That hole in the second super is no good! Plug it!
Bees don't need no hole in the sides. They do not defend such holes and only mice find them handy. Such holes are useless and a sure sign that the keeper is a novice. (Or don't know much. Or both?)
A proper hole is at the top! Everybody knows that moist, damp, gassy air (bee-breath) collects under the ceiling and not on the walls - certainly not there where someone decided to drill a hole?!
In the hive has to be "chimney effect' which is created by bottom entrance and top entrance (under the ceiling) and this MUST be on the same side of the hive! Usually in front.
Upper entrance should be cut into the rim of your inner cover. That is where the warmth and humidity goes.
Your way is that humidity/warmth goes through the center hole and stays under the homasote - soaking it and creating wet, soggy, unpleasant conditions for your bees.
Upper entrance is needed under the inner cover for the simple reason that bees need a way out, when weather is suitable for cleansing flights. They can't go way down to your bottom to get out.
Well, they can, when is plenty warm? But on a colder day, way too many will die in so doing. Up under the inner cover, outside is just a few steps away and they are out and back again in a flash.
The humid air from bees breath and burning of stores, will stop/accumulate under the inner cover and if you have no Styrofoam on top of your homasote, this humid air will condense and create water.
When and where winters are really cold, this is compounded many fold and ice will form. When it warms up, it will melt and drip on your bees and that will be the end of them!
It boggles my mind why there are so many people that just don't get this basic rule of beekeeping ?
I probably flapped my mouth too much here?
Basic set up for a wintering hive:
Notch cut in the rim of inner cover. 1/4 inch by 3inch wide is fine.
(This used to be done by manufacturers, years ago - now it seem, it is too much of a bother?)
A piece of homasote over the inner cover. To provide "dead space."
A piece of Styrofoam over the homasote.
A telescopic cover over that.
Note:
Styrofoam should be about 1" to 2" thick. Colder your winter - thicker Styrofoam is better!
Trick is, that the warm/humid air condeenses where it comes in contact with cold surfaces. This "dead space" and Styrofoam will keep this from hapening.
(in an event where nice warm days are abruptly followed by sharp drop in temps, any condensing that will accur because of such rapid change will happen under the homasote - in "dead space.")
From there it won't drip on bees and kill them!
The top of the hive should alvays be kept warmer than the sides. (Reversed is true for Summer) Therefore the condensation will happen on sides and run down and out the front. That is also why all the books teach that a hive MUST be slightly tilted forvard!
Good luck and Happy Holidays...
