Greetings: I'm presently building small mating hives. I am familiar with Apedia etc. I reread Jay Smith's book on queen rearing several times. In the book he states the following: <A small mating hive should not have a ventilator, as the air will blow in through it and cause <the bees to realize their weakness and they will abscond. What's the opinion out there from your experience nowadays Are ventilators necessary or is the -half inch entrance hole on an angle in the middle as he states -enough. Walter Ontario -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info ---