So did a check yesterday, and two of my 5 remaining hives are dead outs. In the one there are full frames of honey left plus the candy board I put on. My concern is that I think the candy boards were collecting moisture and dripping sticky fluid on the bees from the look of things. I had the hives tipped forward with a shim. Today on my remaining hives I added a popsicle stick on the top edge to vent a little.
Question - has anyone ever added a deep of honey and drawn comb above a cluster in Winter? I would like to pull the candy boards (It was the first time I made them, maybe my recipe was off.) but don't want to leave the bees with naught.
Can't touch the hives for at least three days though - forecast here is below zero every night and only up to about 10 during the day until at least the weekend.
Just about the time I think I might be beginning to figure beekeeping out, something rears up and bites me.
JC