Charles wrote:

>Here it happens a lot....to get several days to a week of "warm weather"   so the brood nest gets a bit scaled up.  Food next to it is consumed....Then,  >mother nature bites....  Back to sub freezing temps,  the bees are forced to cluster,  and then choose  move up or over to food,  or stay with brood.  They >always stay with brood.....  3/4 days of this like a freak march blizzard,  will kill the hive.  This happens most often on smaller clusters of course,  but >many times if the swing of temps is right,  it can be as big as a soccer ball and still get hammered"

Pretty much what happened here in New Hampshire this year (at least to me).  Temps warmed a little in late March (mud season started), then we had about 15 inches of snow on April Fool's Day, followed by several days of cold, cloudy weather.  Didn't see bees bringing in pollen until mid-April, which is a full month later than last year.  Found two of my colonies failed between mid-March and mid-April - smaller clusters, some new brood, heads in cells, honey on all sides, sugar on top, gap to stores all around.  I don't wrap my hives, but think I will do it this year as a precaution/test.

Bill T wrote:
>So the answer I have is cloudy days with day time temps below 43F for more than two days and bees at top of frame.

Ayah.  Both colonies had been taking the sugar on top of the frames, but - apparently - pulled back, when the weather turned cold.  These were three deep hives with top entrances, and they had chimneyed up the front-center.  Larger colonies were able to deal with the cold.  If I had it to do over again, I would seriously consider running 8-frame boxes, since I rarely (maybe ever, but can't remember back that far) see the outer frames of honey touched.  I suppose they provide some insulation, but they don't seem to be useful for stores, at least up here.

Bill
Claremont, NH US

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