Wintering, ventilation, and polystyreen feeders

[Paraplegic Racehorse]

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Screened bottom.

Bottom is open and no need for upper system.

Screened bottom is sentisite to wind blow. Take care of that.

Presumably, you use screened bottoms. Have you found an adequate way to set up wind baffles? I'm thinking that I might just use empty supers with screen stretched across them with a grid of luan or something below the mesh to help break the wind. The only trouble, here, is: would that not just help direct the wind up into the hive?

Must find engineer with access to wind tunnel...

[GNHONEY]

I drill a hole about the size of a penny right above the handle on top deep. also put on enterance reducer problem solved no need to get complicated very easy to do -----gnhony-----

[Brian D. Bray]

Please note: proper ventilation of a hive.  From the bottom up in this order.  Hive stand, Screened bottom board w/blocked entrance, slatted rack (thermo spacer, etc.), hive bodies, 2nd slatted rack (bee expansion area), upper entrance (a solid bottom board turned upside down works).
There is room for bees to expand due to temperature and brood build up prior to putting on supers and the air flow is controlled.  The chimney runs from the top entrance to the ground, the natural cracks between the bottom board and the hive stand allows the air to enter and flow upward.  The entrance at the highest point of the hive allows the moisture to vent instead of condense on the underside of the top.  It's simple and it works due to limited but natural air flow. 
As long as your hives don't get blown over or ravaged by a bear they will survive given sufficient stores.