Mike Rossander said "This is the same mechanism that some have proposed as
the reason that the polystyrene hive bodies are more effective at winter
survival even though the R-value of the walls are relatively low.  The
thinner areas of the walls provide specific sites for condensation to occur
where it can safely run off and not drip onto the middle of the cluster."

Mike, I spent dozens and perhaps hundreds of hours on the puzzle of why the
polystyrene hives do not support/create excess humidity and never learned
the reason.  The Finns and Swedes I talked to who have a lot of experience
with these hives offered only:
1.  Maybe their ambient humidity conditions were much drier than our own, so
what is a potential problem here is not a problem there.
2.  A theory that the handholds provided a condensation point superior to
that of the hive top and when condensation formed on the inside opposite the
handholds it just ran down the sides and out the hive.

The latter sounds something like what you said.  But why in Styrofoam and
not in wood?  Sure, the Styrofoam hives have a much higher R value than
wood, but we are talking perhaps R-3 for Styrofoam compared to R-.8 for
wood, and R-3 is sure nothing to write home about!

Before everyone starts jumping to conclusions...as we all know, snow melts
pretty fast on top of a wood cover and based on my personal observations it
melts just about as fast on top of a styro cover.  So, in both hives there
is an environment of a cold top to condense the humidity in the warm
(rising) air.

Lloyd
Lloyd Spear, Owner Ross Rounds, Inc.
Manufacturers of Ross Rounds Comb
Honey Equipment, Sundance Pollen Traps
and Custom Printer of Sundance Labels.

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