On Thu, 13 Jul 1995, Michael Stoops wrote:
 
> Sealing the inner cover and outer cover keeps out ants (usually) but it
> also stops all air flow upward and out in the colony.  In the summer (in
> Indiana) I went so far as to place blocks between the inner and outer
> covers to increase the volume of air flow possible up through the hive
> and out the top.  Comments?   MIKE   Suagr Land, TEXAS   [log in to unmask]
 
In the Great White North, I think that ventillation is _very_ overrated
and a good way to reduce your crop.
 
As a producer of comb honey, I know that bees will not store near a vent
and that bees work best when a *little* on the warm and crowded side.
 
In the southern states and tropics, I am sure that opening the top and
staggering supers can be a good plan for an observant beekeeper who makes
frequent visits to the hives.  After all, it is probably brood nest
temperature and humidity (or above) outside on many nights.
 
Up here, it is usually much cooler and the bees have to work many nights
to keep the supers at wax drawing and honey storing temperatures.
 
If you are putting 6 or 8 standard boxes on a hive (as we do sometimes)
you want the top super to be around brood nest temoerature so that they
will store there.
 
Bees are very good ventillators and can cool the hive under most conditions.
 
They naturally seek cavities with entrances smaller than the 3/4 by 16
inch or so hole we give them.
 
If you are prepared to carefully monitor the extra openings, they might
be helpful on a few days of the year.  But most of the tiome they will
cost you money
 
IMHO anyhow.
 
Allen
 
W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper                        VE6CFK
Rural Route One   Swalwell   Alberta   Canada  T0M 1Y0
Email:   [log in to unmask]    or   [log in to unmask]
Futures, Art & Honey:http://www.cuug.ab.ca:8001/~dicka