Winter Cleaning and Observations

It's the end of December and I am trying to keep a close eye on my hives so as to not miss that they are starving or damp. Last year, I lost two hives to starvation- I just totally missed it- which led to my deciding to feed them white sugar through the end of that winter (though I still lost one), and to be sure they always had it on hand this winter. So far so good, all 14 hives seem to be doing well (I lost one queen in November so combined that hive).  Its a mild winter- but wetter than normal- and I think that's the real killer, which I take extra precautions to combat.

It might be the luck of the draw, but I am hopeful that some of my actions are helping, and I continue to refine how I am doing it. Here's what I think is working:

• I had massive mite infestations this year, and really followed through with Api-Life treatments in the Fall (and some in the Spring). Even now, in the dead of winter, I am seeing mites (see below), which makes me wonder how much brood is being produced now.
• I followed through the full dose of  Fumigal as best I could for all the hives. I can't say I have ever had a Nosema issue, but I do it anyway (though a pain to get all that syrup into each hive).
• I keep my mite boards in place (no open bottom), and I try to keep them clean- even if they are below the screen. I don't know if clean "matters"- but I am trying for hygenics- and watchful of black mold and damp as indicators that its not healthy inside. I would think that dampness is a stressor, at least, and my goal is to ensure a dry interior- which is tough in the PNW as damp creeps in everywhere.
• I have built new vented tops with feeder boards, that seem to work really well, and allow me easy access to observe the hives without too much intrusion or cold. They tend to cluster on top, and hand on the fabric, and this is where I feed them. The cedar shavings really breath well, and I can see the moisture collected in them,
• I am making sugar muffins which I pop in periodically in the center of the cluster. These disappear pretty quick in most hives. They are candy, boiled at 140 degrees with a little vinegar- so apparently, not sucrose but broken down to simpler sugars- which maybe is helpful. And,  I use Pure Cane. I can make them pretty quick now.
• I reduce the entrance to an inch wide, and have a roof over each hive to keep rain from getting in (I am trying to find a way not to roof them, as they tend to blow off and I am tired of moving CMU blocks each time I want access). 

That's the meat of it. 

Still- I am surprised how it is that each hive, even in Winter, has its own special behavior. Its not at all like each one is the same. One hive I can hardly keep fed, and when I open it, they pour out and attack. Other hives, the bees are all below. Another hive is constantly littered with hundreds of dead bees, but still seems strong, and others are still pulling out brood on cold days- and, surprising, drones. They are all different.

Yesterday- I saw in one hive a ton of dead mites still- completey different then other hives- here's a close up of the bottom board, with  a mite on a dead bee....

And other parts of the board- this is weird- like Summer, there must be brood inside...

And here is a series of shots of the bottom boards of the eight hives on my roofs (which I then cleaned). They all show different activity levels. The entrance is on the left in each hive. The brown is mostly cappings, the black is mold. The dead bees are my fault- bees sometimes find a way in and die there if I don't close these tight. The boards,as a rule, are fairly wet- I don't know if that's condensation, or dripping from above, or just water seeping in. However, having a screen bottom makes it more tolerable I think- as the bees avoid the damp.