"... the more natural thermal regulation behavior that may be happening in a taller cylindrical tree cavity. "
Not so scientific but a beekeeper friend (25 colonies) is also a large commercial home building contractor. His theory is that our standard hives probably lose too much heat through the top as do our homes. According to the builders association he is a member of, 80+% of heat loss for residential and commercial structures is through the roof or shallow poorly insulated upper seams. Most tree cavities have a substantial "roof" over the colony. He is also concerned about heat loss through the shallow portion of wood remaining when handles are cut into all 4 sides of the hive bodies leaving as little as 1/8th inch in some boxes. Something to ponder.
Gary
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