Hi All,
 
Being a new beekeeper I do not know what constitutes a strong enough hive to
go throughout the winter.  (I get the impression from my bee club that this
takes experience to know.)  Anyway, we had a few very warm days and I went in
my hives to add sugar water.  I have division board feeders.  I noticed in
both my hives that the bees were clustered in the center of the top box.  I
did not move any frames but I could see there were frames of honey on both
sides of the cluster.  What are they doing in the top box?  Aren't they
supposed to be in the bottom box now?  Should I be moving honey frames to the
center of the top box or should I just leave them alone?  Also, how many bees
should I see flying on a warm day?  Is it normal to just see a few of should
there be many bees flying on the warm days?
 
Lastly, why don't we heat the hives in the winter -- particularly in the cold
areas.  It seems one could significantly raise the temperature inside the hive
by just having a light bulb in there at a very low overall cost. (Cheaper than
replacing the bees.)  I have a feeling I am missing something very basic here.
 
My last questions is why can't any type of editable oil be used?  I have read
postings about Food Grade Mineral Oil -- how about just plain old vegetable
oil?
 
Thanks for all the interesting posts.
 
Regards,
Vickie
Green Harbor, MA