>> Bees control the ambient hive temps in the summer and I expect that once the cluster begins to move and population growth begins they once more begin to control the ambient temperature and humidity respectively.

>They don't attempt to heat the hive, they heat the cluster... They don't heat their houses, they just bundle up.

How do we know what they attempt in this regard or not?  I suspect we could design an experiment to decide this, by comparing behaviour in cavities of differing habitability, but the point is somewhat moot IMO.

This is starting to look like splitting hairs and trying to oversimplify a complex topic with what looks suspiciously like a slogan.

Forgetting about the wintering state, with almost no brood: almost all beekeepers know that bees build up differently in differently shaped, ventilated and insulated cavities, especially in cool weather, and try to manage the space and ventilation to maximize build-up, and -- we are now told -- health.

That is why we have nuc boxes of varying size, from tiny to 6-frame; of differing construction materials, from cardboard to EPS; and with entrance and vent holes from single-bee holes to screens; and larger boxes for honey production.

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