Hi all
I think that a lot of beekeepers still misunderstand what goes on inside a hive in winter. I would take a look at Meghan Milbrath's article in the ABJ January 2020:
Whether a colony survives the winter in good condition is determined more by its make-up than by the kind or amount of protection. The temperatures in screened hives were similar to temperatures in wooden hives, demonstrating how little heat leaves the cluster. It may make you feel better emotionally to insulate and add quilt boxes and vent and wrap, but if you really want to improve your bees’ survival, make sure you are also out there all summer preventing parasites from taking over your hives so that you can raise a strong, healthy generation of winter bees.
PLB
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