He also observed that colonies with brood could starve in the spring with honey nearby during unseasonably cold weather, since the bees will not abandon brood to move to honey stores. John left his winter wraps in place until mid April to reduce the risk of losses due to spring cold fronts. Colonies headed by young queens enter winter with a good population, and they are not as likely to supersede their queen or swarm the following spring. Fall is a great time to requeen if you have the time and patience. You can also raise exceptionally good queens in the fall.
Drones are abundant for mating in the fall, and weather conditions are optimal for mating.
Some stocks of bees have been selected for brood and bee production and are not well-adapted for wintering in cold climates. They are great for package bee producers and pollinators, but they are not easy to winter. They require much feeding, and they may starve if the have brood present during severe cold periods. Broodless bees move freely to honey stores, but bees with brood will not abandon their young. Keeping a Journal I hope you find my notes from a cold winter night in 1977 useful today.