> We come back to the question, and what do I plan to do . . .

> As far as them eating up too much food supplies from this - Animals, =
> including bees, eat in the winter for existence and for warmth - I don't =
> see how keeping the hives warmer would deplete food stores.

Bees are more efficient at wintering if they stay clustered most of the time.
Bees that are too warm get too active and wear themselves out, plus eat all the
food and starve.  There is a happy medium somewhere in the middle between
huddling miserably together all the time and running around all winter.
Periodic warming to allow for a little movement is good if the temperatures go
much below ideal for long times (we get to minus forty for a week or more at a
time), but the ideal that is sought in *indoor* wintering as practiced in large
wintering buildings is a constant temperature somewhere around 30 to 40 degreees
F, as I recall.

I really hope you have mined the BEE-L logs on this topic, because it has been
covered EXHAUSTIVELY, and it makes no sense to reinvent the wheel.

> "Cleansing =
> flights" is a very good point, however I feel that given the large =
> outdoor openings in this building (it is after all a shack) cleansing =
> flights shouldn't be a problem.

You could lose them all if they are unable to easily find their way in and out.
Most indoor wintering is done in sheds that are *entirely* dark.  Even a crack
of light can cause bees to crawl to it and be lost.  Alternatives are either
sheds that are wide open on the south side,  or else completely dark sheds with
the hives crowded to one (or more) wall -- preferably south -- which has a
flight tunnel through it connecting with each hive entrance.

> I also checked with a very respected beekeeper in my area, about 40 =
> years my senior, he also plans to shack his hives this winter for the =
> first time.

Then he is a rank beginner at this too.

allen

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