What goes with shimmed top entrance in winter?

[len allen]

We are in South Dakota. Winter hard-freeze coming in 2 days. Humidity 90. Always windy. I am planning to add a top entrance with the shims as described on Michael Bush's web site. I'll also cover that top with thick insulating styrofoam on the outside/above the plywood.

With all that, for winter condensation control, should I also include some form of inner cover for winter? If so, why not use an inverted escape board?

I'm a year-1 newbee. Thanks for your help.

[Hambone]

Add a windbreak! Hay bails, wood, ect...

[NeilV]

Put an empty shallow or medium box on top of the hive, put a couple of sheets of newspaper down flat on the top bars (in the box below the empty one) and then pour 4 or 5 pounds of granulated sugar on the newspaper. The cover the hive as you usually would.

The bees can eat the sugar if they need it. The sugar will soak up moisture in the meantime. If they don't eat the sugar by spring, then scrape it off the top and make it into syrup.

This was recommended by a guy going by Mountaincamp and you can find a thread on here referring to the "Mountaincamp method."