Todd wrote:

> This probably explains why both hives also showed classic starvation
> symptoms, but were right next to unopened honey.  I'm assuming that the bees
> can't process the crystallized honey without water, which would be in short
> supply in January in Vermont.

Could be that but could also be weak colony, brooding up early and
unable to get to stores because of cold, even tracheal mites. As noted
in other posts, it is not always the honey. When I overwintered on fall
honey I lost about 25%-50% of my colonies, but that means 50-75%
survived on the same stores. There are a lot of factors that lead to
winter kills.

As far as winter feed, the best to worse are sucrose (cane sugar
dissolved in warm, not boiling, water), HFCS and honey.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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