First hive headache.

[user 20297]

Hadn't realised that was an approved option. Thanks.

I assume the Bee Inspectors would immediately order the burning of wooden hives, so with poly there is a definite "win".

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I assume the Bee Inspectors would immediately order the burning of wooden hives,

No, seldom. scorching is good enough, it's only the frames etc they would burn. Which brings up another issue - what about plastic frames and foundation?

 

[madasafish]

No, seldom. scorching is good enough, it's only the frames etc they would burn. Which brings up another issue - what about plastic frames and foundation?

Treat like poly hive boxes - after soaking in soda solution and removal of all wax?

 

[Gower Beekeeper]

What did you use for the first eight years?
Check out this recent thread: replacing British National Shallow brood with Deep Brood frames

Just the normal brood with brood and a half occasionally.

 

[Big ears]

Thanks all for comments and sorry to kick a hornets nest.
From my standpoint all burning of fossil fuels should be minimised. Transportation and production will use fossil fuels of varying amounts.
There are some hives being produced from local (UK) sustainable forests which sound good.
As to burning hives if cut up for kindling and send in a log burner they will only release the Carbon absorbed during growing not that locked away in the earth millions of years ago.
Burning poly has been suggested as a good heat source but releases dangerous chemicals such as dioxins.
I see the advantage of insulation but not sure in my mind it sits with my thinking of the environment.

 

[Swarm]

It's OK Big ears, your bees will live quite happily without it.

 

[North End Bees]

Just the normal brood with brood and a half occasionally.

'Normal' brood aka deep brood.

 

[ericbeaumont]

After 8 years I started using deep brood

'Normal' brood aka deep brood.

Yes, easy to confuse: I reckon GB started with deeps and went to 14x12.

 

[Poly Hive]

Thre is an action group demanding we insulate. Given he choice bees like warmth. Ask DerekM.

If you are going to keep bees as their guardian it's your job to give them the best conditions you can. There are wool insulation packs now for frozen and chilled food so one of them over the CB would suit both bees and keeper.

PH

 

[user 20297]

Thre is an action group demanding we insulate. Given he choice bees like warmth. Ask DerekM.

If you are going to keep bees as their guardian it's your job to give them the best conditions you can. There are wool insulation packs now for frozen and chilled food so one of them over the CB would suit both bees and keeper.

PH

That's a great idea with wool insulation. I might see if I can get hold of a roll of the wool insulation used on houses which would give an eternal supply of hive insulation material. I have experimented using these quilts from Thornes: National Insulated Quilt - recycled chip foam and they're excellent. When bees are being fed with an eke, I find a need for some flexible insulation above the crownboard to mould around the feeder in addition to the solid stuff in the roof. I bought two awful, lightweight, 50p cushions from Ikea as an experiment for placing in that void; when I move them out of the way, it's hard to beieve that it's just bees who have made them feel so warm.

 

[Apiarisnt]

That's a great idea with wool insulation. I might see if I can get hold of a roll of the wool insulation used on houses which would give an eternal supply of hive insulation material. I have experimented using these quilts from Thornes: National Insulated Quilt - recycled chip foam and they're excellent. When bees are being fed with an eke, I find a need for some flexible insulation above the crownboard to mould around the feeder in addition to the solid stuff in the roof. I bought two awful, lightweight, 50p cushions from Ikea as an experiment for placing in that void; when I move them out of the way, it's hard to beieve that it's just bees who have made them feel so warm.

Thermal conductivity recycled chip foam 0.075 W/mK
Thermal conductivity of sheep's wool insulation 0.035 – 0.04 W/mK
Thermal conductivity of PIR (Kingspan etc) 0.022 W/mK

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

There is an action group demanding we insulate.

really?

 

[user 20297]

Thermal conductivity recycled chip foam 0.075 W/mK
Thermal conductivity of sheep's wool insulation 0.035 – 0.04 W/mK
Thermal conductivity of PIR (Kingspan etc) 0.022 W/mK

PIR isn't very easy to squeeze into the odd shapes I'm talking about. I'm not so organised that I can use a standard PIR insert with cutout dimensions to fit every feeder and roof combination I own, so insulating cushions or other soft materials are a better option. But for roof insulation and "bee-cosies", I agree, PIR is better.

 

[Big ears]

Thre is an action group demanding we insulate. Given he choice bees like warmth. Ask DerekM.

If you are going to keep bees as their guardian it's your job to give them the best conditions you can. There are wool insulation packs now for frozen and chilled food so one of them over the CB would suit both bees and keeper.

PH

Would loft insulation work?

 

[Wilco]

If anyone wants wool I've got a load from the sheep I look after which needs a home. You can have it for the cost of postage (or free to collect). Think I sheared them 8-9 months after the last fly treatment so shouldn't have any insecticide left on it and I endeavoured to make sure there wasn't muck in it when I rolled it.

 

[Garry R]

The Drayton type hive I have just made has insulation above the frames and Drayton have a hessian covered woodchip "pillow" which they sell. I am going to use a couple of old hollow fibre pillows which I have just changed and rather than chuck them out I thought I would give them a go. I'll let you know how I get on next year.

My bog standard hives are polystyrene and I make my own roofs and line them with 25mm cheap as chips poly sheets from Wickes. The poly hives at the oldest are 42 years old. I had one brood box recently inside which went a bit mouldy and I used a spray and scrub of Cillit Bang black mould remover and it brought it up like new. Also seemed to clean off the propolis. Hypochlorite based but rinsed it really well. Very easy and well worth a go - saves using boiling washing soda which is great for cleaning/sterilising frames before putting in the new foundation. Use a pair of drain cleaning gauntlets with the hot soda.