Winterizing Top Bar Hive?

[SweetJoy7]

Hello! We have one top bar hive. This is our first year and we are wondering how we should winterize it. How do you arrange the combs and do you need to put a mouse guard over the entrance? It is a large hive that is 3/4 full with combs dripping with honey! Thank you so so so much!!!

 

[GodofPecking]

Insulating the hive will help the bees and to save honey, place polystyrene sheets cut from boxes, or coolroom panel, or even old quilts blankets with plastic over them and something over that (plastic doesn't like the sun and wind). The more heat kept in, the better they'll be able to reach the stores and the less they'll need. Small cold clusters often can't get to their supplies.

It's been a while since you posted, how have they faired?