Hi Donald:

Thanks for your detailed information on your wintering. It amazes me at all the ways people successfully raise honey bees. Have to admit that I am interested in the colony's winter water needs and you may have found a way to meet them in your area.

My interest in the need for water goes back to my first winter, just two ago. In December we had hard enough freezing weather that I was concerned about frost melt even if I had a medium body over the inner cover filled with cloth rags. In one of the hives about three cups worth of bees had made a cluster about 9 inches across covering the frames and inner cover. These bees had to crawl from the main cluster up through deep frames of stored honey to cluster there. Where there had been only a few bees and some moisture on the previous two inner covers, this one looked relatively dry. Upper entrances were the same on all.

Needless to say in my wet climate I will be keeping my top entrances. At this time it seems the risk of dripping condensation outweighs the needs for water. That said, I will be keeping my eyes open for ideas on how to meet winter water needs.  How you are keeping your bees looks like one.

Thanks again,

Alvin


Alvin L. Forar
Arlington, WA
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