The bees seem to be doing well. It has been a fairly mild winter so far. This means that they’re able to drink the sugar water I’ve been feeding them. That’s what they’re doing in this photo here.
Although I haven’t looked at the frames below, theoretically, the queen bee could be laying eggs already. This will mean that the bees need to cluster around the developing brood to keep them warm when it gets cold. This adds to the risk that they may not be able to make their way up to the sugar water at the top of the frames.
If/when it gets very cold, I will remove the sugar water and give them solid food. I’ll close up the hive further to maximize the insulation.