-=> Quoting Int:[log in to unmask] to Watchman <=- In> On Mon, 23 Dec 1996, Mark D. Egloff wrote: > Gentlepeople: > > As I was looking at all the miscellaneous holes and other areas > which provide both emergency exits and ventilation, I > remembered reading, I believe in one of Brother Adams books, an > admonition about having "draughts". I began to wonder if there <<<<< portions clipped for brevity >>>>> > In several of my hives I have modified the innercovers to allow > more ventilation which seems to help keep them dry, but when is > "to much of a good thing"? > In> Hi David, I'm glad your back. Don't worry about the sharks, they In> have no teeth.They wont be doing the judging anyway. <<<<< Description of Roy's insulated cover clipped >>>>> In> I have another model with a condensing chamber , that will run the In> water out and keep the heat in. Remmember that the water will condense In> in the coolest part of the cover. The mfr. of this unit is not easy In> enough so far. Hi Roy, I just had a brief brainstorm that you might want to try. Build a deeper top cover that slopes up towards the rear. It would also be a couple of inches longer than normal so it hangs off the back of the hive a few inches. This of course would leave a big gap at the back of the hive. Here you would nail up another board to close the gap to the desired thickness. Here also is the biggest difference. Through a slice in the top place a sheet of aluminum angled towards the rear so that its bottom edge is in the newly created overhang in the rear. The slice would be about 1/3 of the way from the rear of the hive. You would also leave about 6" of this sheet sticking out of the top and then seal it against the weather. The way it would work is that your insulation idea would keep the hive warm. The sheet would be radiating heat away and would therfore be the coldest thing inside the hive. Any moisture would condense on the sheet and then run to the bottom edge which is 'outside' of the hive proper. Here when it drips off it would only temporarily collect on the draft blocking board and then drip outside to the ground. A passive dehumidifier. I'm not sure but this may even work in the summer due to the differences in cooling rates although you would probably remove the insulation and open up the blocking board a bit more. (It would be working summer nights that is when there is no solar heating of the metal...) Comments? Have I overlooked anything? I only have one hive butI may try this as soon as I get time to build it. Carl Powell [log in to unmask] Tidewater area of Va.,US In> We have new snow on the ground this morning and about 30 F.We may get In> a little winter after all. I do think that it is about our turn for a In> winter.Here in Washington State ( western part ) we do not get In> extreemly cold. We do get wet. So moisture is our real problem. In> Have a Happy New Year In> Roy ... "Give the finger, a gesture usually..." "That's enough Data." ___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.20