Remember that it only take one tip that saves you money or boost your income and your trip is paid for.

Things to do: plan for the new year. Review your plan. Render down cappings and old combs. Make up new equipment for the coming season.

Frank Lindsay