This topic has been brought up several times since I joined the list
     last year, but I thought that I would throw out an approach that I
     tried this winter with excellent results.
 
     First, placement.  I am in Dayton, Ohio  USA at approx 39.9N.
 
     Problem:  I was looking for a way to prevent the moisture that built
     up in my hives in winter of '94 so I did the following:
 
     Solution:  Took a wooden inner cover with the open hole and drilled,
     using my 2.5 inch door knob drill bit, four additional holes.  These
     were covered with 8 to the inch screen (hardware cloth, for those in
     the US).
 
 
                                 _______________
                                |   _      _   |
                                |  / \    / \  |
                                |  \_/    \_/  |
                                |              |
                                |              |
                                |              |
                                |   _      _   |
                                |  / \    / \  |
                                |  \_/    \_/  |
                                |______________|
 
     This allowed the moisture buildup inside the hive to pass on through
     the innercover up into the empty deep hive body that surrounded the
     syrup I fed to the bees.
 
     The telescoping cover on top of that body I modified by adding 1/4
     inch shim at each corner, thereby lifting that cover by that much all
     around the cover.  This allowed the moist air carried from the inside,
     through the modified inner cover to be vented out from under the lid.
 
     The result:  the inside of the hive had no moisture all winter (a long
     and hard one with a lot of moisture and cold days).  The telescoping
     cover had some small amount of mildew built up over the season but no
     dripping water.
 
     I am leaving this modified inner cover and telescoping cover on all
     this coming summer to see if it aids the evaporation of water out of
     the nectar.
 
     It didn't take long at all to make the modifications, say 5 minutes
     per cover and they are permanently a part of the hive now.  They
     provide the ventilation required without any additional boxes or other
     equipment necessary.  My only concern is whether the bees will
     propolize the screens shut or if they will leave them open.
 
     I hope this moves me from the "lurker" category and that someone may
     find this approach useful.
 
     If I have done something stupid that you who are more experienced may
     see please tell me by the List so that other "lurkers" will know of my
     mistake as well and avoid it.
 
     Thanks
     Cheers
     Mark Egloff
 
     PS: Spring seems to finally be coming to the Ohio River Valley.
     Magnolia trees are blooming, forsythia are bright yellow balls of
     flowers, the first dandelions are beginning to really show in numbers,
     and there was new nectar in the supers when I looked in on the hives
     last weekend.  Dare I hope that we made it?