Hi

Providing upper ventilation seems to be a curious practice that is contrary
to want the bees do naturally. Swarms reject cavities with upper entrances.
And the bees will quickly seal up cracks in the lids, etc and not bother
plugging up screened bottom boards.

I have monitored the amount of moisture produced by my hives using a
plexiglass inner cover. You can see the results at:

http://fire.prohosting.com/topbargu/

I stopped using any upward ventilation on a few hives several years ago.
This year none of my hives have any upward ventilation. I like the results.

Wyoming has a dry, cold, windy climate. Dave Cushman, a English beekeeper,
has observed the same moisture conditions in his hives. I wonder if the
upper ventilation 'rule' might need a little more testing before being
repeated so often:>)

Regards
Dennis

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