[Kleftiwallah]

Hello everyone,
 I went to inspect our bees (bar top hive) and there was no movement what so ever, with these super cold conditions, could our bees be dead!?

Cheers,  Tony.

[New shoot]

I asked OH who had done a bee keeping course in the past and he says they close ranks, clump in a group and use their honey reserves to keep themselves warm enough to move slowly around the ball of bees and survive even extreme low temperatures.  Think king penguin huddle on the ice and that is what the bees are doing.

If you have left them plenty of food for the winter they should be fine. As they have no use for drones bees and larvae, they chuck them out to freeze, rather than feed them.  If you see dead bees, it may well be them rather than your workers.

[Kleftiwallah]

Many thanks for that reply, I think I may have to carry out a gentle shufti to satisfy myself.  I'll let you know.   Cheers,  Tony.