Celotex thickness...

[bjosephd]

So what thickness celotex do people who make celotex bee cosies here use?

I have 3 double brood langstroth boxes to cozy up and am currently looking at the prices...

It could end up being rather expensive if I get too carried away...

Is 25mm thickness enough/worth it/better than nothing? As that's the cheapest at my local...

Or should I try and push the budget for more thickness?

Many thanks...

Mr B

 

[Swarm]

Hell of an expense for something that's unnecessary, a piece 50mm thick under the roof should be ample and much, much cheaper.

 

[manek]

Even cheaper if you raid a local skip. There's always some, in my limited experience.

 

[bjosephd]

Even cheaper if you raid a local skip. There's always some, in my limited experience.

Ha indeed... where I'm working at the moment I walk past a massive pile of 8'x4' slabs of 100mm celotex... but that is in London many miles from my bees... and would also be stealing! (they are brand spanking new and about to be used)

However, yes... I'm keeping my eyes peeled for any of them moving to the skip, or the boss man in charge of the insulation, but not in charge of budget!

But if I can't steal any in the next 2 weeks... it's off to travis perkins I go.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Hell of an expense for something that's unnecessary, a piece 50mm thick under the roof should be ample and much, much cheaper.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Hell of an expense for something that's unnecessary, a piece 50mm thick under the roof should be ample and much, much cheaper.

Would the bees be warm enough in winter by just doing this?

 

[Gilberdyke John]

So what thickness celotex do people who make celotex bee cosies here use?

I have 3 double brood langstroth boxes to cozy up and am currently looking at the prices...

It could end up being rather expensive if I get too carried away...

Is 25mm thickness enough/worth it/better than nothing? As that's the cheapest at my local...

Or should I try and push the budget for more thickness?

Many thanks...

Mr B

Each to his/her own but I use 1" for the cosy and a tight fitting sheet of the same fitted to the crownboard .

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Would the bees be warm enough in winter by just doing this?

I'll try a few this year to see if they survive.

 

[For want of a better word]

4 inch cosies knitted from best alpacca wool.... well a 100mm layer in a sack above the crownboard will do

Nos da

 

[madasafish]

I have never paid more than £7 for a sheet of insulation. Ebay/Gumtree/Preloved have occasional lots cheap.

Just set up a search and wait.

(I write as a mean Scot trained by Aberdonians).

In all seriousness, I use 50mm on walls and 2 x50mm on roof ( or more)..
All used or new surplus to requirements.

It's called recycling

I have never bought new at new prices..

 

[bjosephd]

Thanks Gilberdyke John...
...and madasafish

So, that's two actual answers so far.

"...what thickness celotex do people who make celotex bee cosies here use?"

I'd be interested to know.

Thanks

B

 

[bjosephd]

I have never paid more than £7 for a sheet of insulation. Ebay/Gumtree/Preloved have occasional lots cheap.

Just set up a search and wait.

(I write as a mean Scot trained by Aberdonians).

In all seriousness, I use 50mm on walls and 2 x50mm on roof ( or more)..
All used or new surplus to requirements.

It's called recycling

I have never bought new at new prices..

Cool... I'll keep my eyes and ears peeled for some half decent pre-loved or lost scraps. I'll also grab myself some aluminium tape and some kinda glue and hope there's a nice crisp dry sunny autumn day in two weeks' time to get out in the yard with a saw and lots of dust.

 

[Hivemaker.]

"...what thickness celotex do people who make celotex bee cosies here use?"

I'd be interested to know.

200mm used here for insulating the poly nuc boxes.

http://www.insulationgiant.co.uk/Celotex-Insulation-XR4200-Board-200mm-2400mm-x-1200mm/p/778055

 

[Swarm]

Would the bees be warm enough in winter by just doing this?

I think they'd be ok without any.

 

[Erichalfbee]

50mm walls
100mm roof (that comprises the cosy and a 50mm sheet that sits on the crown board )
I have super and a half depth 50mm winter roofs made the same so that if there is an eke/super on top while feeding the join at the crown board is covered.
Poly have the winter roofs
Wood the cosies

 

[Millet]

Thanks Gilberdyke John...
...and madasafish

So, that's two actual answers so far.

"...what thickness celotex do people who make celotex bee cosies here use?"

I'd be interested to know.

Thanks

B

50mm and two layers stuck together on the top, the origional roof is done away with and a piece of waterproof material strapped on top for good measure.

 

[drex]

I just put 50mm under the roof, always have. I chat with any local builders I see and ask for any off cuts. My biggest bit was about 6' by 4'. If a good haul I take them a a jar of honey. They are usually very obliging. Am overwintering 6 nucs ( home made) and got them all pushed together and slabs of insulation strapped round the whole block as well as on top.

 

[theeggman]

Cool... I'll keep my eyes and ears peeled for some half decent pre-loved or lost scraps. I'll also grab myself some aluminium tape and some kinda glue and hope there's a nice crisp dry sunny autumn day in two weeks' time to get out in the yard with a saw and lots of dust.

I don't know where you are in Somerset but here in Okehampton we have a company that supplies 2nds. of celotex, they will not deliver the 2nds. cheap insulation but are worth a g oogle, Cladco, they also sell steel profile.

Talk to them and it MAY make financial sense to collect.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

The cosies that I made for my 18mm plywood hives were 50mm in the walls and something thicker (whatever I could find) for the top. The whole had an aluminium roof to shed water and the outside was wrapped in aluminium tape which was painted with external masonry paint.

For my 30mm recticel hive, I made a cosy (or deep roof) also out of 30mm recticel, so the 60 mm total is equivalent, thermally, to about 350 - 400mm of wood - that's some tree those bees are living in!

The 5 components were stuck together and pinned with bamboo barbeque skewers.

CVB

 

[user 6228]

50mm recticel all round with an entrance 150mm below the frames gives 0.5 W /K . This equivalent to a tree nest.