>> I think most UK beekeepers would find the idea of a top entrance  
>> really
>> strange - even alarming - and your bees seem to agree.  Why do you  
>> use top
>> entrances (as heat rises) and do they replace the bottom entrances?

Hi Peter Bill and all

Here in Southern Ontario Canada, roughly the same latitude as Bill  
but several hundred miles west, upper entrances are standard  
procedure for many beeks in winter.  As Peter says; "heat rises".   
With upper entrances that warm moisture laden air can be vented out  
of the hive.  Without the upper entrance the moisture will condense  
on the inner cover and drip/run down onto the cluster.  Most of us  
put insulation  on the top of the inner cover.  Some use moisture  
absorbing material such as straw, sawdust or layers of newspaper.   
Many of us use non absorbing insulation such as styrofoam because the  
absorbent material needs to be changed several times in the winter as  
it gets wet with the hive moisture.

Bob Darrell
Caledon Ontario
Canada
44N80W

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