Black outer covers?

[Anonymous]

Read some where (can't find it again) that painting the outer cover black causes a chimney effect and helps ventalate the hive.
   Any body ever do that? Is there any merit to the idea?
  Al

[Phoenix]

That's not a bad idea for the winter, but I think it would radiate heat inward instead of causing convection in  the summer.  I would definitely give it a shot, if trying it in the summer I would put a vent buffer box on top of the supers instead of just an upper entrance type of vent..

[Michael Bush]

I have a few DE mod vent kits with black rubber roofing on them.  They worked fine.  But there is a huge "attic space" in them.  I never painted anything black on a hive.  Just seems like a bad idea.

[Anonymous]

On a house you have roof vents and overhang vents. The Idea is to pull air in thru the overhang vents and expell it out the roof vent which is supposed to get rid of moisture.
Not going to paint any covers black but will cover at least one of the hives cover with black plastic this summer. Open up the SBB fully and install a 2" deep vented rim above the outer cover and give it a try.
Not ready just yet to sacrfice a hive to expermint with it in the winter.
My thinking at the moment is during winter one wouldn't want the effect of cold air being drawen into a hive.
   Al