Chris Slade wrote:

Why not, experimentally, wrap alternate hives either
fully, or partially, leaving the southern side (preferably painted a dark
 colour) exposed?

Hi Chris:

I did the experiment you suggest about ten years ago. I winter my bees in 
rows of five with Styrofoam on all sides and on top. I left one row without 
insulation on the front (south side) and insulated the next row as usual.

In April, after a fairly normal winter I opened the hives and found that all 
were alive. The fully wrapped ones each had several frames of sealed brood 
but the ones left with open fronts had none. They had eggs and larvae, but 
no sealed brood. They were at least two weeks behind and they never did 
catch up.

I have since wrapped all round. I am near Edmonton, Alberta with a climate 
the same as Allen Dick.

                                    Best regards

                                    Donald Aitken 

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