Has anyone made or know of a study of bee escapes? I have been playing with the type known in Canada as the 'Quebec' Bee escape. It consists of an inner cover with a one and a half inch hole drilled in the centre. One one side is triangle formed by three 1/4 inch by 1/4 inch sticks. The corners of the triangle are open about 1/4 inch, and a triangular piece of 6X6 mesh hardware cloth is stapled over the sticks. When it is placed (triangle side down) on a super or brood chamber and supers with bees are stacked on top, the bees tend to migrate down through its three small holes and leave the supers free of bees. My questions: 1. What are the reasons that the bees go down? 2. Why are there always (apparently) young bees dead on the screen? 3. What is the optimal configuaration? I have made them with four corners (square). They seem to work well. 4. What is the optimal width for the corner openings? 5. What is the optimal size for the centre hole? I'm a commercial beekeeper and haven't the time for detailed study, but am quite curious. I assume that both Quebec and cone escapes make use of geometry and the sensory idiosyncracies of bees, but, I suspect each relies on a different principal. I propose that a cone escape uses visual deception and secondarily an opening that is much more obvious - given a bee's sense of feel - from the inside than from the outside, however the Quebec escape is used in complete darkness and must rely on feel alone. It is easier to find the single door to exit, say, a small public washroom in the dark , than to find the entry door when in a large hallway, possibly with many doors. I would appreciate any references or discussion that might enable me to make the best possible board. We do not like repellants, and the abandonment method on which we rely is very awkward when foul weather intervenes, resulting in robbing. Also weekends are a problem - honey pulled on a Friday might have to be picked up Saturday.