> >Below what temperature would you be reluctant to open a hive for fear of
> chilling and killing capped brood?
>
There is no set point temperature to your question, since it is dependent
upon how long you have the hive open. Best always to wait until the cluster
has broken, which occurs at around 55F, as disturbing a tight cluster is
stressful to the colony.
An experienced beekeeper can do a hive inspection in seconds. The hive
quickly recovers (Jerry Bromenshenk has documented this).
However, if you are going to dwadle, then wait for a warm day.
Randy Oliver
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