Hi Jody, you shouldn’t every worry about your queen “escaping” the hive. She doesn’t want to leave unless she is swarming or absconding the hive. During winter the bees don’t want to leave anyway because it is too cold.

Thanks Debra!

Hi Frances, without knowing where you are from I can’t really say what race of honey bees to try. I know that in the USA, Italians and Carniolans are the two major races we run. Sometimes you will see beeks with Russians or more often Russian hybrids.

I know Carniolans are touted as being strong overwinterers because of their quick reaction to flows and resrouces: they stop brood rearing when the nectar and pollen stop coming in but they also are very quick to start at the first sign of a flow. They take advantage of nectar flows very fast. Unfortunately, if the flows starts before the winter is over the hive can have too many mouths to feed and not enough resources.

Italians are slow to react but keep raising a little brood during the winter (mine do at least) but not so eager to start working the flows as fast, they are more conservative with their resources.

I would talk to local beekeepers and see what they run as beekeeping is all local: what works for my climate may not work for yours.