Hello, There is a gentlemen in my area that is a "full time bee remover". He and his employees cover a five state area and have spent a lot of time studying bees in the wild. He has removed some massive colonies over the years, and in spite of the demise of feral colonies still keeps quite busy. He sees bees living the way they think is best, rather than what we think is best for them. His observations have lead to a number of conclusions with respect to "what the bees like". The first thing he tells you is throw away your bottom boards. The bottom entrance is there for the beekeeper not the bees. They prefer a smaller opening near the top of the brood nest rather than the bottom. All his commercial hives (he produces some honey and does pollination) have plywood bottoms with no openings, except for a small one near the top. His favorite story he relates is when he became friendly with Charles Mraz. He met Charlie at a point in his career when he thought he knew a lot about bees. Charlie told him "you've read all books and know what the experts have to say, now why don't you go and learn from the best teachers, the bees themselves." He has a lot of ideas based on his observations of thousands of feral colonies. Some conflict with conventional wisdom, but they usually make sense. Ron Bogansky Kutztown, (eastern) PA, USA +