Thanks Coby, Succinctly put and closely matches my long practice and observation here in SE Washington St. We get a killing frost often in early Sept. This year in my highest yard on Sept.14. We can then and often do go 3 or 4 weeks of fine fall weather highs in the 50s & 60s lows 30s (sorry for the F temps, I'm an American after all) The bees at this time usually have no or very little open brood but still a few frames of capped and emerging that must by definition become winter bees. I observe only a little pollen coming in but they have several frames of stored pollen surrounding the brood nest and as you note will fill every empty cell with syrup if provided. My winter survival has been excellent for many years and almost all winter failures are queen issues, either absent in the spring or drone layers.

Paul Hosticka
Dayton WA

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