Inner Cover - Up or Down?

[Two Bees]

During the summer months, I have always put the inner covers on with the flat side down (rim's edge is up).  I have read that the inner cover should be placed on the top hive body with the flat side up (rim's edge down) during the winter which will give the bees a little more room between the top of the frames and the inner cover.  Is this typical?

[bassman1977]

I didn't know there was a difference until the state inspector came out this summer.  He said to put the flatter part down towards the top bars so that you limit the space in the winter.  I have had the inner covers positioned any ol' way and haven't had issues.

[steve]

The flatter part of the inner cover always goes down (facing the top bars) regardless of the time of year......
                                                                                                                                                    Steve
                                                                     

[Two Bees]

Thanks!  I read this in one of the George Imiries' pink pages but I never really thought about flipping the IC flat side up.  One interesting thing though about flipping the inner cover is that it would allow for the "half moon" hole to vent any moisture directly from the top frames without having to go up through the oval center hole before venting to the outside.  That's the only difference that I can think of.  Burr shouldn't be a problem since the bees don't build burr in the winter.

[jdpro5010]

I have always been told that the half moon is up in the summer and down in the winter to allow the bees to move across top of frames easier.  I don't really notice a difference myself.

[eivindm]

The flatter part of the inner cover always goes down (facing the top bars) regardless of the time of year......
                                                                                                                                                    Steve
                                                                     

I don't know the american hive parts, so: Having the flat part down; will there still be bee space between thre cover and the frames?  Or is the cover then directly onto the frames?

[Cindi]

eivindm.  There is bee space with the inner cover flat side face down.  If one looks at the top bars of the frames you can see that the frames do not come 100% to the top of the hive body.  Have a most wonderful and awesome day, love life.  Cindi

[eivindm]

aha..  My Norwegian hive has the frames to the top, so I must use the inner cover with the flat part up all the time in order to get a bee space over the frames.  But some Norwegians has a bee space over the frames like you do, and they have the cover the other way.