Vladimer and List Members:
 
Last winter we took a bunch of mini-colonies (about 1 - 2 #s of bees) on
five   half frames (a standard Dadant deep cut in half).  Actually, we
took a standard Dadant hive body and divided it into 4 units, each with
an entrance facing out from one of the four faces of the box.  Most of
these units started as 2 stories (10  half frames).  We put come 2"
styrofoam around them.  They survived brief drops to -25 degree F.  Tried
some indoors in a cool room, the ones outside did as well or better.
 
We need the units for conducting year round testing.  Pulling bees from
full size colonies sitting in snow banks in Montana in the winter is no
fun and more or less impractical.
 
Vladimer talks about a "special" hive.  How is it special?  Insulated,
heated, etc.?  Please provide more specifics, it is threatening to snow
in Montana and we could use any ideas that would improve on what we did
last year.  Success last year not bad, but we could do better.
 
Thanks
 
Jerry Bromenshenk
The University of Montana
Missoula, MT  59812-1002
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