Brood in the obs hive in December!?

[twb]

About two weeks ago my four medium frame obs hive bees started getting louder and more active for some reason.  Now I see why.  They have fresh brood in the top frame.  I was shocked.  They hardly had enough honey to survive the winter and I have not seen queenie lay an egg since the beginning of October.  Strange, wouldn't you say?

[twb]

Will the quart jar of sugar syrup in the top feeder provide enough for them to survive even if the rest of the combs are nearly empty of honey stores?

[Michael Bush]

I try to keep syrup on the observation hives all winter, and I try to have a hole with #7 hardware cloth so I can give them some pollen from time to time.  Four weeks ago is early for brood rearing in an observation hive.  Usually I don't see any until after the turn of the year (winter solstice) and then it's usually a little patch which emerges and then a spell with no brood and then another little patch.

[HAB]

Mine has a small amount of Brood.  But if they don't pick up soon I'm gonna have to add some nurse Bees or there gonna die off completely.  Since they swarmed in June they just haven't ever fully recovered. :(
They have had pollen patties and syrup for a while now.  Taking both slowly.

[specialkayme]

I tried to add pollen through a #7 covered hole before Christmas, just so they would have it. The dumb little girls just dumped it outside. So I wet in yesterday and mixed up some pollen patties for them. Hopefully they will keep them.

[Kathyp]

mine has kept a small patch of brood.  it must be the warmth of the house.  they didn't have many stores.  they were a later swarm that i caught.  i have kept syrup on them, but they are not taking much.  no pollen.  there will be plenty for them in a couple of months and they were still bringing some in pretty late in the year.