Lost hives

[greenbtree]

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

[Finski]

Question - has anyone ever added a deep of honey and drawn comb above a cluster in Winter? 

Yes, capped honey,

[bee-nuts]

I added a deep of honey to a colony I figured would starve if I did not give it more honey.  I added honey to it on the 30th of December.  I went back and checked on it January 28th and it was already up top of the new deep already.  The colony was the meanest one I had last summer.  I actually wondered to myself if it had a touch of african.  I figured it it was it would die out.  It is still alive but I am sure it could use another deep already.  It will be interesting to see how full of bees it will be come March when I can open it up for a quick inspection.

Bees up December 30th
http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu144/mofrapy/201012292324371-1.jpg?t=1297165119

Adding deep of honey
http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu144/mofrapy/201012292324373.jpg?t=1297165119

Back a month later to check on yard.  Its the tallest wrapped hive.  Unwrapped one is stacked up deadouts.
http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu144/mofrapy/201101280319241.jpg?t=1297165327

Opened up January 28th and bes up already again.
http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu144/mofrapy/201101280319242.jpg?t=1297165362

[greenbtree]

Thanks guys!

JC

[Acebird]

How do the bees get any air?  It looks like you syran wraped the hives.