Robert Brenchley wrote:

>Different weather, I agree; I don't know a lot  about the US climate. They
>can easily go several weeks without flight over here,  often due not so much to
>cold as to wet.How long are they likelyt to go over  there?
>
>
>
Freezing weather from late December through February. Our average day
temperatures are slightly above freezing in December and below freezing
in January and February. Night time averages are below freezing from
October through April. The large creek (in Maine a creek, like ours, can
be 500 feet and more across) by our home freezes in December and does
not clear of ice until April. We can have heavy snow in April and May.
So our winter for the bees goes from October through March-April.
Limited flying up to December, once or twice to March and more frequent
after that.

I did a check once, and Stockholm has a milder winter than Maine.

We hope for a January thaw, but have not seen them recently. Usually
February.

One year, December never got above freezing even during the day. Mostly
in the low 20sF at the warmest. Mostly in the teens.

Winters vary here in the US and Canada. It can be much colder in
Alberta, Canada with a lot more snow, but they also get much warmer
summers and have large swings in temperature. They will get warm weather
while we stay cold. The they will get colder but we stay  fairly
constant. The ocean tempers our temperature swings.

Then when you get to the far northwest US, it is mild. Even Alaska can
be mild comparatively speaking and depending on where in Alaska you are.

Bill Truesdell (Passed by BOUNQ)
Bath, Mane (Where there are 2 seasons, winter and the 4th of July)

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