> Upper entrance in winter is separate issue. I don't really like auger holes but I think they are useful to the colony in winter to allow air circulation. A notch in the inner cover may not really be adequate for the type of 6 or 7 month winters we have in the north.

 Yeah. Auger holes are less than optimal for winter ventilation.
Nonetheless, we have use them for convenience, and our wintering
success is about as good as one could ask for.

We love auger holes for spring and summer work.  Bees just seem to
relate to them, and we do not need floors and lids when splitting.  A
sheet of plastic or a chunk of plywood will do just fine.

Since we already have these holes, we use them for winter flight and
ventilation holes.  They work.  No complaints here.

In my mind, one of the main reasons for upper entrances is to prevent
loss from entrance icing (see Larry Connor's book) .

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