Good morning from Minnesota!

I have often read the comments that cold weather does not kill bees.  Other factors related to wintering such as lack of adequate feed, mites, queen status and disease are the real killers.  I have never been too sure of this, but I think I am now a believer!

You see, the month of December has been very cold here.  I believe December 2000 was the second coldest December on record in Minneapolis, which is 200 miles south of here and considerably warmer!  We have had below zero (F) temperatures every morning since the end of November. Many mornings have been -20 F or colder!  At one point the temperature did not rise above zero for 94 straight hours.  

This weather has been a true test for the 35 hives I have wintering as singles in an unheated shed.  On November 30th I checked the weight on several of them and quickly determined if each hive was alive.  I returned yesterday, after a full month of painfully cold weather, and the result was amazing.  Not only were they all still alive, but the scale hives had lost very little weight!  Weight losses were in the five to eight pound range.

also, the bees manage to keep the temperature in the shed about 30 degrees warmer than the outside temperture.  As an example, when I looked in on them yesterday the outside temperature was -7 F, and the inside temperature was 20 F.  I am not sure how they manage this, but it sure felt good to be warm!  The outside temperature has not been 20 F here for almost a month.

I realize that food consumption will increase dramatically as soon as brood rearing begins.  i am hoping that I can delay this by keeping the shed as dark as possible.  The first natural pollen will be available here until the willows bloom around April 15.

I also have plans to place candy boards on top of each single beging sometime next week.

These are just my comments on by wintering observations here in the cold North.  Any suggestions or advise would be greatly appreciated.

Stay warm and think Spring,

Mark in Minnesota