As promised this is the result of 2010 wintering.... 15/20
Last fall I had 18 hives & 2 nucs

The nucs had normal corpse count
(One should have not died, but the other 
had a new russian q that never really got going)
The starved hive had normal corpse count
(it was in the top 3 for testy, so you get what you give)
The one beside it had few  corpses
The last had some corpses, but less than normal & cluster
was crowded close to  entrance hole.  

I think that ccd makes them smell, so they want fresh air

Last year my VD control was very poor,
think of this as a test to destruction.
Nah, I am really a screw-up sometimes,
and I'd really prefer to  have less hives.
I don't like lifting 80# boxes so much nowdays

So I have mixed feelings about this result

I was expecting worse than 25% loss,
can I attribute this to the VC? (vitamin C)
(I expected  40% loss)

I rate them as 10 G, 3 F & 2 P   (good, fair, poor)
but few frames were pulled, too cold, bees too testy
(made me put veil on)
Some of the 10 G will be GP and there may even be more than 1 VG
(good plus, very good)
One of the fair hives has probably gone queenless, I saw a fresh cell

I observed a yellowjacket queen, trapped in house, rubbing her abdomen
as often as  her antenna.  I'm sure that she was doing it 
when I was not looking too

No pollen here yet, mid ontario, N of Lindsay
& given the weather, not for a few days more

dave

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