Honey Bees

Honey bees are preparing for the winter months by storing as much nectar as possible and evaporaping the moisture within the nectar. They will rearrange the honey stores so the queen will move down to the bottom super. With the bees diligently working to arrange the hive for winter, what do beekeepers need to be aware of within the hive?
When working a beehive, you always tend to notice how many bees are present. The number of bees determines if it is a strong or weak colony. Weaker colonies going into winter will have fewer bees to raise out brood and regulate the temperature within the hive than a strounger colony. Hives typically have thousands of bees within it, so how do you know if it is strong or weak? When looking down into the hive, you can see bees between the frames. For a strong colony going into winter, you want to see 10 or more spaces full of bees. If your hive has fewer than 6 or 7 spaces with bees, combine with another hive to strenthen the colony.With a strong colony and a queen laying in your bottom super, your hive is prepared to battle the winter months.