winterizing questions - new beekeepers

[mary]

Our first year -- after reading this months American Bee Journal we have found we are very late on many things and have the following questions:

(Location Northern California freezing at night 50-60-70s during the day.)

1.   Have Apistan strips for hives and intend to still put them in even though it is late, assuming better late that never, is this correct?

2.   The beekeepers handbooks shows wintering set up to be two supers empty coomb on bottom and brood on top.  Because of cold winter we have a brood chamber and second full super for food, should we put the brood chamber on top or leave things as set?

thanks

Mary

[Anonymous]

1. Yes, better late than never. Take the strips out in 42-45 days.

2. The handbook must be showing late winter.  Your bees should start the winter with the brood hive on the bottom. At this point there should be little or no brood as the queen should be shutting down her egg laying for the winter. The bees will work their way up into the winter stores on warm days during the winter and be at the top of the hive come late winter/early spring.