B- More likely that bees are absorbing some of the water from the nectar for physiological demands. Exposure to air for dehydration is once it's in the comb.
The downsides are time and when you partly fill a bucket from a half full shallow and so end up taking up morte storage space. Does make a big difference to the flavour though, and customers really notice the difference.
This was entirely predictable. Start of WWII all over again but Western governments largely bourgeois and lacking moral courage IMO.
You're wishing for values which are beyond nature. I'd recommend reading 'Dominion' by Tom Holland.
The only benefit you might have is if beneficial gut bacteria in the honey seed the sugar syrup. But that's me jumping the gun a bit on my PhD student's research.
I've guessed that's the intention although for other two tab cages I've encountered, the queen has been able to get out of either (so a fault in the others) and I can't recall ever seeing introduction instructions pointing this out, although it is possible I've missed it.
I've had them with two tabs before just never had a gap the queen couldn't get through. I even compared with a cage from another supplier which had two tabs and whilst that has a narrowing, a queen could still get through it. Thank you though.