>   ... most hives look really nice. This is an illusion that fools many
> inexperienced beekeepers....   In fact there is a dearth right now. And
> the strongest hives are the ones that will suffer first, because they
> are rearing a lot of brood. If their food supply is depleted, and they
> are living day to day on what little nectar is available, they can
> starve down in just three or four days of bad weather.
 
I want to second this.
 
Dave, like me, has obviously learned this the hard way.  In my case, I
learned it over and over :)
 
I think Dave runs a lot of singles, and they are particularly vulnerable
to starvation.  A couple of days without a flow will do it if they are
fully brooded up, wall to wall, because they simply have *no* place to
store honey.  Eight or ten frames of brood will displace the feed
necessary to maintain the bees even over a short rainy spell.
 
We run doubles here over winter and into the spring, and even then, we
pour the feed to them all spring.  If they don't need it, they won't take
it.  And usually if they don't need it there is something wrong with them.
 
When we run singles, we put an excluder and a super on them (sometimes
under them) the day they are made up, so they will have some place to keep
honey.  (You have probably already guessed from the above that we only
make singles when the weather is settled and flow is on).
 
Although the strong hives run out of feed first, the weak ones benefit
from feed too, because sugar syrup is pure -- assuming you did not make
the mistake of storing it in a container that had potential to add
contaminants like iron -- and assuming you did not contaminate it in
handling.  Honey can be from many sources and, although *good* sealed
honey is an ideal feed, not all hives can get to it, uncap it and liquefy
it if it is granulated.
 
Don't use Boardman feeders unless you have kept bees for at least 5 years.
 The feed needs to be inside the hive and close to the bees, and you don't
need robbing if you are a beginner.
 
Hives that could not otherwise feed themselves will come along nicely if
fed.  This is particularly true of splits that may have lost their flying
bees during the splitting and moving, or hives that got a touch of spray.
During the first days after either of these ocurances, all the bees may be
needed to keep the brood warm, and they may not have a chance to forage
much.
 
Therefore, don't forget the pollen supplement.  If you make it right, they
will eat it any time of year.  The secret?  Use at least 50% sugar in each
patty.  And the more pollen in it, the faster they'll eat it.
 
Feed, feed, feed, your bees, and they will in turn feed you.
 
Allen