25mm insulation board

[madasafish]

Lancs lad and Polyhive is there much of an issue with the bees chewing the inside of the boxes you made?

I have 6 Lang nucs made of celotex..incl floors and roofs. If teh bees get very very crowded in summer, they prefer to eat large holes in the floor rather than swarm. (Not all the way through tho and easily mended with Tetrion filler)

 

[Lancs Lad]

Lancs lad and Polyhive is there much of an issue with the bees chewing the inside of the boxes you made?

I have the odd occasion of the bees chewing the poly, it is always the entrance
that they try to make bigger, usually because I have let them get too strong.
They are made with just a stanley knife and straight edge and glued together so they are very easily repaired just cut a small section out and glue a piece in.

They are not suitable for double stacking because the bees will have a go at the seam. I use them mainly for two and three frame mating nucs , and take them through winter on five frames . I always finish up the next spring with more queens than I know what to do with.

 

[dano41]

Have heard of people varnishing the inside wonder if varnished at the seam would it prevent them chewing there when doubled up.Have you made full sized brood boxes,how successfull was that?

 

[deemann1]

These are the five frame nucs made from Styrofoam rtm-x, cost £6 each to make.

They look great , is the material dense or strong

 

[Bee Boys]

Has any one made nucs out of kingspan? I whould think it is to soft and brakeable. Thank you

 

[madasafish]

Has any one made nucs out of kingspan? I whould think it is to soft and brakeable. Thank you

Insulation?
Yes 50mm


As in Celotex ..

http://www.michiganbees.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Styrofoam_Nuc_20100813.pdf

 

[Bee Boys]

I have 70mm kingspan, is this the same thing as celotex? I have only heard of celotex ounce. Thank you

 

[enrico]

Yes. Celotex is a generic name whilst kingspan is a makers name
E

 

[Bee Boys]

Thank you enrico,

 

[pargyle]

Yes. Celotex is a generic name whilst kingspan is a makers name
E

Celotex is also a brand like Kingspan ..

The generic name is P.I.R. (Polyisocyanurate insulation board).

There are lots more brands.. Recticel, Xtratherm ... all basically the same expanded foam core with a foil backing

 

[Bee Boys]

Thank you for the information.

 

[Poly Hive]

The material I have had delivered has no foil. From handling various foil backed foames they are nowhere near as solid as the material I am using.

I will see if I have any of the foil stuff left and take a comparison photo.

PH

 

[Newbeeneil]

The material I have had delivered has no foil. From handling various foil backed foames they are nowhere near as solid as the material I am using.

I will see if I have any of the foil stuff left and take a comparison photo.

PH

Your material looks the same as Dow Roofmate. We used to use it a an insulation below concrete slabs on an upside down roof. Dense and strong..... ( mmmm sounds a bit like me )

 

[Poly Hive]

My original stuff was Dow Floormate so very similar I suppose.

PH

 

[Lancs Lad]

Have heard of people varnishing the inside wonder if varnished at the seam would it prevent them chewing there when doubled up.Have you made full sized brood boxes,how successfull was that?

I'll give varnishing a try next year. I have made full size broods but I didn't consider them successful , but roofs and floors are OK.

 

[Lancs Lad]

They look great , is the material dense or strong

I believe that this is the most dense of commercial Poly , it is made mainly for refrigerated wagons.

 

[Poly Hive]

These are the materials I have been discussing. The yellow with the foil is much softer than the blue. The sheet is rather grubby having been stored outside for some 8 years in the past. Still performs well though.

The new PIR that I have bought is the same as the old blue sheet material. The thickness is 25mm.

These are ekes that I use for feeding fondant.

PH

 

[Newbeeneil]

These are the materials I have been discussing. The yellow with the foil is much softer than the blue. The sheet is rather grubby having been stored outside for some 8 years in the past. Still performs well though.

The new PIR that I have bought is the same as the old blue sheet material. The thickness is 25mm.

These are ekes that I use for feeding fondant.

PH

You have me thinking now PH, I was wondering what to do with the thin strips of 25mm PIR I was accumulating!

 

[Murox]

These are the materials I have been discussing. The yellow with the foil is much softer than the blue. The sheet is rather grubby having been stored outside for some 8 years in the past. Still performs well though.

The new PIR that I have bought is the same as the old blue sheet material. The thickness is 25mm.

These are ekes that I use for feeding fondant.

PH

Having seen the images, I can testify to the robustness of the blue stuff. I have used it in the past, though not for bees.

 

[Poly Hive]

It's the best I have found and it is tried and tested though as yet not in active units "just" as ekes in winter which is not obviously the same.

I would suggest you let me take the hit and make up nucs and I will report next season in Autumn as to how they have stood up. I have spent the money so let me feel the pain if pain there is to be. Actually its free money from a tax rebate but let's not spoil the drama...LOL

PH