got some popycarb

[irishguy]

Picked up 4 x 450mmsq off cuts of 6mm of clear polycarbonate sheeting for £45 when up north. Could have got the double walled stuff but wasn't to sure it would be any better so just bought the clear stuff. What I want to know is, is it best to attach a 20mm piece of timber all around the outside. Reasons why I'm.thinking this is that it will give bees better surface to propolise for sealing over winter or do they still manage to do this OK with clear poly.

 

[For want of a better word]

Picked up 4 x 450mmsq off cuts of 6mm of clear polycarbonate sheeting for £45 when up north. Could have got the double walled stuff but wasn't to sure it would be any better so just bought the clear stuff. What I want to know is, is it best to attach a 20mm piece of timber all around the outside. Reasons why I'm.thinking this is that it will give bees better surface to propolise for sealing over winter or do they still manage to do this OK with clear poly.

Bees seem to be happy to propolise pollycarbonate sheet on Paynes polly nucs... so no need to add timber edge.

Yeghes da

 

[AndrewE]

Why not frame it to match your 2 hive box-top timber thicknesses (with a bee-space)? That way the only propolis to be collected and applied is 4 times a single seam about 17 1/2 inches along each side. (I mean 2 sides 16mm wide and 2 at 10 mm - if you are on Nationals.)
Beware that plastic will expand (on the lower side) with warmth from the colony and thus bow down towards the bees, meaning they will propolise it to the top bars too.

 

[clv101]

I would have thought a timber edge would be a good idea to prevent light getting in? Would bees try and propolise areas of light ingress even if there wasn't a draft?

 

[BeeJayBee]

is it best to attach a 20mm piece of timber all around the outside [ of 6mm of clear polycarbonate sheeting]

No need, they will propolise anything they can touch. I use poly crown boards, they glue them to the tops of the boxes over winter, and also between inspections if they think it's a good idea.

By adding a rim you may alter bee space and end up with brace comb above the top bars.

@ clv - the crown board goes under the roof. Not a lot of light there.

 

[irishguy]

No need, they will propolise anything they can touch. I use poly crown boards, they glue them to the tops of the boxes over winter, and also between inspections if they think it's a good idea.

By adding a rim you may alter bee space and end up with brace comb above the top bars.

@ clv - the crown board goes under the roof. Not a lot of light there.

If bottom bee space, adding 6mm between crown board and top of frames ain't going to make bees brace comb I think. Sure that's same measurements between bottom super frame and top brood frame

 

[irishguy]

Bees seem to be happy to propolise pollycarbonate sheet on Paynes polly nucs... so no need to add timber edge.

Yeghes da

Ended up just making the timber right around the edge of poly carb and its 18mm same as walls of hive. Made a notch so the polycarb could just slip in.

 

[AndrewE]

Ended up just making the timber right around the edge of poly carb and its 18mm same as walls of hive.

18mm (wide)... So you are not on Nationals then? My Nationals have timber of 2 different widths round the top.

Look at your top-bars and I suspect that you will see lots of propolis (collected unnecessarily by your bees when they could have been collecting nectar instead) where they have glued them to an overlapping component above.
A

 

[irishguy]

18mm (wide)... So you are not on Nationals then? My Nationals have timber of 2 different widths round the top.

Look at your top-bars and I suspect that you will see lots of propolis (collected unnecessarily by your bees when they could have been collecting nectar instead) where they have glued them to an overlapping component above.
A

3/4 plywood is 18mm and used on both sides of a hive then have 2 runs of pine on other walls and is routered to less than 18mm if I remember correctly.

 

[AndrewE]

3/4 plywood is 18mm and used on both sides of a hive then have 2 runs of pine on other walls and is routered to less than 18mm if I remember correctly.

Exactly so. So to frame a crown board so that it does not get propolised down to the frames below you need 2 sides 18mm wide and 2 of 12 or 13 (1/2 inch.)
It's the same dimensions as the bottom of all National boxes (which should fit exactly over the box below, not overlapping the frames) that should have given you the hint...

I have had very propolis-prone bees over the years which is why I look out for every trick that will reduce the amount they feel the need to bring in...

I still suspect that the plastic covers will bow down towards the colony and get propolised to the frames even if you give them a full beespace round the edges.
A

 

[pargyle]

I use 6mm polycarbonate sheets for my clear crownboard ... doesn't buckle or bend and I have centre holes for feeders to sit on them when needed. (No, they are not OPEN - I use a hole saw to cut the holes and then glue the cut out piece on to a square of the same polycarb to cover the hole when there is no feeder on the hives).

I use strips of the 6mm polycarbonate glued to the crown boards around the periphery to provide bee space so don't need timber edges.

Do they build brace comb on the crownboards ? Yes ... they do ... but it's very easily scraped off with the hive tool .. there's never anything in it, I just think they do it because they like building comb !

My bees propolise for England but they only seem to just use it to seal any gaps that they don't like .. around the insert on the feeder hole for instance. They do stick the crown board down but 6mm is quite robust so it's not too difficult to prise it off.

Wouldn't be without mine ...