I was asked by someone to review this post and reply to the topic, so here goes.But I'll cover the answers so that the person requesting my input shall get a responce to all his/her questions here, in the context of the post.
1) I don't think a queen excluder has ANY BUSINESS in a hive in the Winter for two major reasons - it is a HEAT SINK which steals any warmth from the cluster and also radiated cold into the cluster. I think it is a bad idea to not remove excluders because of those two reasons in particular.
2) In these forums, if you choose to NOT like the answer you receive from ANY OTHER MEMBER, just ignore that member's reply and go about life - I value the membership and the forum, but I wouldn't let it ruin my day, surely your life is more important than beating a dead horse.
3) Sorry if I did not reply to your PM, it was overlooked by me and I'm sorry - I have a practice to reply to ALL MAIL or MESSAGES directed toward me and I'm sorry your mail slipped between my cracks - right now, I'm fighting off computer generated members with websites to porn and other graphic adult content, sorry if I put my available time to issues that reflect or effect the entire membership, but as Admin. I think it a priority to the members.
4) If you think you are wasting your time here, then (and please don't take this as offensive) but don't let the forum door hit you in the ass! Your experience here is a give and take, you ask questions and get answers - no one promises you a perfect answer to any question, and ALL OF LIFE has 10 different answers to the same questions, because we all do things differently and if you expect COOKIE-CUTTER ANSWERS to your questions: 1) you will get bored very fast 2) not learn anything through other's mistakes and 3 waste the time of people who enjoy a good argument over the use of equipment and chemical/natural treatments.
The forums are made to interact - your posting here had a bit "rough and tumble" feel to them, which often leads to confrontation or AT THE VERY LEAST you will get answers that are geared to further STIR the POT!
So, you wanted an answer, you got it. Take the excluders out on the first warm days you can (in my humble opinion) whether we are talking deeps or shallows really doesn't matter - it is like sticking your tongue on a cold lamp post on a freezing cold day, you are going to get stuck there because the lamp post is a heat sink JUST as the queen excluder is and it will cause discomfort to your bees while in place, limit their ability to manouver about and most of all - cause them to burn MORE fuel (honey) to keep the cluster warm.
If you disagree with me, that is fine too - but I'm not writing to egg you on, I'm writing to give an opinion in the best English I can. If my logic doesn't make sense to you, then we are definitely VERY DIFFERENT BEEKEEPERS and maybe you are right, the forum is a waste of your time.
With nearly 1000 members, and only about 100 active and 40 mega-active, you will see many of the same dedicated gang which has made this the number one listed forum in the world. I'd read between the words, get your prejudice views and toss them aside, and do all you can to learn from people with decades (if not generations) of experience.
I hope this answers your question and I hope you decide to stick around - but don't ask questions if you don't expect to get answers, and if answers that differ from what you hope to read are posted and you find them insulting - maybe you need to curl up with a good novel, watch some TV or play a game of chess on a gameboy: because if I have found out through 20,000 posts in these forums, people can argue on nearly any question, the trick is to learn how to AGREE to DISAGREE and I hope you choose to do that, it will probably save you from high blood pressure, strokes or heart attacks. The old CHILL PILL still comes in handy, just check your junk email box, people are selling them in many many shapes and sizes