Winter prep checklist (and why Homer's hive isn't on it)

Winter prep season. The list below is what every Springfield demo Beekeepers member should be doing in the next 4-6 weeks. Homer's hive is exempt; his bees built a comb structure that looks like Bart's homework and we've decided to leave it as a learning exhibit.

The checklist

1. Final mite count. If you haven't washed in 4 weeks, do it now. Treatment-too-late is the #1 winter-loss cause.
2. Heft test. Lift the back of the hive — if it's light, feed 2:1 syrup until they stop taking it.
3. Reduce entrances. Mouse guards in by the first frost. Mice find their way in faster than you'd think.
4. Ventilation. Moisture kills more colonies than cold. Insulate top, not bottom; consider a quilt box.
5. Candy boards. Insurance for late winter when stores run low. Recipe in the resource library.

Why Homer's hive is exempt

Because we tried. We really did. He fed them Duff Beer last fall ("the bees seemed to like it") and they wintered fine somehow. We are not endorsing this approach.