<excerted from several posts> > I don't know if this would work in weather as severe as you have, or if >you have other bees. Most years I winter over a bunch of late nucs (to save >the young queens) on a double screen over strong hives. >The successful life of small colonies is thanks to a bit new approache in >hive construction, and I would like to know, if the possibility of >wintering selfstanding units as large as (or even less than) a pound of >bees for the cost of 5 - 6 kg sugar stores would be desired in spite of >the fact that they would have to be keept in special hives. Here in Western Canada (minus 40C occasionally), it won't even nearly work oudoors. Some extensive experiments have been done, but I don't know the results indoors. The research exists, I don't know where to find it off the top of my head. Alberta, BC, and Manitoba have all worked on it, but it has not become a widespread practice. An approach that has been sucessful is to make fall splits into single and winter the two halves indoors. Extensive information on ideal indoor wintering buildings for up to thousands of hives are available and indoor wintering is widely practiced in the west. W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper Rural Route One, Swalwell, Alberta Canada T0M 1Y0 Phone/Fax: 403 546 2588 Email: [log in to unmask]