Winter Prep
Prepare hives before the frost
Overview
Winter Prep is a comprehensive checklist and planning tool for preparing your hives for the cold months. The feature provides a season-specific preparation guide with tasks tailored to your climate zone and hemisphere.
The checklist covers 8 tasks: mouse guard installation, hive wrapping, weight check, entrance reduction, mite treatment, ventilation setup, syrup feeding, and tool cleaning. Each task expands to show guidance on when and how to complete it.
A winter readiness score tracks your progress — showing which hives are fully prepared and which still need attention. This is especially valuable when managing multiple colonies across different locations.
How It Works
Open Winter Prep from the tools menu.
Set your expected first frost date — it auto-detects your hemisphere.
Work through the 8-task checklist, checking off items as you complete them.
Monitor the countdown and readiness tracker (completed/total tasks) at the top.
Tips & Best Practices
- 💡Start winter prep in early autumn — waiting until cold weather hits is too late.
- 💡Food stores are the number one factor in winter survival. Aim for 60+ lbs of honey going into winter.
- 💡Treat for mites before winter clustering begins; high mite loads are the leading cause of winter losses.
- 💡Ventilation is critical — moisture kills more colonies than cold. Ensure upper ventilation is adequate.