Joel asks about those lids in Oz.
 
As one who uses them, I suppose when I think about why I use them it is a
little bit of why those fellows fiddle on the roof - tradition.
 
The main reasons for using them and not telescopics is that I use lifting
cleats on the ends of my boxes at the top.  This makes for easier working of
hives.  I can use the loader on the truck to undersuper with empty boxes and
take the full boxes off the hive.  The cleats do not allow for telepscopic
parts on the ends.
 
When it comes to telescoping on the sides, if I did this I would only be able
to fit 5 hives across the body of my truck.  By using a flush lid it allows me
to fit 6 hives across the truck.
 
The tradition bit probably comes from the older days when hives were shut up
to shift them compared to open entrance shifting nowadays.  You needed holes
in the lid, covered with gauze, to allow the hot air to escape or the bees
would sufficate.  This Oz lid is called a migratory lid as compared to the
telescopic lid.
 
There has been research carried out in Australia that shows on the high
humidity coastal areas, the bees actually use those ventilated holes to help
"cure" the honey.  In the drier inland ares, the ventilated holes can be a
problem as they allow moist air out.  Beekeepers who take their hives to
these drier areas often have a flat lid.
 
Yes, in a honey flow the bees will build burr comb in the top but that is
usually because I haven't kept up with the hives. There is often an inner
cover put on top of the frames in the lid which allows the bees to go around
the outside but limits the burr comb.
 
Anyway, these are some of the reasons why some beekeepers in Oz use those lids.
 
Trevor Weatherhead
AUSTRALIA