>My bad-  we live in the Missouri Ozarks.  Got to -9F for a week last winter
>in January...  Generally not that cold so I hear but then I've only been
>here 4 years...

I have kept bees in Missouri since the early seventies. Cold is not as big
an issue in the Ozarks as fall pollen and nectar. In many areas the grass is
mostly fescue and the trees Oak.

Make sure your hives have enough stores to winter on( add syrup if needed)
and a couple pollen patties in August will usually give the bees enough
*good* nutrition to raise winter bees.

In my opinion a line exists through the U.S.. Those on the upper side ( 
myself & northern U.S.) have to have winter bees to winter. Summer bees ( 
fed differently) are gone (dead) after a couple weeks of really cold 
weather. Most found on the bottom board.
So the large cluster which fills the whole top box can be reduced to a 
softball size cluster with only the *winter bees* left.
if i see too many old bees in the cluster this time of year I move the bees 
mid afternoon when the older bees are flying.  Cruel maybe but makes for 
better wintering and less use of winter stores in fall.

bob

Ps. Off to try and  feed hives Allen. A hose blew off my pump on my feed 
truck while testing at the bee farm and syrup hit me in the face and soaked 
my clothes.
My help was looking the other way when I looked up. I said" its OK to 
laugh!"
"Now lets get the mess cleaned up!"

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