Here's my 2 cents about why not to do it.
By raising the temperature in the hive you are increasing the metabolic
rate of the bees.
The bees maybe coping with low temps by going into a state of torpor, it
seems likely this helps to prolong their
lifespan so they can survive the winter. It also reduces the amount of
energy they need to consume and therefore
defecate. They cannot defecate outside the hive in the winter on most days
safely.

Ian Steppler keeps his bees at a constant 40F which seems to keep them
subdued enough that they survive from Nov to Mar.
His boxes appear to be well populated in the spring so he has a huge
advantage.  Perhaps that is because his bees literally "chill"
in the winter and prepare for the spring.

Joanne Vaughn


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