From: "Dave Cushman" <dave.cushman@lineone.net>
Date: Thu, 6 Sep 2001 15:05:42 +0100
To: <BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: Mesh floors & insulated roofs

Hi Micky

> Using insulated covers, as described by Dave, must I use inner covers?

There are several ways (there always is in beekeeping)

If you use a "telescoping roof" (top cover?) then you can use the insulated
"sandwich" as a coverboard.

I use them instead of a telescoping roof.

If you use a crown board (inner cover) you will lose most of the benefit as
the insulation is further from the cluster and heat can be lost by
circulating currents in the narrow space between the underside of the
insulated part and the upper surface of the crown board.

> The entrances are
> at the end of the frames [cold way?]. Is this best? Would it be better
> to have the entrances on the side? [warm way?]

Cold way is most common.

If you use AMM bees they benefit with warm way (not for temperature reasons,
but warm way is more easily defended by the smaller colony and they are less
likely to become stranded with stores that they cannot reach in cold
weather).

73s and Regards from Dave Cushman G8MZY