Temps here are in the mid 20s to mid 30s at night, high 40s to mid 50s during the day. I currently have candy boards on both my hives with plenty of sugar left. Is there a specific time frame when liquid food is better for the bees than the hard sugar? I was thinking to switch it over soon, but in Ohio it can go from mild and sunny to cold, freezing and windy in one day (and stay cold for days). Last year was my first year and I installed my bees on May 1 and immediately started feeding 1:1 syrup with the reservoir type box feeders you set on top of the hive. We are barely to the halfway point of March right now, which leaves me unsure because the only experience I have to go by was last year when I didn't even get the bees until May. Thoughts? Thank you!
So take the brick or rock off the hive and Lift one end, for a double deep you should be able to lift it with 1 hand now, if it is a grunt to get it lifted they have plenty feed, if it is very light, maybe hold it with 3 fingers you are likely in need of feed. If they are really in need, warm the feed, put it in a top box wrap it in something insulative, old blanket, etc. every other day, take it out warm it put it back. You state candy boards with plenty left, if they were starving they would have a big hole ate thru and you would see only pieces left.
Do a lift test every time you work a hive then 100 lifts later you will know what is inside. Lift , then do your swarm cell check, lift then look to see if they need a super.
In a year or 2 you will be able to lift and be confident of what is inside. do it with the same number of boxes you winter with. If when you have one starve out, lift it, you can get a feel for what is ok and what is not . Just start

None of us out here have the data you have at your finger tips...
GG