The match and crownboard thing

[Swarm]

Can't argue with a closed mind. Never mind - you keep your bees your way and I'll use modern methods.

You said bees survive despite the beekeeper, I gave an example of a beekeeper with decades of experience with healthy colonies. So what point are you making? Are you suggesting he changes his methods simply because 'todays' thinking is contrary to his own management?
You can believe I have a closed mind if you wish but I'd really like to hear why this beekeeper should follow like a sheep.

 

[Swarm]

I dont have a doctrine... I just dont like someone explaining their apparent success or lack thereof with nonsense such as:

"honeybees don't heat the hive", "The warmer the bees the more food they eat", "high humidity outside the hive means high humidity inside". "A one inch hole in the top of hive has no effect".

All of the above are nonsense regardless of the animal or heat source involved.

Sorry Derek, in the past you've said that people keeping bees in wooden boxes are neglecting their bees. As I've said before, I'm not interested in any of this heat or whatever talk but since this topic is about venting and matchsticks, let's take that last comment about an open hole. It may have an effect on your subject but does it affect the bees? I've over wintered colonies in wooden hives with open crown boards and sealed and poly hives and insulation and Spring build up has always been much the same, regardless of the set up. Use of stores also much the same.
The finest natural nest I ever saw had several 'entrances', I call them that because this is the way the bees accessed the comb. It was a large, rocky outcrop but if you climbed down the bank to the left and turned right, there was the comb hanging below the rock in a large void. They were quite happy for years in that location, with large areas open all around them.