> The effects were investigated of wintering bees in migratory hives (2 types) with top insulation, with and without top ventilation. The study lasted three successive years, with a total of 112 colony winterings. The top ventilation made no significant difference to winter loss of bees, food consumption, colony size in spring, or honey yield next season. The ventilated hives showed a substantial reduction (P<0.001) in the occurrence of damp and mould in the hives, as assessed on a four-point scale.

> The data suggest that honeybees can be wintered successfully in mid-Sweden in the top-ventilated hives described. The top ventilation described was directly beneficial in reducing damp and mould in the hives.

> Alber (1955) deduced from field observations that top ventilation is 'repugnant' to honeybees, and Mikhailov and Taranov (1966) concluded, from a few data on both outdoor and cellar wintering, that poorly ventilated hives reduce food consumption and give better spring development, because of the high carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere in them. Eskov (1977) found that high levels of carbon dioxide were negatively correlated with both food consumption and spring development of colonies. 

> Normal winter loss of bees, less brood than normal, and very mouldy combs, were the outcome when Bottcher (1950) wintered colonies in hives with the flight entrance closed to minimize ventilation. Chiglintsev (1963), using a top entrance in combination with the bottom flight entrance for maximum ventilation, found that minimum ventilation gave the best results for winter losses, food consumption, and spring development.

Ingemar Fries (1982) Outdoor Wintering of Honeybees in Top-Ventilated Hives, Journal of Apicultural Research, 21:4, 212-215

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