Overwinter Practices for Maryland
I know the joke, ask 5 beekeepers and you will get 6 opinions. As a new beekeeper I am looking for what are the practices that have been successful in Maryland to overwinter bees.
For example:
Fondant, Dry Sugar Feeders, or Candy Boards.
Ventilation inserts
Insulation Wraps or insulation inside the telescoping cover.
Thanks in advance,
John
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HCBA had a speaker in the last two years who overwintered bees on the Maine/Canada border. I was struck by the fact that he used no insulation/wraps or extraordinary measures with regards to hive structure. With our up & down temp extremes, my (newish) opinion is that helping the bees maintain a consistent temperature is the best thing I can do to help. To that end, all I do is put on a candyboard, then top the box with a burlap pillow loosely stuffed with straw to slow heat escaping. On warm days I pop the cover for a few seconds and throw on another chunk of candy if it's needed. That's it.