DerekM is not alone

[Anduril]

On you tube paste in "Korpusy ze styroduru". Who came first Derek or the Polish? Plenty of other videos there as well. Any construction videos Derek?

 

[REDWOOD]

The Russians have been doing it for years, however they found that just painting the inside bees will eventually destroy the inside, I believe they now use a two pack epoxy resin to coat the inside, well that's what it looks like as I can't understand a word they are saying. I love watching the Russians doing their DIY and even the young ones are so skilled


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[Finman]

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Everyone should understand that DIY polystyrene hives will be destroyed in couple of years.
It is a toy.

Honey Paradise lives near motorway Helsinki - Russia, and he has really much Russian customers in his company, when I have visited there.

And Russians have built their hives from wood.

Poland makes and sells their own polyhives. Its beekeeping is strong.

 

[Finman]

. I love watching the Russians doing their DIY and even the young ones are so skilled

Pro

Somebody should do a video, how fast ants move into the DIY hive and destroy it.
Surface epoksy does not save the hive, because ants are then in safe behind the cover.
What ants seek is dry and warm nest.

Bees eate the styrofoam too quite quickly.


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[Little John]

It's not just ants and bees which will destroy styrofoam ... this is a picture of cat damage from a recent thread on the Beemaster forum:

The best solution given for a 'fix', was to cut off the cat's tail.











... about an inch behind it's ears ...
LJ

 

[Finman]

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I made 20 mating nucs so, that I cut poly box to 2-3 parts, and I did a missing wall from polystyrene insulating board. I painted the boards first.

After 5 years all boxes were were destroyed. Continuous repairing. The bees break them and ants. If I protect against bees, ants get the best protection.

Real polyboxes have lasted 30 years. What they do not stand is woodpecker and wax moth.

But DIY poly box in the jaws of wax moth.... That is funny. But ants are problem every year.

 

[user 6228]

.i started on this in 2011
I dont use styrofoam, I use foil faced PIR, as you need to stop bees and ants tunnelling
I dont put in top vents, as top vents in poly lose proportionately more heat than in wood.
I dont build in huge thermal bridges by using wood as box interfaces, I use 2mm correx.

I dont do youtube videos least not so far.

 

[Finman]

., I use foil faced PIR

I dont do youtube videos least not so far.

PIR= polyurethane. Fragile foam.

foiled = you think that foil protects against damages, when l move hives from pasture to pasture.


30 y old Nacka boxes are still OK. They are easy to repair with PU glue and with piece of polywall.

We have here Kingspan boards, but no one makes hives from that.

 

[user 6228]

PIR= polyurethane. Fragile foam.

foiled = you think that foil protects against damages, when l move hives from pasture to pasture.


30 y old Nacka boxes are still OK. They are easy to repair with PU glue and with piece of polywall.

We have here Kingspan boards, but no one makes hives from that.

you have to handle them differently, especially separating boxes from each other, and ensure any nicks in the foil are covered with foil tape. Y

 

[Beefriendly]

you have to handle them differently, especially separating boxes from each other, and ensure any nicks in the foil are covered with foil tape. Y

When you can buy a complete poly brood box for less than or around £25 (the profit from the sale of about 5 jars of honey) that will last for 30 years (with reasonable care), one has to ask why bother faffing around DIYing one yourself.

 

[Fusion_power]

Why hasn't someone incorporated a layer of 8 mesh wire into the middle of each poly panel to prevent the hive being tapped by woodpeckers?

 

[Beefriendly]

If you look into how the molds are made and the poly expanded/steam molded inside of them I suspect you will find an answer to your question.
Easier to apply from the outside.

 

[madasafish]

When you can buy a complete poly brood box for less than or around £25 (the profit from the sale of about 5 jars of honey) that will last for 30 years (with reasonable care), one has to ask why bother faffing around DIYing one yourself.

It's fun ...

 

[madasafish]

Why hasn't someone incorporated a layer of 8 mesh wire into the middle of each poly panel to prevent the hive being tapped by woodpeckers?

I apply fibreglass mat to roofs.

 

[user 6228]

When you can buy a complete poly brood box for less than or around £25 (the profit from the sale of about 5 jars of honey) that will last for 30 years (with reasonable care), one has to ask why bother faffing around DIYing one yourself.

I can get the thermal conductance I want if I make it my self.
The best brands of poly will get 0.9W/K the worst 1.4W/K
I can get 0.4 to 0.5W/K
for comparison a wooden hive 2.6W/K

 

[Beefriendly]

It's fun ...

If you would like more fun....I have about 400 frames to put together and add foundation....should you wish to enjoy yourself further

 

[Beefriendly]

I can get the thermal conductance I want if I make it my self.
The best brands of poly will get 0.9W/K the worst 1.4W/K
I can get 0.4 to 0.5W/K
for comparison a wooden hive 2.6W/K

Is there any work showing that the bees themselves do better in more highly insulated poly hives (more brood? Higher survival? etc)? I have a few different types of poly hives of varying thickness and I cannot see any obvious differences in overwintering between them.
I can see a difference between wooden hives and poly in terms of more frames of brood at this time of the year, although an occasional queen defies this trend.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Is there any work showing that the bees themselves do better in more highly insulated poly hives (more brood? Higher survival? etc)? I have a few different types of poly hives of varying thickness and I cannot see any obvious differences in overwintering between them.
I can see a difference between wooden hives and poly in terms of more frames of brood at this time of the year, although an occasional queen defies this trend.

I'm not suggesting any kind of scientific study but I had a few box variations over the winter just ending.
Most of my hives bar one are 14 x 12 plywood with most having 25mm kingspan or celotex hive cosies. The one hive is a Cedar dn National with a 25mm cosy.
One 14 x 12 hive has 25mm polystyrene cosy made from sheet used as packaging for something in the past. One hive has no cosy but had a full area top sheet of 30mm celotex set into the frame in contact with the polycarbonate crownboard. All others had either polystyrene or offcuts of celotex as quilts set in contact with the polycarbonate crownboard to stop condensation forming and dripping onto the bees.
All hives have come through the winter albeit with some that were getting light being given fondant and over recent warm days flying activity in the apiary has been intense. Blackthorn is now coming into flower and confidence is high for a good spring expansion of the colonies.
Oddly there "seems" to be more activity from the hive without a cosy, perhaps the sun on the exposed sides has a more penetrative effect on warming the colony or telling the bees it's a nice day for foraging.

 

[Fusion_power]

Oddly there "seems" to be more activity from the hive without a cosy, perhaps the sun on the exposed sides has a more penetrative effect on warming the colony or telling the bees it's a nice day for foraging.

Nothing odd about this. Bees exposed more to the sun tend to forage earlier and later. Just because they are foraging more does not mean it is a benefit to the colony, though I've always interpreted spring cleansing flights and early foraging for pollen as a huge positive for the bees.

 

[Finman]

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Remember, that the yield comes from the nectar in flowers. It does not come from penetrating sun. And after night water content of nectar is big. Early bee does not catch nectar.

In early morning bees forage much drinking water to larvae. It is not honey.

Real foraging hours are when air temp is over 18C. Then working hours per day depend on highest temperature. And late working hours are valuable because sugar content in flowers is bigger than in early morning.

At least in my nature I get honey, if day temp is over 22C.

If internal hive temp makes honey, I could keep terrarium heater in the whole summer. But it does not add nectar in flowers.

Minimun factor in British yield is too much hives/pastures and short of nectar in flowers. You cannot help that fact with insulation.
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