Hive Check : crushed hard candy and green pollen

I have not actually checked the entire hive.  I really, really dislike disrupting my bees - especially in the winter. 

But, I have been monitoring them throughout this mild winter.  Although they have remained in the top super they have seemed to do fairly well, and their numbers are higher than I thought they would be.

I have fed 2:1 sugar on every warm day and last week my husband wanted to try crushing some hard candy and putting it on the top of the top super.  He'll be staying home from work tomorrow so I'll have him lift the inner cover to check on them.

Something we have been very pleased to see this winter are bees with full pollen baskets flying into the hive.  I had no idea that there would be any pollen available in the winter.  Another interesting observation, the pollen has had a green hue to it.

I'm getting bait hives ready for this spring.  I'm not going to miss capturing swarms this year.  And I don't think I want to repeat of this.

With temperatures supposedly going to be in the 60's this coming week I'm guessing the bees will be busy.  I can't wait for this season, maybe we'll actually be able to harvest some honey.

Doomed

The winter cluster has been in the top of three boxes.  At the tippy top.  This causes me a great deal of concern and I'm afraid I'm going to lose this hive. 

Whenever the temps are warm enough to warrant flight, and/or activity, I've been feeding 2:1 syrup.  I believe that sometime in the upcoming week the temps are supposed to be in the mid 50's  again so most likely I'll prepare some more.  But just enough that they can take it in one day.

I really don't want to give up on beekeeping and I am crossing my fingers not only that this hive survives but that I get an easy year.  One can only hope.