People are often surprised to learn that cold is not what kills most honeybee colonies in an Ohio winter. A healthy cluster can handle subzero nights. What it cannot handle is running out of food. So the question every beekeeper asks in October is the same: how much honey do bees need for winter, and does this hive have it?
The Short Answer
For a full-size colony in a northern climate, Cornell’s pollinator program recommends going into winter with roughly 90 to 100 pounds of honey, about the weight of one full deep box of honey (Cornell CALS). The University of Florida’s guide to overwintering in northern climates gives similar advice and stresses that colonies should be heavy before cold weather sets in (UF/IFAS). Smaller colonies use less, but they also have less margin for a long, cold spring.
Winter in Northwest Ohio does not really end in March. Colonies start raising brood again in late winter, which burns through stores fast, and a cold, wet April can starve a colony that looked fine in February.
How I Check: Hefting
The quickest check is to lift the back of the hive an inch or two off its stand. With practice, you learn what a heavy hive feels like. The University of Minnesota Bee Lab describes the same test: if the hive is hard to tip back, stores are likely adequate; if it lifts easily, the colony needs help (UMN Bee Lab). I heft every hive in October and again on mild days through winter, without opening it.
How I Check: Counting Frames
During the last open inspection, I count frames of capped honey. A full deep frame of honey weighs several pounds, so a box packed edge to edge is a good sign. What matters just as much is where the honey sits. The cluster moves upward through the winter. Honey above the bees is easy to reach; honey off to the far side may be out of reach on a cold week. Our fall hive inspection checklist covers what else I look at that day.
Why We Only Take From Strong Hives
Our rule at the apiary is written on our home page for a reason: our honeybees take priority over selling honey, and we only take from strong beehives with more than they need for winter. A jar of honey is not worth a dead colony. In practice, a lot of hives give us no honey at all in a given year, and that is fine.
What If a Hive Is Light?
- Early fall: feed thick sugar syrup while the bees can still process and store it. See our guide to fall feeding.
- Once it is cold: switch to dry sugar, fondant or sugar bricks placed right above the cluster. The UMN Bee Lab has a good overview of winter sugar feeding.
- Move honey: a frame of capped honey from a heavy hive can go into a light one, if both colonies are healthy.
More on Winter Bees
What the bees do with those stores is a story of its own. Read what honeybees do during an Ohio winter and our guide to winterizing beehives.
Honeybees Living in Your Walls?
A feral colony in a wall has the same need for stores and will stay put all winter. In-wall honeybee removals are being scheduled for Spring 2027. Call or text 419-614-6445, or visit our sister company’s honeybee removal and relocation page.
