Bee Joy Beekeeping Newsletter - Late Fall 2025
- Grai St. Clair Rice
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Colonies are all tucked in
The long winter months ahead are challenging for colony survival. The dynamics involved have a plethora of variables.
There is still time to add adequate winter insulation, which offers colonies a buffer against deep cold and the vicissitudes of temperature. This can boost the likelihood of survival.
This was a tough year in the Hudson Valley. The dry conditions affected floral nectar sources, which in turn limited intake for brood-rearing and honey production.
Many colonies are going into winter with frames not completely filled out, and a population smaller than ideal. This combination of factors creates a recognizable weakness in these colonies that needs to be closely monitored as winter progresses.
Adding winter candy can offer bees sustenance when they are able to move about, however this has limited effectiveness when bees are in tight cluster. Aware of these concerns, I have added candy to most of my colonies, and will check supply more readily as weather allows.
Late Fall Beekeeping Tasks
Protect hives from mice
The simplest thing a beekeeper can do is add mouse guards to hive entrances. 1/2" hardware cloth is an easy fix.
Top insulation is most critical
Warm moist air can rise and condense on underside of a cold lid, dripping on bees below. Top insulation helps mediate this concern
Condensing versus Ventilating
The condensing model of winterizing requires extra work and expense from the beekeeper, however the latent heat remains within the hive and assists the colony in survival. I find the condensing model most successful for my apiaries over many years.
Feeding may be vital to survival
Take note of colonies with limited resources. If feeding, peek on warmish days throughout winter to add food as required.
Consider making gifts from your hives for the holidays
Let the possibilities stir your imagination and enthusiasm.
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Beekeeping Companions
A Personal Journey
There is both a sense of adventure and a tender intimacy as beekeepers work their Honeybee colonies. This unique experience of nature feeds the mind and the soul.
The manic rush and complications of daily lives fall away as the vibrant realm of the bees calls us into their sweet beeing. The aroma of warm beeswax, curing nectar, and the comforting scent of the bees themselves waft into our senses via thousands of tiny wings.
It is a time out of time. A trust develops between those with two legs and those with six. They are good companions in life. And, like any other companion, the way you treat them comes back around.
My passion for beekeeping and the always fascinating honeybees have enriched my life with a desire for knowledge, understanding and a depth of observation. Bees connect me to the environment and the seasons. I have gained a visceral appreciation for abundance, as well as the dearth.
The only thing better than the company of bees is the company of beekeepers.
Building community around shared passions is a rewarding human activity. It offers us deep roots and a sense of purpose. Beekeepers alongside other beekeepers can feel just right.
There need not be a consensus on best practices. The joy of sharing experiences and community is always welcomed in our disparate lives.
After I started teaching beekeeping in 2006, it was clear that an organized community of beekeepers could benefit the growing interest and lift up the knowledge base for successful beekeeping.
In the autumn of 2007, a small group of individual beekeepers in the Hudson Valley worked on a plan for a fundraiser to launch a contemporary version of the Ulster County Beekeepers Association. The community fundraiser, held in April 2008, was supported by a broad range of local businesses and individuals, providing a wonderful financial base to grow the new association.
I dedicated many years to providing a backbone for this band of beekeepers. At its height, UCBA had 148 paid members, with 60-70 people at each meeting, drawing from a wide geographic area. It felt like family.
It was exhausting, although the weight of the work seemed to fall away in the company of the community and was replaced with joy and satisfaction.
My “community” of beekeepers has now broadened out. I have developed beekeeping friends around the United States through joining, as well as presenting at, other beekeeping groups. The Eastern Apiculture Society Conferences every summer allows for longer arcs of time, for learning and socializing with recurring acquaintances.
I am thankful for the newly-formed New York Bee Club, with meetings spread across the boroughs, and the opportunities to develop a beekeeping community within the city. A vibrant, eclectic city deserves a great bee club.
I am still on a high from my Scandinavia trip in September to attend Apimondia, an International Beekeeping Congress, which takes place in a different member country every two years. This year’s congress was held in Copenhagen.
I joined a couple of Tech Tours bookending the congress. On the first tour, there were 39 people from 14 different countries, traveling together from Norway into Denmark for four nights on a journey to experience the local bee culture. There were old friends, new friends, with lots of laughter and mead.
I’ve had to keep my phone on silent at times, as our WhatsApp group pings from New Zealand, answered by Oregon and then Hungary. It’s great fun indeed.
While visiting beekeepers in Scandinavia, it became clear that the bees inside the hives are called “families,” whereas I have always referred to them as “colonies.”
I reached out to ask our Tech Tour members about their nomenclature, and it turns out many a country uses the term “families,” which has the respect of lineage and does describe the close-knit relationships within hives in different languages.
Bees and beekeepers are the nurturing companions I choose in life. I treasure the time spent in their company, and hold dear the resonance of joy in the experience.
Apimondia Scientific Poster presentations over the years
Learn something new in the quiet of the seasons!
Stay tuned for the next beekeeping newsletter...
Citations & Links
Hesbach, William. 2021. “The Condensing Colony.” American Bee Journal, February 1, 2021. https://americanbeejournal.com/contents-february-2020/.
About the Author:
Grai St. Clair Rice
Grai has been a beekeeping educator since 2006. She teaches beekeeping classes, coaches beekeepers, does public presentations, writes about honey bees and gardening for pollinators, publishes the Beejoy beekeeping newsletter, and consults on landscape plantings.
