The beekeeping year begins by preparing the bees for the winter, which is one of the most important and most demanding task in a year. The activity of bee colonies depends on the weather conditions, the season, the climate zone, the blooming phase of honey-plants and other factors. The life of a bee colony may be split into stages such as the fall stage and overwintering, brood rearing stage, main bee pasture stage, swarming stage, and preparation for the wintering. Even though there are different beekeeping technologies, the core and essence of the job remain the same, and that is to enable the bees to survive the winter with a strong colony for the upcoming honey-plant pastures. To successfully complete the job, one must know the biology of honeybee colony and the specific duties bees in a colony have. The beehive represents a home for the bees. Every type of beehive has its advantages and disadvantages. The beekeeper has to adapt to the beehive, and not the other way around. A well-prepared colony that has enough pollen and capped honey is the main criteria for successful overwintering. We have to take into account that every colony stays healthy. Fifteen to twenty kilograms per beehive is an adequate amount of honey for overwintering in continental Croatia. To be able to precisely and successfully determine the exact amount of honey per beehive, each beehive should be carefully inspected.