OCTOBER 2017 SEEDWORLD.COM / 63 TIP rotating positions slowly to ensure bees on the outside of the huddle also have a chance to move to the inside. “They naturally rotate positions as they conservatively feed on their reserves,” Browning says. Using this method, Browning says healthy populations can even survive weeklong blizzards if they have adequate windbreak and insulation around the hive, enough food storages and enough healthy bees — made more possible if the habitat they live in is thriving. “If hives enjoy normal precipitation and normal temperatures in the summer, they will generally produce what we consider to be a sustainable amount of nutrition to last them through the winter,” Browning says. “However, the importance of nutri- tion goes deeper than just food storage. Honeybee hives actually brood specific bees to last through the winter. “The last few cycles of brood receive additional nutrients, when developing, to make them fatter and hardier. They are designed to live up to six months through the winter, whereas bees that are brooded earlier in the summer are only bred to last six weeks.” If there isn’t enough nutrition avail- able in the late summer and fall for those broods to develop properly, the bees simply won’t live long enough to make it through the winter, even if all other pre- cautions are taken. “Otherwise, we end up with summer bees heading into the winter. It just won’t work,” Browning says. “That’s why habitat creation and maintenance is critical.” Habitat Help Savinelli says pollinator habitat programs help to ensure farmers and beekeepers are able to work together so the bees have an adequate food source prior to overwintering. “We try to partner farmers with local beekeepers to help them communi- cate and understand the issues each deals with. Programs such as Operation Pollinator and The Bee and Butterfly Habitat Fund encourage farmers to create habitats that help ensure honeybees are well-prepared to survive the winter,” Savinelli says. “Those habitats help provide bees the proper nutrition they need to build up winter food storage and ensure healthy bees leading up to the stressful cold tem- peratures,” she says. Other steps include ensuring the hive is a tight structure with limited entrance space and adequate insulation. “We might add layers of insulation for a northern climate,” Browning says. As winter approaches, there is one thing farmers can do — provide a wind- break for any hives on their land. Fall is certainly not the time to clean out fence- rows that are providing shelter to hives. Another important step is to simply leave the hives alone. It’simperativethatasanindustrywetakeaproactiveapproachinprotecting pollinators.operationpollinator.com “When farmers are finished with harvest, they have a winterization process to ensure equipment and land are prepared for the winter. It’s the same for the beekeepers.” — Caydee Savinelli It takes some preplanning, sometimes more than a year ahead of the next winter season, but farmers can help with winter preparations, in the long run, by preparing ground for a habitat that will feed the bees in their area during the next summer season. Working with efforts such as Operation Pollinator can ensure proper fall site preparation. Other Efforts Heading into the winter, beekeepers must take stock of the amount of honey each hive has. “We want our hives to weigh over 100 pounds, which gives the bees around 65 pounds of honey — enough to feed them from the end of October to the first part of February,” Browning says. Food can be added, if necessary, and the bees will store it, but only if it’s done early enough. “In the north, opening a hive in the middle of winter is pretty much a death sentence,” he says. Preparations need to be completed by the end of October. “If you’re going to add feed or insula- tion to a hive, it needs to be done before the ambient temperature outside stays below 40 degrees for a few days in a row, because that will signal the bees to cease brood rearing and begin cluster- ing,” Browning says. Savinelli says winter preparations bridge the gap between farmers and beekeepers. “They really have this effort in common. When farmers are finished with harvest, they have a winterization process to ensure equipment and land are prepared for the winter. It’s the same for the beekeepers,” she says. SW