>I think some colonies fail in mid winter due to the lifespan of the bees. We know bees die in 3-6 weeks in summer and from 3-6 months in winter. If there aren't enough long lived bees, perhaps the colony just fails early in the winter.
Surely warm weather would prolong brood rearing and therefore increase the supply of young, long-lived bees (because they had not fed larvae)?
However, that might be counteracted by an increased viral load due to an increase in varroa numbers?
Best wishes
Peter
52°14'44.44"N, 1°50'35"W
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