October Beekeeping in Ontario:
8 Essential Steps to Prepare
Your Hives for Winter
Before winter sets in, Ontario beekeepers should: confirm food stores are at or above the provincial minimums (32 kg / 70 lbs for a single brood box, 45 kg / 100 lbs for a double); assess colony strength and verify the queen is present; conduct a post-treatment Varroa alcohol wash and confirm mite levels are below the 3% treatment threshold; remove unnecessary equipment and finalize the winter hive configuration; install lateral insulation or a winter wrap; address moisture management above the cluster (quilt box, moisture board, or insulated cover); install a metal mouse guard and reduce but do not close the entrance; and confirm upper ventilation is in place. October is typically when temperatures fall consistently below 10°C in most of Ontario and the wrapping window opens.
According to the Ontario Government’s Best Management Practices, honey bee colonies should weigh at least 32 kilograms (70 pounds) for a single brood chamber and 45 kilograms (100 pounds) for a double brood chamber before winter. These are total hive weights, including equipment, bees, and stores — not stores weight alone. To estimate stores from total weight, subtract your known empty equipment weight. A colony that falls short of these minimums should be fed immediately with 2:1 syrup (2 parts white sugar to 1 part water by weight) while temperatures still allow bees to process liquid feed — typically above 10°C. A full-sized colony typically requires approximately 15 litres (4 gallons) of supplemental feed to make up a significant stores deficit.
Only if stores are genuinely below the minimum targets and temperatures still allow bees to process liquid feed. The Ontario BMP recommends feeding immediately after the fall crop is removed — ideally in August and September — precisely so that October feeding is not needed. If October arrives with a colony significantly below target weight and daytime temperatures are still consistently above 10°C, feed 2:1 syrup immediately in a high-capacity top feeder. If temperatures have already dropped below 10°C, switch directly to fondant or a candy board placed above the cluster — bees cannot adequately process liquid syrup at low temperatures. Feeding in October is a correction for a shortfall that should have been addressed in September.
Wrap Ontario beehives when daytime temperatures are consistently below 10°C and bees are no longer foraging actively — typically in October, with the exact timing varying by region (earlier in northern Ontario, later in southern Ontario). All preparatory tasks must be complete before wrapping: Varroa treatment strips removed, liquid feeding finished, mouse guards installed, fondant placed if needed, and quilt box or moisture board in place. The Ontario Government BMP specifies that wrapping materials (paper, cardboard, insulated plastic, Styrofoam, or wooden boxes with wood shavings) should go around the exterior of the colony, that the entrance should be reduced but never completely closed, and that adequate ventilation must be maintained.
Yes — adequate ventilation is a requirement for outdoor Ontario winter hives, not an optional feature. The Ontario BMP explicitly states that entrance should be reduced but never completely closed, and that adequate ventilation must be maintained. Ventilation serves two functions: providing a route for moisture vapour to escape (preventing condensation accumulation above the cluster) and giving bees an exit for cleansing flights on mild winter days. The goal is not maximum airflow — excessive ventilation removes cluster-generated warmth — but rather a controlled configuration with a reduced lower entrance and either a small upper entrance or quilt box vents that allow moisture to escape without creating cold drafts through the brood area.
A moisture board is one option for managing condensation above the winter cluster — not a universal requirement. Whether it is appropriate depends on your existing hive configuration. If you are already using a quilt box, the quilt box shavings perform the same absorption function and a separate moisture board is redundant. If you are using a standard inner cover and outer cover without additional top insulation, a moisture board or burlap quilt insert placed above the inner cover is a practical low-cost addition. It will not compensate for inadequate stores, high Varroa, or a weak colony — those are the primary drivers of winter loss in Ontario according to OBA survey data.
📋 The 8 Steps
- October: What Changes for Your Bees
- Step 1 — Check Winter Food Stores
- Step 2 — Assess Colony Strength and Queen Status
- Step 3 — Verify Varroa Is Under Control
- Step 4 — Remove What the Colony Doesn’t Need
- Step 5 — Install Winter Protection and Insulation
- Step 6 — Manage Moisture and Ventilation
- Step 7 — Protect the Entrance From Winter Pests
- Step 8 — Final October Inspection
- What to Stop Doing in Late Fall
- October Ontario Winter-Prep Checklist
The OBA’s 2025 winter loss survey — covering 27,465 colonies from 642 Ontario beekeepers — reported an average winter loss of 33.5% for the 2024-25 season. Ontario winter survival is not a lottery: it follows from what happens in late summer and fall. October is the month where preparation either gets done or gets skipped. There is no equivalent window in November.
October in Ontario: What Changes for Your Bees
September is about production winding down and fall feeding. October is about configuration. By the time October arrives, the major interventions — Varroa treatment, bulk syrup feeding, harvest — should already be complete or nearly complete. What remains is the physical preparation: the hive needs to be configured for five to six months of winter confinement without further meaningful intervention from the beekeeper.
October also marks a biological shift inside the hive. The colony is no longer raising bees for foraging — it is raising or has recently raised the winter bee generation, a physiologically distinct group of individuals with larger fat bodies and longer lifespans. These are the bees that must survive until April. How they enter winter — their Varroa load, the stores available to them, and the conditions inside the hive — determines whether they do.
A colony that enters winter below the minimum stores threshold will starve before spring regardless of how well it is wrapped, ventilated, or protected from moisture. Check stores before any other October task — if the deficit is large and temperatures still allow feeding, that takes priority over everything else.
Honey bee colonies should weigh at least 32 kg (70 lbs) for a single brood chamber and 45 kg (100 lbs) for a double brood chamber before winter. These are total hive weights. A full-sized colony with a significant deficit typically requires approximately 15 litres (4 gallons) of supplemental feed. Feed 2:1 sugar to water by weight, or 70% sucrose syrup. Source: ontario.ca BMP — updated January 2026
What to Check
- Weigh the hive with a luggage scale — front and back separately for the most accurate reading
- Compare total weight against the Ontario minimum for your configuration
- Inspect frame distribution — stores must be accessible to the cluster, not isolated in corners the bees cannot reach
- If below target and temperatures are still above 10°C: feed 2:1 syrup immediately in a high-capacity top feeder
- If temperatures are consistently below 10°C: switch to fondant placed directly above the cluster on the top bars
Population is the other fundamental variable alongside stores. Bees generate winter cluster warmth through metabolic activity — a larger cluster does this more efficiently than a small one, using less energy per bee and maintaining a more stable cluster temperature through cold nights. Ontario’s BMP specifies that 7 to 8 frames of bees are ideal for a full-sized colony in cold regions of Ontario going into winter.
- Estimate frames of bees — a frame of bees is one side covered with bees, roughly 2,500 bees per side
- Confirm queen is present — look for eggs or very young larvae in at least a few cells
- Assess brood pattern — a very scattered or spotty pattern in October may indicate a failing queen
- Identify any colony at or below 4 frames of bees — too weak to winter individually on the Canadian Shield
- Consider combining weak colonies with stronger neighbors using the newspaper method before wrapping
Combining Is Better Than Hoping a Weak Colony Survives
A colony at 4 frames or fewer in October has very low odds of surviving a full Ontario winter independently. Combining it with a healthy, well-stocked colony produces one colony with a genuine chance of spring survival — rather than two colonies where both are at risk. There is no shame in combining; it is active management, not failure.
Varroa and the viruses it transmits — particularly Deformed Wing Virus — are consistently identified as a primary driver of Ontario winter colony losses in OBA survey data. The mechanism is direct: mites feeding on developing pupae damage the fat bodies of the adult bees that emerge. These compromised winter bees have shorter lifespans and reduced ability to survive confinement. A colony can look healthy in October and collapse in January or February because the winter bee generation was already damaged at the pupal stage in August and September.
Ontario’s BMP states that varroa mite levels should be below the 3% treatment threshold in late summer and early fall to optimize winter survival rates. Treatments must be used according to registered label instructions specific to Ontario. Source: ontario.ca BMP — updated January 2026
- Conduct a post-treatment alcohol wash — 300 bees from a brood frame (not the queen’s frame)
- Target: below 3% (9 mites per 300 bees) — below 1% is a conservative and worthwhile goal before wrapping
- A completed treatment course does not automatically mean successful mite reduction — retest confirms it
- Reinfestation from collapsing neighbouring colonies through robbing is possible even after effective treatment
- Do not wrap a colony without first confirming its mite level
A winter hive should be configured for a small, tight cluster — not for peak honey production. Excess space above and around the cluster costs the colony energy to heat and provides shelter for mice, wax moths, and cold air. October is the time to consolidate the hive into its winter configuration.
- Remove any honey supers that were not removed in September — no harvestable supers remain on winter hives
- Remove the queen excluder if one is in place — the cluster must be able to move freely through the hive as stores are consumed
- Remove feeders once feeding is complete — an empty top feeder left on the hive adds dead space and cold air pathways
- Consolidate frames — move empty or mostly empty frames to the outer positions and stores toward the center above the cluster
- Check bottom board — remove accumulated debris that can restrict the entrance or harbor pests
Do Not Leave a Queen Excluder On Through Winter
A queen excluder left in place over winter can trap the queen below the cluster as bees move upward through their stores. In a cold February or March when the cluster has moved high in the hive, this can separate the queen from the cluster entirely. Remove it before wrapping — it serves no productive function in a winter hive.
The Ontario Government BMP specifies that colonies kept outdoors must be insulated for winter using one or a combination of: paper, cardboard, insulated plastic, Styrofoam, or wooden boxes filled with wood shavings. The wrap goes around the exterior of the colony as a combined insulation and windbreak layer. Time this installation for when daytime temperatures are consistently below 10°C and bees are no longer foraging — wrapping too early on warm days can increase hive temperature unnecessarily.
Winter wrapping and moisture management are separate functions. The wrap reduces lateral heat loss and wind exposure; it does not address condensation forming above the cluster. Step 6 covers that separately.
A winter colony produces moisture continuously as a byproduct of metabolizing stores. This moisture rises as warm vapour and can condense on cold overhead surfaces. Water accumulating above the cluster and dripping onto bees below adds cold and wet to conditions that are already thermally demanding. Managing this requires both an absorbent or insulating layer above the cluster and ventilation openings that allow moisture to escape.
What to Check Before Wrapping
- Is there adequate insulation above the cluster — quilt box, insulated inner cover, or moisture board in place?
- Is there a controlled ventilation path for moisture — inner cover notch, small upper entrance, or quilt box vents?
- Does the outer cover seal completely against rain and snow without blocking planned ventilation openings?
- Is there any existing evidence of condensation or moisture damage from last winter that signals a configuration problem to address?
- Will the winter wrap installation leave quilt box vents and upper entrance openings unblocked?
Ventilation: The Goal Is Balance, Not Maximum Airflow
Excessive ventilation removes the cluster-generated warmth that bees expend stores to maintain. The goal is a configuration where moisture can escape gradually through controlled, protected openings — not cold drafts through the hive body. A reduced lower entrance plus one small upper opening or quilt box vents is typically sufficient for an Ontario winter hive.
As October temperatures drop, mice and other rodents begin seeking winter shelter. A beehive offers warmth, food, and soft comb material — everything a mouse needs to survive until spring. Standard wooden entrance reducers are not mouse-proof; mice can chew through them in a single night. Metal mouse guards with 8-9mm holes allow bee passage and dead bee removal while physically preventing mouse entry. Install them before colony entrance patrolling decreases as cluster formation begins.
Reducing the entrance also limits robbing during the October dearth period and reduces cold air entry in early winter. The Ontario BMP is specific: reduce the entrance but do not close it completely. Bees need an exit for cleansing flights on mild winter days, and complete closure of the entrance risks carbon dioxide buildup and condensation accumulation. After heavy snowfall, check and clear the entrance — snow can seal even a well-reduced opening completely.
Before completing the winter configuration, make one final walk-through of every hive — not to open brood boxes or make major interventions, but to confirm that everything is in order before temperatures make further work impractical. Once wrapped, the hive should require no further opening until spring unless an emergency (starvation, entrance blockage) is clearly identified.
- Food stores confirmed at or above minimum targets — or fondant in place for colonies that could not be brought up to weight
- Colony population sufficient — at least 7 frames of bees for cold Ontario regions
- Queen confirmed present from most recent inspection
- Post-treatment Varroa wash below 3% threshold
- Winter hive configuration finalized — unnecessary equipment and supers removed
- Winter insulation/wrap installed and secured — entrance opening confirmed clear
- Quilt box, moisture board, or insulated cover in place above the cluster
- Metal mouse guard installed — entrance reduced to correct opening size
- Upper ventilation confirmed — inner cover notch or quilt box vents unblocked by wrap
- Outer cover secured against wind — strap or weight in place
- Hive sitting level or slightly tilted forward to prevent water pooling inside
What to Stop Doing in Late Fall
✗ Stop These After October Wrapping
- Opening the hive repeatedly to check progress — every opening breaks cluster heat retention and disturbs the winter configuration
- Feeding liquid syrup when temperatures are consistently below 10°C — bees cannot process it and it increases hive humidity
- Assuming a completed Varroa treatment means mites are no longer a concern — reinfestation is possible; only a retest confirms control
- Assuming wrapping replaces ventilation — a sealed hive with no moisture pathway accumulates condensation
- Assuming insulation replaces adequate stores — insulation reduces the rate of store consumption, but a colony below minimum stores will still starve
- Leaving obvious water entry points unresolved — a leaking outer cover or gap in the wrap over winter creates conditions far worse than inadequate insulation
- Procrastinating on mouse guard installation — once the cluster forms and entrance patrolling drops, a mouse can establish itself in hours
October Ontario Winter-Prep Checklist
Before winter sets in, Ontario beekeepers should be able to check every item below for every colony:
☐ Complete Before Winter — Every Hive
- Honey supers removed — no harvestable frames remain on the hive
- Queen excluder removed
- Food stores at or above Ontario minimums — 32 kg / 70 lbs for single, 45 kg / 100 lbs for double
- Fondant or candy board in place for colonies that could not reach target weight by feeding
- Colony strength assessed — at minimum 7 frames of bees in cold Ontario regions
- Queen presence confirmed in final fall inspection
- Varroa post-treatment alcohol wash below 3% threshold — retest result in hand
- Hive configuration finalized — frames consolidated, dead space minimized
- Winter insulation or wrap installed — entrance opening confirmed clear and unblocked
- Above-cluster moisture management in place — quilt box, moisture board, or insulated cover
- Upper ventilation confirmed — quilt box vents or inner cover notch open and not blocked by wrap
- Metal mouse guard installed and fitted correctly
- Outer cover secured against wind
- Hive level or slightly tilted forward
Final Thoughts on October Beekeeping in Ontario
October preparation does not guarantee winter survival — but skipping it significantly reduces the odds. The OBA’s 2025 survey data shows that Ontario beekeepers experience average winter losses of over 30%. That figure represents thousands of colonies, and the research consistently points to the same causes: Varroa, inadequate stores, and weak colonies entering winter. These are correctable in October, not in February.
Wrap the hive, secure the entrance, manage moisture, and then leave the colony alone. The bees know how to winter — your job is to give them the conditions to succeed and then minimize disruption until spring. A hive opened unnecessarily in January loses warmth that may take days to rebuild. Do the work in October so there is nothing left to fix when it is cold. 🐝🍂❄️
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