winter inspection

[jessbee]

Hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. A few winter inspection questions:

Do I just pop the top and look in?
Should I break the propolis seal and move all the boxes to clean off the bottom board while I'm in there? Will that disturb the cluster too much?

Its been a very mild winter here and they have been out flying at least once or twice week so I am concerned about stores.

Thanks for your help!

[Finman]

. First I try with hand how heavy hives is.

If it is too light I open inner cover and look if there is to be see capped food.

I I do not see capped food I take some capped frames from hive which has clearly too much.

To break propolis seal means nothing but weighing hive with hand is best to start. In winter you can do nothing good if hive has food enough.

.

[albee]

If they have stores in them there is nothing to do. If they are light and strong they might take feed. If they are light and week order queens and make splits in the spring. I have tried to nurse week hives it is hard to do. A new queen in a split will take off and out produce a week hive.

[Ruben]

Hi Jess, I have been just checking to make sure they have honey left but today I went in and pulled a few frames to see what they looked like. Mine are really bringing in the pollen and storing it up. I have one hive that I had to start feeding and it is rearing brood so I put the top back on that one. It's up to 65 degrees on this side of the mountain today, you all are probably a little cooler. Most of my hives have planty of stores at this point. Good luck!