[Alram]

Does opening the top of the hive, letting in sunlight, wind, etc... drive the queen into the bottom brood box?

 

[psm1212]

Not sure exactly, but I am fairly confident that the queen does try to avoid sunlight. When the queen is on the face of a frame, it will more than not, run to the other side of the frame, or the “dark side” that is not exposed to the sun.

Also, when you are trying to find a queen in a hive, and you have already removed frames, I have found that she is far more often on the side of the frame that is not exposed to the sun (the “dark side”) than the side that has been exposed to light.

It is purely anecdotal based on my limited experience, but I think queens seek the dark areas of the hive when there is exposure to the sun.

 

[Vance G]

Some worse than other. Some just go about their business laying eggs.

 

[elmer_fud]

I have not seen mine my queens run from the light, but I only have a few hives. They definitely do not seem to run into the bottom box since I usually find them in boxes two to four in my stacks

 

[little_john]

Some queens just carry on, oblivious to the hive being opened, whereas some immediately stop whatever they're doing and dive around to the other side of the comb, away from the light.

But then, it's exactly the same with the bees: some are clearly not happy at any sudden exposure to the elements, whereas others appear completely oblivious to both this, and the presence of the beekeeper - those are the colonies I like.
LJ

 

[Michael Bush]

Queens tend to avoid light, but not enough to run to the bottom and as little_john says, they are not all alike in the amount of distaste they have for the light. Some are constantly running to the other side while you are looking for them on a frame to get out of the light...

 

[GregV]

........ some are clearly not happy at any sudden exposure to the elements, whereas others appear completely oblivious to both this, and the presence of the beekeeper - those are the colonies I like.
LJ

However (and maybe unfortunately to a point), the bees that are NOT oblivious to the presence of the beekeeper (me) seem to be the same that also are the mite-hardy ones.
Some bees are very much alive, attentive, and pay attention to the surroundings and react.
The others are just like ....eh... pre-programmed robots.
This includes the queen behavior too.
Some queens are more robotic then the others.