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This blog explains how I keep bees. It works for me, it might not work for you. Use my methods at your own risk. Always wear protective clothing and use a smoker when working bees.

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Saturday, December 6, 2014

The Science of an Overwintering Colony

What is happening in a winter cluster of bees? Beekeepers winter colonies and most of us don't realize the biology of the bees that we are trying to get through the winter. These two links I think explain the what is happening in the cluster and what temperatures are really in the hive. Most beekeepers think if we open a colony in the winter the bees will perish in short order. The graphic clearly shows that the hive temperatures about 9 inches from the cluster, drop to near outside temperatures. The temperatures are in centigrade and there is a Fahrenheit conversion in the charts graphic.
http://westmtnapiary.com/winter_cluster.html  This site has a good explanation of honeybees. Check out the other articles on this website.

http://capabees.org/content/uploads/2013/02/winteringpdf.pdf