Sorry for all the quotes below, but some may recall that this is an old
thread from Sun, 26 Nov 2000.  I've been waiting to resurrect it, since it
is right about this time of year that the effects of bad wrapping or no
wrapping become apparent in areas where wrapping is the norm.

Do people still believe that just because a cluster of bees managed to make
it to January without proper wrapping and are not properly protected from
severe weather, that those same bees will be worth anything now?

Langstroth is quoted as having written:
>> ‘January 20, 1857:  This month, the coldest on record
>> for more than 50 years, had furnished the most
>> decisive proof of the correctness of the views
>> advanced in this Appendix on wintering bees in the
>> open air.  My colonies have been exposed to a
>> temperature of 30 degrees below zero, the mercury for
>> two days never having risen above 6 degrees below,
>> and the wind blowing a strong gale the whole time!

Allen Dick commented:
> ...In my experience around here, bees will look good
> and survive until late February when wintered without
> wraps and with excessive air flow -- as described.
> Some years they may survive into spring in decent
> numbers, especially if they were very strong in fall,
> and especially if we have a long, open autumn, a mild
> winter, and an early spring.  However, in other more
> normal or extreme years, they may dwindle and/or die
> in sufficient numbers to break any beekeeper who
> tries this.
> FWIW, we've learned that survival rates and hive
> condition in January is meaningless.  We don't bother
> to check much then, since only the poorest hives
> succumb by then; we check in March
<etc.>