James Kilty wrote:
> Cut a cross in the bag, fold open, add a quarter cup of water, wait till
> it is absorbed, then turn it over and place over the hole above the
> cluster. Bees will climb up and have some insulation.

This is fine if the cluster is under the feed hole, but a colony that is
desperately short of stores (which begs the question: Why did you let it get
into that condition?) may well have eaten its way to one end of the box; if
there is some brood then they will not move from it if the weather is cold -
so they may not be able to use the sugar supplied.

I prefer to use bakers fondant placed directly over the cluster on an
excluder.  Use an eke or empty super around it.  See:
http://www.stratford-upon-avon.freeserve.co.uk/PENotes/Fondant.htm

Peter Edwards
[log in to unmask]
www.stratford-upon-avon.freeserve.co.uk/

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