“honey left for the bees to overwinter on”

I think another question you might put on is asking how much honey the beekeeper left for the bees to overwinter on.

RESPONSE: I do not believe most beekeepers KNOW how much honey they are leaving on their colonies. Only a few beekeepers weigh hives – most estimate the amount (from hive hefting – and I have used hive hefting as a field day activity and you would not believe how much variation occurs in the answers (like guessing how many candies are in a jar). And if we wanted to add it to our survey what date would be appropriate for this determination? I appreciate the suggestion but I do not believe we would get meaningful responses that would then help us understand overwintering losses.

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