For some time we have been puzzling as to why bees in the hive we designed do better than a regular non ventilated hive. The view up to now, has been that the stores and hive are dryer. Now another idea had just surfaced and we hope somebody will discuss it in a practical non scientific fashion. Question "If all living beings, insects included breath by oxygen absorption leaving carbon dioxide. In a closed system, wouldn't you run out of oxygen? Unless there is some ventilation and/or air exchange. Here is we believe a lot of winter kill, the bees suffocate!! Consider the facts, a hive is sealed by the bees, in fact all the cracks are sealed. The inner cover and roof are down tight, some keepers even cover them with plastic. Now, if the bees are using up the available oxygen, leaving carbon dioxide, which will rise with the heat created, the hive becomes a death trap. The bees move upwards during the winter eventually ending up against the inner cover, into the strongest concentration of carbon dioxide. We know that oxygen breathers become sluggish due to oxygen starvation, which would account for the slow decline of some hives. Dr Nasr's work on Thermal Regulation states, "that bees use more oxygen as the temperature drops", it could possibly account for a lot of winter kill. In the words of the CB'ers "Come on Back" **************************************************** * David Eyre 9 Progress Drive, Unit 2, * * The Beeworks, Orillia, Ontario, L3V 6H1.* * [log in to unmask] 705-326-7171 * * http://www.muskoka.net/~beeworks * ****************************************************