So I guess they didn't make it through the polar vortex

I went out today and listened with my stethoscope - nothing

So then I looked inside the window - frozen bees

Since it looked futile, I went ahead and opened the top of the hive - and again, just ice inside the hive and dead bees.

I suppose there could be a tiny core of bees in the middle of the comb/honey that have survived but probably not enough mass to make it.

When it gets warm this spring, I will really look by pulling up the boxes, but I'm going to order my packages NOW!!

They're still alive

Today I went out with my stethoscope and listened over the escape hole and the buzzing was INTENSE!  Mark, Cassie, and Joe came out and listened as well. We are all very excited to know they're still alive. It's getting down to 5 below tonight!

A guard bee came out to check us out and walked along the outside of the hive and one bee went out for a cleansing flight.

Here's hoping all goes well until springtime!

Update December 17, 2013

I pulled the cork out of the little hole so they won't suffocate.
No idea what's going on inside but Joe put another bale of straw around the hive for insulation while I was in Boston last week.
Now I don't have to run down there every time it snows to unblock the entrance hole.

Still worried

the cork is in the little hole (~3/8" hole = bee space) and there is a screw in it so I can pull the cork out easily

 the board keeps snow from blocking the opening over the landing board, the opening has a mouse guard over it

So I looked through the window today and it just seems like there is a paucity of bees, but mark reassures me that they are probably all clustered away from the window. I hope so.
Here is the photo of the piece of wood I put over the landing board/mouse guard and a close up of the cork I put in the escape hole. Keep your fingers crossed!!!

An escape hole

Today is Tuesday November 19 and I was at the Beekeeping in Northern Climates course sponsored by the U of MN BeeLab this weekend - there I learned that I should have an "escape hole" for the bees or they could asphyxiate if my landing board gets covered by snow.

I originally had thought I would just check the entrance after every snowfall and keep it clear but now realize that it is safer to have the hole. They showed (Marla Spivak and Gary Reuter) what seemed like a large hole, since they plugged it with a big cork. I spoke with Bee Thinking and they said just a hole the size of "bee space" is adequate - that is 1 cm or 3/8".

So I went out to my hive, and carefully lifted the roof and quilt box to see where my top bars are, thus where the combs are, and centered the drill between the middle top bars/comb. I drilled a hole near the top of the top box just under the quilt box. I placed a board on a slant over the landing board to try to help the landing board stay free of snow so the bottom hole/entrance to the hive will not get obstructed.

Then I looked up at the hole I had drilled, and a guard bee was already coming out the hole to check out who intruded in her hive. I covered the hole with my finger and then put 3 tiny sticks in the hole to keep the bees in and avoid a draft for now. I figure I don't have to open it until it starts snowing. When I pulled out the drill, there appeared to be propolis/wax on the drill bit and a tiny bit of honey!

I redistributed the straw around the hive to block the northwest wind and then opened the window to look in. All of the bees were very active and working around on the comb. It's about 47 degrees out, so pretty nice for late November.

I sure hope they have enough honey to make it through the winter! It is too late to try to feed them anyway, so will just keep my fingers crossed at this point.

That's all for now, if anything else happens, I will let you know.

NO!!!! I was apparently wrong!

They didn't swarm, they didn't abscond...I sent the pictures to Matt at BeeThinking and he says I have a healthy hive preparing for winter.
I forgot that all the drones die so the population should have decreased.
All is well.....yay

Absconded a second time

My bees are nearly all gone again. I went to the hive yesterday to put the bottom board in, nothing flying about, opened a window and nearly empty of bees. I doubt they split and are developing a new queen, looks like she's absconded. The others will leave soon. In which case I will try to harvest the honey. Unless the reason they left is that they ran out of honey or were robbed by yellow jackets or other bees.

Not sure why. Maybe I should have fed them but it seems silly to have to "feed" wild insects with artificial sugar/syrup.....