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Overwintering

Last updated on October 26, 2026

Overwintering reports one or more colonies entering overwintering, with a date, and optionally an overwintering apiary different from the current one.

On the website​

  1. From an apiary's page, display the list of its colonies.
  2. Select the hives in question.
  3. Click the bulk action Overwintering.
  4. Choose the overwintering apiary (the current apiary by default) and the date.
  5. Confirm.

On the mobile app​

  1. In the Enter tab, select Overwintering.
  2. Scan the hives in question.
  3. Confirm the date (and the overwintering apiary, if you are moving the colonies).

Overwintering and transhumance: the same mechanism​

Technically, reporting an overwintering is the same as performing a transhumance with an extra flag ("overwintered") set on the colonies in question. That's why the default destination apiary is the current one: in most cases, you are only dating the start of overwintering without moving the colonies; you only pick a different apiary if the operation has a dedicated overwintering site.

This overwintering flag is then used to compute winter-loss statistics (overwintered colonies vs. colonies lost over the same period) — see the Losses page.

What is colony overwintering, and how do I track its success?​

Overwintering is the period during which a colony slows its activity and lives off its stores while waiting for resources to return in spring. The rate of colonies that survive overwintering (relative to the number of colonies put into overwintering in autumn) is an indicator tracked from one year to the next by most beekeepers, since it reflects a herd's overall resilience.

By precisely dating the start of overwintering for each colony, ApiTracer can compute this rate automatically in the statistics, distinguishing losses that occurred during overwintering from those that occurred in season — see the question "How do I track my herd's winter loss rate?" in the FAQ.