As Steve pointed out, bees can and are overwintered here by some as is done in the Scandinavian
countries, but due as much to our long winter as anything else it remains a challenge. In the past
couple of decades varroa has only added to the problem, and now we read that the SHB is seen
surviving winters in northern areas of the Lower 48. I’m afraid that pest will eventually be up here
with us too. Oh well.

Most new beekeepers in Alaska are quite enthusiastic about keeping bees year round, but simply
*wanting* to overwinter bees won’t make it so. Reality soon hits them squarely in the face, often
in the first winter. It’s very discouraging to anyone, especially a new beekeeper, to put the time,
effort, and money into trying to overwinter only to find, come spring, a mass of dead bees in their
hives. Many simply find it easier on themselves (and, for that matter, probably their bees, too) to
buy new packages each spring. No one relishes killing their bees. In fact most who don’t
overwinter try their damndest to give their bees away to anyone who wants to overwinter at
season’s end.

For those who pooled their orders last spring, with shipping, the cost of a four pound package
with queen came to $80.00 U.S. Some of those who bought bees on their own paid even more. It
seems unlikely it will be any less expensive this spring. Who knows, maybe economics and the
shortage of bees will force beekeepers up here to struggle more against the winter as the
Canadians did who, as I understand, began with new packages every season too before the border
closing.

It’s just plain and simple that it isn’t an easy task to winter bees in Alaska. I’d still like to see some
of the actual numbers from ongoing hives up here that have truly successfully overwintered for
several winters in a row in addition to the numbers of those that end up as dead outs.

Regards,
Dick Allen

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