Opened up my hive today to put jar feeders on. I wintered in two deeps with a mediun box I made into a quilt box. A cotton t-shirt stapled to the bottom with straw and pine shavings inside. The inner cover over that and the top.
When I pulled the inner cover water was literally pouring off! The quilt matetial was very dry!
Im a new beek, but I know they wouldn't have survived with that kind of condensation.
The only issue I can see, but it didnt effect their survival. Is early in the winter, on warmer days when I took a peak, they were
really congregating on top near the quilt. Maybe for the warmth?
Worried about them being up top, I kept dry sugar on the back half of the top frames but they never touched it.
On a side note. Those bees get pretty mean when you open them up in the spring.