Lloyd Spear wrote:  Convection, I think, is Physics 101.  The author is maintaining that warm
moist air does not rise but somehow is 'driven' toward the sides of the hive
next to the follower boards.  Why the sides of the hive, and not the ends
(which are not adjacent to anything similar to a follower board) is not
discussed.

The convection currents cause a movement of air in the shape of the outside portion of a doughnut.  The hole of the doughnut represents where the cluster would be located.  The outer edges of the doughnut would represent the outside walls of the hive.  The warm moist air moves upward to the top of whatever is the inner cover, moves to the sides, and then down the outside walls, which are cooler and the moisture condenses on the walls of the hive.  Like the doughnut, I would think the air currents occur on all sides only being affected by the opening of the front entrance.  With the screened bottom boards, the moisture would have ample opportunity to exit the hive and thus the air being drawn up from underneath and through the cluster would be considerably drier than if there was a solid bottom board.  Has anyone observed icicles hanging from the outer edges of the bottom of a hive which is wintering over with a screened bottom board?

Why the sides of the hive, and not the ends?  Maybe because some heat from the cluster is radiated to the ends of the hive which are not obstructed by intervening frames of wax (empty or full).  Just conjecture.

Mike   Located 1/2 way between Montgomery and Mobile, Alabama

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