When is it too cold to open a hive? 5 *F w/Wind Chill today

[Honey In The Meadow]

I live in Atlantic Canada and just wondering is ever too cold to take a look inside? Winter lasts forever here!

[Seymore]

Yes.

[Andrew Dewey]

60F is my limit for manipulations.

Below that I will pop the top and look, add solid feed if necessary, and get the cover back on as soon as I can.

[Rader Sidetrack]

Many beeks would say that 5 degress F is certainly too cold to open a hive just to take a look. If its been knocked over, and you need to try to fix things, well, do what you gotta do.

[Seymore]

To just "open" a hive - you can do that in cold temps if you are doing something like an emergency feed. If you mean a full-on inspection... must be much warmer. Brood nests are kept at about 90-95 degrees. In spring, when building up, you could end up with chalkbrood when hives are opened and the larvae get chilled. So I guess you really need to perhaps give a better descriptor of "when" you are wanting to open the hive? A quick peek can be done when temps are much colder; for an inspection, wait for 50+ degree days, at the very least.

[Seymore]

http://www.honeybeesuite.com/opening...ive-in-winter/

Above link is to an artcle on just this. Good info in it.

[Honey In The Meadow]

Thank you all for your very good info. The link Seymore is great! I really don't need to look in...... just curious I guess. I fed them well with 2:1 sugar water in late fall and put a candy board on each before wrapping them up in the cozie and ventilation hole in the top. My first winter and getting a little ancious I guess.

[Seymore]

Curiosity - sometimes it seems unbearable, eh? Been there!