> I read on the Queensland industry department web site > (http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/bees/4894.html) that white is the coolest color > in summer and the warmest in winter. I understand it is the coolest but how > can it be the warmest ? > > Hervé > I remember this vaguely from physics lessons at school. A black body both absorbs and radiates heat with the maximum efficiency; white will both tend to reflect it, thus staying cool in the summer, and radiate it poorly, thus retaining heat longer in winter. Whether this makes much difference to a beehive I can't say, as I live in a decidedly temperate climate where neither problem is likely to arise. Regards, Robert Brenchley [log in to unmask] Birmingham UK