> (I am curious however, about how one ever experiences a relative humidity 
> above 100%  : )

We call it "rain".

> Can you expound upon the "excess space" problem?

Bees do best in spring when on the point of being crowded.  In that 
situation, they are able to control the temperature and humidity of the 
entire space.  That is why we keep nucs in small boxes when it would be much 
easier to just keep them in standards.

Of course the problem for the beekeeper in trying to maintain that state is 
that one day with a big hatch and they are gone...

> In my wet, cool California winters, the insides of the hives can be 
> dripping.

I see that, too and it does not seem to matter as long as the dripping is 
excessive and the dripping is not on the bees.  I sometimes get moldy frame 
ends in hives that winter beautifully. 

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