We are West Virginia farmers and would like to begin beekeeping. I am especially interested in the Kenya Top Bar Hives. Are West Virginia winters conducive to keeping bees in top bar hives?
Thank You. Angella
Hi Angella
I don't have any personal experience of keeping bees in top bar hives in bad winters. The depths of the Southern California winters, I'm sure, aren't quite as severe. :-)
However there are plenty of people who do successfully keep bees in Kenya Top Bar Hives, even in very hard winters.
I think the test would be that if there are feral bees surviving locally, then they should fare very well in top bar hives.
I suggest you start as early in the year as possible to allow the colonies to establish themselves before the fall arrives. Make sure there is enough stores, probably as much as 70 lbs of honey or sugar in places as West Virginia, to allow the bees to keep themselves warm.
If you feel they have insufficient stores as the winter approaches, sugar should be fed in the form of heavy syrup. Provided it's given to the bees early enough to allow then to take it into the hive and store before the weather gets too cold, they are able to use this to supplement any honey the beekeeper has left for them.
Good luck, send us a picture after your first snow fall.
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