Cottingham Honey

A hives internal heatimg system during winter ❄️

Food for the bees while they wait for the spring flowers 💐🌻

Beekeepers often feed bees in February because it’s a critical survival period for the colony. Even though spring is approaching, food inside the hive is often at its lowest point.

Here’s why feeding is so important:

1️⃣ Winter Honey Stores Are Running Low

During winter, bees survive by clustering together and eating stored honey.

By February:
They may have consumed most of their honey.
They cannot fly far to forage.

A sudden cold snap can trap them away from remaining honey stores.

If food runs out, the colony can starve very quickly — even with honey still present in another part of the hive.

2️⃣ Brood Rearing Begins Early

In late winter, the queen starts laying eggs again.

Raising brood requires:

More energy (more honey consumption)
Warmer cluster temperatures (around 34–35°C / 93–95°F)

Extra protein and carbohydrates. That increased demand can quickly deplete remaining stores.

3️⃣ No Natural Food Available Yet

February often brings:

Cold temperatures
Snow or freezing rain
Very few blooming plants

Bees may have flying days occasionally, but nectar and pollen sources are still scarce in many regions.

4️⃣ Preventing Colony Collapse

A colony that starves in February:

Won’t recover for spring pollination
Represents a full season’s loss
Can weaken nearby apiaries if robbing spreads disease

Feeding (often fondant, sugar bricks, or dry sugar) acts as emergency insurance until natural nectar flows begin.

🐝 What Do Beekeepers Feed?

Fondant or sugar candy (common in February)
Dry sugar (“mountain camp” method)
Sometimes pollen patties (if brood rearing has started)

Liquid syrup is usually avoided in very cold climates because bees can’t process it well in freezing temperatures.

If you'd like, I can also explain how February feeding differs between cold climates and warmer regions like the southern U.S. 😊

The Wildflower Honey from hives in Cottigham, East Yorkshire is my most popular seller.

There is nothing added to my honey. It is not pasteurised and is only lightly strained to remove some wax cappings. This retains its levels of live enzymes, vitamins, pollen, minerals and antioxidants. You can see some of the process in the videos on this page 😋