Just a word of opinion on opening/feeding in cold conditions. I believe that too many think that they will do great harm by briefly opening a hive in less than ideal conditions and thus pass on intervening when action will be of great benefit.

Any time the bees are in "loose cluster" above (40f,5c) or so a quick popping of the lid for a minute or so has in my experience done no noticeable harm.  Even if that is the only hour of the day that it gets that warm and the rest of the time is well below freezing. I often will open a light colony, pull one of the outside frames, separate the cluster just off center so as to avoid the queen and any possible brood and slip in a capped frame of warm honey. Takes less than a minute and will save a starving colony. As has been mentioned warming the honey is a good idea. I keep deep supers of capped honey collected from fall combos or extremely heavy colonies in our warm room at 75f. This slows crystallization as well as give the girls a snug blanket. Before moving to OAV I would also do a quick dribble any time just above 40f. 

That said I have a stern word for my manager (who happens to look a lot like me :-) ) for not taking care that the colony had ample stores in the fall.

Paul Hosticka
Dayton WA  

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