Bob -
 
If you are new to the beekeeping business, you will soon find out that there is
disagreement on just about everything beekeepers do.  Yet let me risk giving you
my thoughts on your questions.
 
The notches in the inner cover are not entrances.  They are for ventilation.  If
you lay your outer cover on flat and have no notch, air can not rise through the
hive.  I often set my outer covers tipped toward the back of the hive so rain
will not run off onto the landing board.  This also provides plenty of
ventilation space.  I really need no notch, but it can't hurt for you to cut a
notch.
 
The traditional inner cover has a shallow and a deep side.  Because hive bodies
vary a little, I try to keep a 3/8 inch bee space above the frames.  Which ever
side works best goes down.  I think that if you were to have equipment from only
one, reliable source, you could always use the same side down.  I have a
hodge-podge of bodies and they vary.  The biggest problem is likely if you leave
too much space between the frames and the inner cover.  In this case the bees
will build brace comb and make opening the hive difficult.  But if the space is
too small, they will glue the top down again making it hard to open.
 
Larry Krengel
 
Bob wrote:
 
> My question is, is it
> nesaccary to have one side of a inner deeper than the other?   My a second
> question is, I have seen inner covers with notches on one end of the cover
> and also two notches one on each end.  What is the purpose of those notches?
> The inner I recieved from the seller didn't have any notches... HOW are the
> bees suppose to exit out if there are no notches?  Am I suppose put the
> notches there or what?