if there is a similar thread move this post to it, otherwise how about some mid-late feb reports.
sunny and 55 today. the girls in the west hive are out in force, i watched them do some spring cleaning for probably 30 min. Did a quick check of the top honey super, they were up getting food, id estimate 50lbs left of a super that was full 70lbs going into winter. did not check either the med super below it or the deep on the bottom for frames of honey although i know going into winter both supers had at least 4 frames of honey.
Finally did a full exam of the east hive that i determined had likely starved early in winter. No bees found in bottom deep super, everything was clean except for a few cells of pollen. main cluster was in the med super above it in a 5" diam cluster, spanning 4ish frames (so about 5" ball). typical starve to death signs, bee butts up in every cell within the cluster. The med honey super that was on top is completely empty like the bottom deep. (it weighted in at 70lbs of capped honey durring summer but by late fall had eaten at least half of it) NOTE this was likely due to a late swarm in aug.
Least they used up all there supplies before they starved unlike last year when my hive starved out with a good 4-5 med frames of capped honey sitting on top of the cluster.
The east hive has been cleaned out and is awaiting a new swarm, if i dont catch one ill make a split off the west hive and order a new queen.
I dont plan on feeding.