> One person says insulate heavily to avoid changes in temperature, > while another says expose them to sun to encourage changes in > temperature. Go figure! Actually, this is not as contradictory as one might think, at least here in Alberta. The insulation is to mitigate sudden temperature changes and reduce heat radiation. The sun is to provide warmth to assist the bees in moving around to exploit their reserves and even fly -- when the conditions are right. I have seen a temperature drop of over 80 Fahrenheit degrees in just one hour here. Moreover, when the sun goes behind a cloud or sets, the temperature on exposed surfaces changes drastically. One successful beekeeper packed his hives in pairs facing south. All sides except the south side were insulated well, and wrapped in black plastic. The south sides had no insulation, only the black plastic. I don't know if he still packs that way, but it worked very well. *********************************************** The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html