I have found the entire discussion on how best to overwinter hives very
fascinating.  One comes to the conclusion that there is no one single
optimum approach for all US temperature zones and one would be most grateful
for a set of standardized recommendations for every zone.

How is one to semi-scientifically determine if his or her clusters have
optimum conditions and how does one determine, with some degree of accuracy,
if one's hives have sufficient ventilation to remove CO2 and vapor H2O but
has not enthusiastically gone so far as to render the hives too drafty ?

This is pushing it a bit but it would be great to have a number of sensors -
a thermocouple, a humidity sensor, and an air velocity meter - strategically
placed throughout the inside of a hive and make adjustments by making the
entrance size and any vent holes bigger or smaller.  While this is quite
feasible, the cost of such a real time feedback-and-adjust set-up for an
average beekeeper would not justify its return on investment.

So we are back to standardizing methods for every regions.  I think
scientific control studies are beneficial as they shed more light on what
happens in hives, but one can not beat the advice from experienced,
successful beekeepers in one's area.

Waldemar



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