Cedar Pillow?

I've been worrying about the bees ever since I checked on them last over a month ago. Are they ok? Are they cold? Are they staying dry? It's going to be a long winter! I've been researching hive winterization and it seems like a very controversial topic. Every beekeeper has an opinion and no one seems to agree with anyone else. I did decide to try adding insulation and moisture absorption on the top of the hive: I stapled window screen on the bottom of an empty super and then filled it with cedar shavings. The theory is that this allows moisture to rise up and escape from the hive as it's absorbed by the shavings. The cedar may also repel mites (wishful thinking?). It seemed like a fairly simple and easy technique to try so we'll see how it goes.