Lloyd Spear wrote:
 Dan suggests that since bees want to propolize 1/8" wire mesh above the
hive that they don't like upper ventilation.
Hello all,
I think most all beekeepers agree some amount of ventilation is needed.
The problem seems to be the location and size of said ventilation
opening.
In my opinion i believe you could safely say and put in the beekeeping
books (never saw before).  That bees are quicker to use propolis than to
remove propolis.  As a experiment i have left the entrance on a strong
colony open pointed north thru winter.  I believed they would close the
entrance to the size of a small hole used by bees in trees.  What i
found was the size of the opening was related to the size of the colony.
I repeated the experiment several times with different size colonys and
got the same result about the opening being related to the size of the
colony.
I have found bees are slow to remove propolis once in place.  Bee are
quick to propolize a top screen but slow to open up the screen when air
flow is needed.  I still believe the most common ventilation used by
bees in summer is air in one side of the entrance and out the other side
of the entrance by fanning.  I think man would like for his bees to
ventilate like a attic fan but my observation has been the opposite.
I allways find a propolized mouse interesting.  How well preserved are
they by being encased in propolis.  Are the bees worried about disease,
smell or just keeping the place tidy?  The mouse having been cought
inside after the entrance was reduced had to be encased using precious
time maybe best used in other hive duties in cold weather. Could as many
have speculated propolis was used in Egypt to embalm their dead?
Sincerely,
Bob Harrison