posted 11 years ago
Jerry,
I agree with Tel, don't open it. One thing you can do to find out how much stores they have is gently lift the hive slightly. Grabbing from the back or side of the bottom board, lift to get a feel for the weight. Don't keep trying to lift if the hive feels heavy, the object here isn't to hurt yourself. If it is too heavy to lift or requires a great deal of effort they have winter stores, put in your mouse guard and wait for spring.