New beekeepers tend to worry about cold because of the effect it has on human bodies, but on the whole bees are better able to handle cold than wet. Depending on humidity, dampness probably kills out more colonies than cold, and therefore ventilation is of most importance. Since water vapour is lighter than air and therefore will rise (all other things being equal -i.e. no other strong air currents present), top ventilation is therefore important. Many beekeepers in the West of Scotland (the wet side) put matchsticks under the 4 corners of the top cover boards in winter to provide this top ventilation and to prevent the water vapour recondensing on the inside of the cover board. However Lloyd's advice of asking your beekeeping neighbours is sound. Alan Riach Edinburgh :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::