> ‘January 20, 1857:  This month, the coldest on record
> for more than 50 years, had furnished the most
> decisive proof of the correctness of the views
> advancsed in this Appendix on wintering bees in the
> open air.  My colonies have been exposed to a
> temperature of 30 degrees below zero, the mercury for
> two days never having risen above 6 degrees below,
> and the wind blowing a strong gale the whole time!

As we have learned repeatedly on this list, what is true in one geographical
area, may be seriously false in another region.

We sometimes have very long winters up here in Alberta.  In my experience around
here, bees will look good and survive until late February when wintered without
wraps and with excessive air flow -- as described.

Some years they may survive into spring in decent numbers, especially if they
were very strong in fall, and especially if we have a long, open autumn, a mild
winter, and an early spring.  However, in other more normal or extreme years,
they may dwindle and/or die in sufficient numbers to break any beekeeper who
tries this.

FWIW, we've learned that survival rates and hive condition in January is
meaningless.  We don't bother to check much then, since only the poorest hives
succumb by then; we check in March.  Moreover, in our experience, hives wintered
without sufficient protection usually cannot be split in the spring; they may
look okay, but be just enough weaker than a well-wintered colony that they do
not give increase.  This loss of opportunity is very costly, since numbers must
be made up somehow.

I'm curious.  What does his record say in March, April, and May about those same
bees, or does he have much less to say then?

allen