> Wrapping tends to keep the temperature more stable over the long run
> in warmer winters. Do not eat as much so will last longer on the
> stores available.

In my experience, most strong, healthy hives will usually survive just
fine without wraps.  Most years.  Maybe 9 out of 10 hives, and 8 out of
10 years.  Feeling lucky?

HOWEVER, in areas with cold winters like ours, proper wrapping can
reduce feed consumption, make the difference between life and death for
smaller or weaker hives (we don't always know in the fall, which ones
will need some help), ensure better condition in spring -- even for
strong hives, and reduce stress on the bees in early spring.  We seldom
see any nosema (and we do look).

IMO, the major benefit from wrapping ofen comes at a time when some
eager beekeepers have already unwrapped their hives!   As for a 20%
loss, for us, that is high, even away up here in Alberta, and we do not
check our hives much after June.  We wrap anything that made honey and
has enough bees to look normal: in other words, anything that is not
obviously dead or dying, so our true winter loss is more likely around
5-8%.  But, we wrap everything and keep it wrapped until the gardeners
are seeding frost-sensitive plants.

There was a carefully thought-out series on that topic in Bee Culture
last fall, and the writer explains what is really killing a lot of bees.
Yup, it's not mites, nosema, mice, or any of the usual culprits that are
to blame, it's beekeepers and their favourite manipulations.

allen
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/

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