Well, Finski, now you know why so may American beekeepers always fall back on the line..."All beekeeping is local"...
I have studied geography in university. I have red that you have quick weather changes because you do not have mountains or barricades against air movements in South - north direction. I know too about your sea streams.
What you have is short winter compared to Alaska and to Finland.
But the most bad thing is (I suppose) hard winds and hurricanes. We have not much storm here.
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I live quite near seacost and it makes the weather mild as long as sea has no ice cover.
However, if we do not use here insulated boxes, bees cannot survive because they use too much food.
Our winter is harsh and it does not forgive anything.It is better to learn at once or you do not have hives in spring
It is funny to read how Californian beeks give advices to Canadian beeks that they need not insulation.
The most stupid idea what I have read in forums is that "cold does not kill but moisture kills".
We have a song " a spirit droplet does not kill and you cannot sink into bucket" but however alcohol kills men in work age than in another country in western Europe.
And now alcohol is killing more and more women.
Irwin Goodman - Ei tippa tapa