I do not know where you are from but I think that you got the north part
right but not the south.
  We get bees from the north every year and I think that you'all up
north have more bees to feed in the winter than we do. Our bees keep
right on flying and our numbers get far lower than the bees from the
north.  With fewer bees they eat less.  We have very little honey flow
in North Florida and south GA. in the winter.
BUD