I have always used a top vent in the winter.  I don’t remember who advised me but the consensus at our local beekeepers group was to stack several newspapers(New York Times size) on top of the inner cover with the two ports ((bee escape & feeder hole) open.  They warn that you may have to change the papers for dry more than once per winter.  My question to them back then was “why do you want to keep the water?” Others used wood shavings for the same purpose. In my previous post on this subject I omitted mentioning the water running down the inside of the corrugated plastic(signboard) sleeves that I pack my hives with.  You & I discussed these sleeves several years ago.

Bob Darrell
Caledon Ontario
Canada 1000'

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