We're not in the minus 30 league but I was near hives on Sunday afternoon when the sun was low and weak. I was feeling cold - it was between 5 and 7 C. There were a couple of hives, a WBC (double walled) and my rickety top bar hive. There was no activity from the WBC but I could see bees gathering at the entrance hole of the TBH and the occasional one took flight and returned. I placed my hand on the front of the hive and it felt comfortably warm to the touch. The colour of the TBH stained but unpainted wood is darkish brown. I was surprised how much warmer it was than the shaded sides with which I compared. This suggests to me that it is a good idea for hives that catch the sun to be dark coloured.
Chris 50 N
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