> ...one of my pet hates, that is the ventilated cover or hive lid commonly 
> used in Australia. It is in fact the standard "migratory" lid used here 
> and is an abomination in my view.

Saskatchewan beekeepers were using a chunk of 3/4" plywood cut to the size 
of a super with no overhang on any side.  Apparently they are adequate 
summer lids.  I tried that once.  It worked, and the lids were especially 
easy to handle during harvest, but I was not satisfied.

In my experience, any lid that does not overhang and have a drip edge will 
wick water into the hives through the cracks around the edge when it rains. 
That applies to the American migratory lids, too.  In warm country, or heat 
of summer, no one notices and it does not matter, but in the north, water 
and wind entering a hive -- especially hives with small populations in 
springtime -- can lead to serious stress and setbacks or loss.

After trying everything else, I now exclusively use telescoping lids with a 
3" minimum edge piece and an additional 1" rim around the inside edge (up 
against the top plywood piece) both winter and summer.  Under each lid is a 
1" thick pillow of 6 mil black plastic filled with polyester fibre (Kodel) 
made slightly larger than the top area of the hive.  In winter, I sometimes 
add more pillows, but it does not seem to matter.

The rim presses just the edges of the pillow down eliminating any cracks. 
The centre area is free to loft up as much as an inch, allowing for bee 
movement, patties, etc.  (Doing it again, I would make the pillows  2 or 3" 
larger and size the telescoping lids so that they fold down the edges of the 
pillows an inch on each side, providing an even better seal, and a friction 
fit that should hold the lids on without bricks).

I usually have patties and remains of unscraped ladder comb on top of the 
bars to allow bee passage over the frames under the soft pillows, but when I 
don't it does not seem to matter.  I used to place sticks across for bee 
communication, but don't bother any more.

My upper entrances are 1" auger holes 3" up form the bottom of every brood 
box.  Details and pictures of my system are scattered over my website. 

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