Hi Everyone,

Alan Riach asked:

"So the question is - with screened bottoms should the top be open or
close or does it matter."

My observations here in Minnesota USA are that you still need an upper entrance.  I am beginning to suspect one of the major benefits of an upper entrance is to allow cleansing flights under marginal weather.  This helps the bees make it through longer confinement periods when they can't fully break cluster.  It has to be pretty warm for them to crawl down to the bottom entrance several inches below the cluster for cleansing flights.  Any comments or thoughts?  This upper entrance does not have to be at he top of the hive.  An upper entrance between the two deep broodboxes works fine here if the top is insulated to prevent condensation problems.

FWIW

blane



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Blane White
MN Dept of Agriculture
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