John wrote:

>    Here in the Northeast US, first we had the unseasonably warm balmy winter
>weather. Now the weather has turned quickly to a bad cold snap (described in
>the media as "brutal," "viscious," "unrelenting:" there must be something to
>all that hyperbole).
and
>    We may will hear a fair number of starvation stories in the spring.

Yes indeed!  Though 11 colonies here are behaving ideally and still have
plenty of honey, five others used too much honey during the balmy weather
and now must eat candy or syrup.  One colony completely consumed 120# of
honey.  Feeding has been easy, as the bees quickly become accustomed to
having the top opened on a relatively warm day to have a candy cake slipped
in.  Most no longer bother to hiss, though there are plenty of bees to hiss.
Apparently anti-starvation measures work, as yesterday was warm enough for
the undertakers to fly, but surprisingly few dead were ejected.  I wonder if
better mite control has added population that wasn't present last winter to
eat honey, as the colonies look very large, even in cluster.

So those having shared our balmy fall and early winter could do worse than
to check for starvation, which would certainly happen here without feeding.
Remember George Imirie's winter question "Are your bees alive?"

Bill Morong