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>         And now back to your regularly scheduled bee conversation...How
> does one tell that their bees are starving in the winter? I'm sure you'd
> confirm it by opening the hive, but what are the first indications?
>
> ********************************************************************************
> Dave D. Cawley         |  Only the economic organization is capable of setting
> University of Scranton |  on foot a true political party of labor, and thus
> [log in to unmask]   |  raise a bulwork against the power of capital.
> ddc1@SCRANTON          |                              -Karl Marx
> ********************************************************************************
>
 I find the easiest way to tell if a hive is starving is how it feels when you
 pick it up from
behind grasping the bottom and "hefting" it forward.
You get to know whats light and starving  vs. heavy and OK. But hives with
enough honey in them do not starve. Make sure to leave enough for your area.
Here in VA 60 lbs does the trick.
 Remedy starving bees? I wouldn't bother, and make a split in spring to cover
the loss, but if you only have a few hives, sugar syrup, or uncapped honey
_close to the bees_ will get them through, although once you start feeding you
have to keep feeding until new bees emerge... to bolster the population.
Combining weak colonies is effective too...each to their own...as in all
bee culture!
 
Adam
adamf@hopper,itc.virginia.edu
VADACS Apiary Inspector