After a brutal autumn with heavy hornet pressure, we weren't sure what to expect.
Here's what the brood curves are telling us:
→ Laying stopped around Oct. 15
→ Overwintering cluster formed by Oct. 30
→ Brood restart as early as Jan. 10
That's a tight, clean winter break — and we believe three things made the difference:
1. Rigorous mite treatment before winter
2. Hornet shields during the high-pressure period
3. Full insulation: 2 insulating frames per hive + a 4cm polystyrene cover under the roof
One lesson learned the hard way: we fed protein patties on Dec. 29 and it woke the colonies up earlier than ideal. Next year, we'll wait until the brood curves actually start ramping up before feeding. Don't stimulate what doesn't need stimulating yet.
The standout this season is R7. Inspection confirmed what the curves suggested — bees wall to wall, drone brood already present, bursting at the seams. We had to split it this week.
Winter prep isn't glamorous. But the data doesn't lie.
You can browse interecatively this data with inspection notes throught the following link https://mybroodminder.com/share/hives/ec54ee97ff5849d79b3617df54e6527e
