Hive Insulation - October BBKA News

[Millet]

The bees are in a vessel with an bottom opening which is very different for CO2 and they are equiped with SCVA (Self Contained Ventilating Aparatus)

oh and they dont lose conciousness until ~60% CO2 unlike humans at 10%

Czekońska, K. (2009). The effect of different concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) in a mixture with air or nitrogen upon the survival of the honey bee (Apis mellifera). Journal of Apicultural Research, 48(1), 67–71. http://doi.org/10.3896/IBRA.1.48.1.13

Keep writing this information it amazes me how folk find out and know this.

 

[Finman]

They don't bother much with that here, as there is always something to do out, when it is warm enough.

That is why you have there huge yields.

 

[Fusion_power]

I designed the square Dadant depth hives with an interior divider that cuts them down to half the normal volume for winter and can winter a colony on each side of the divider on 7 combs. Each comb can hold about 4 kg of honey so 5 full frames provides about 20 kg. Since I just completed moving bees into these new hives, I don't yet have enough information to say how effective they will be.

I situate my apiaries on the south edge of deciduous tree lines so the trees provide shade in summer and sun in winter while reducing wind speed significantly.

 

[Finman]

I designed the square Dadant depth hives with an interior divider that cuts them down to half the normal volume for winter and can winter a colony on each side of the divider on 7 combs. Each comb can hold about 4 kg of honey so 5 full frames provides about 20 kg. Since I just completed moving bees into these new hives, I don't yet have enough information to say how effective they will be.

I situate my apiaries on the south edge of deciduous tree lines so the trees provide shade in summer and sun in winter while reducing wind speed significantly.

So, you are not going to add insulation value in walls. It needs to do only in brood boxes.
.

 

[pargyle]

I like the philosophy just visible through the OCR... (see thread on "Hobby" v "Amateur" http://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=38147)

1, \ , to improve the quality" of life • \
Zi "to 1 provide an, Interesting and'rewarding leisure activity
3. to produce financial savings , '• ' .„ • »»>^. • ■

<ADD> p 41 has a section on making foundation moulds out of "Kaffa Dee". I suppose now it's just silicone rubber but anyone remember and can describe Kaffaa Dee? (and the smell of GripFix - mmmm....)

Yes ... My copy came from one of those lovely junk/second hand/books shops in Sheffield - bought it because it was a bee book and at 50p who can resist buying another bee book. It's a nice little book with some interesting points ... Bill Bielby really was a thinking and innovative beekeeper but not averse to taking the best ideas from the past and playing with them. He's one of the people I would like to have had a chat with over a couple of pints ...

His book is now on Amazon for 1p + the postage - even at £2.82 it's worth having and passing on ...

 

[madasafish]

In the UK, I suspect wet walls due to rain cause the biggest loss of heat - due to evaporation of water and wind chill.That's why overhanging roofs and/or hive cosies do make a difference.

 

[Finman]

In the UK, I suspect wet walls due to rain cause the biggest loss of heat - due to evaporation of water and wind chill.That's why overhanging roofs and/or hive cosies do make a difference.

Main reason to paint wood is to protect wood against rain and sun. So many admire unprotected wood.

Wet hive is like to wear wet clothes.

 

[user 6228]

Main reason to paint wood is to protect wood against rain and sun. So many admire unprotected wood.

Wet hive is like to wear wet clothes.

I must agree with the last comment it is very useful analogy.

if your hive is wood make it like a cagoule not like a cotton t-shirt
and/or do the equivalent of standing it in a bus shelter

 

[JC47]

I'm a new Beekeeper and wondered if it was OK to leave
the 50mm of insulation on all year ? I have considered
permanently fixing it in a roof. Any comments will be
appreciated ?

 

[BeeJayBee]

I'm a new Beekeeper and wondered if it was OK to leave
the 50mm of insulation on all year ? I have considered
permanently fixing it in a roof. Any comments will be
appreciated ?

Yes, leave it on all year round. It will help the bees regulate the hive temperature on hot summer days as well as on cold winter days.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

I'm a new Beekeeper and wondered if it was OK to leave

the 50mm of insulation on all year ? I have considered

permanently fixing it in a roof. Any comments will be

appreciated ?

If you fix it make sure it sits hard on the crownboard all the way round, no gaps, rather than the roof carrying its own weight.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'm a new Beekeeper and wondered if it was OK to leave
the 50mm of insulation on all year ? I have considered
permanently fixing it in a roof. Any comments will be
appreciated ?

All my roofs have celotex permanently fixed inside - no gaps, no battens around the edge to leave a gap between roof and crownboard, no vents.

 

[MartinL]

OK: I feel like a good birching.

Glucose and fructose are C6H12O6 so C6H12O6 + 6O2 => 6CO2 ignored + 6H20 all "from" the sugar (G%d know how the O atoms are allocated. Randomly? Has any loon burnt sugar in O18?)

Or approx (12*1 + 6*16) / (6*12 + 12*1 + 6*16) = 108/180 or 0.6 water and surely there was an easier way to do that? Ach, of course, all divides by 6 so 18/30. Next time.

So if the honey is 16% water already we yield 16 + .6*84 pct water or 66.4pct call it exactly 2/3.

At last....
A Chemist
Physicists stand back & learn!

 

[MartinL]

.

in my country all colonies die in brick chimneys during winter.
.

Everything die in my chimney whenever we light a fire!
It's not seasonally dependant.

 

[Zante]

Yes, leave it on all year round. It will help the bees regulate the hive temperature on hot summer days as well as on cold winter days.

As a matter of fact I was planning on insulating my hives the year round even in sunny Italy (or more precisely because of the sunny part)

 

[MartinL]

Are we not missing something here?

The magazine is produced,

for beekeepers
by Journalists

 

[Finman]

Everything die in my chimney whenever we light a fire!
It's not seasonally dependant.

It is because bees do not make nest in the chimney where people keep fire. They make it into ventilation canals.
.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

Are we not missing something here?

The magazine is produced,

for beekeepers
by Journalists

I'm not sure that is correct. It seems to me to be produced for BBKA members (beekeepers) by other beekeepers and occasionally academics. As has been pointed out, there is an article by a beekeeper from Newbury in the same newsletter advocating the use of WBC hives due to its insulating properties.

Sharon Blake from Somerset is the BBKA News Editor. I don't know whether she is a professional or just a gifted amateur but she seems to have given both sides of the arguments an opportunity to present their views, however outdated they may appear to be.

If only we could persuade a certain person - no names, no pack drill - to write the definitive article on the thermodynamics of hives.

CVB

 

[Finman]

I'm a new Beekeeper and wondered if it was OK to leave
the 50mm of insulation on all year ? I have considered
permanently fixing it in a roof. Any comments will be
appreciated ?

If you are satisfied with 40 mm insulation, then you have ready solution. IT is polyhive.

Why you need to have 50 mm?

 

[Zante]

If you are satisfied with 40 mm insulation, then you have ready solution. IT is polyhive.

Why you need to have 50 mm?

In my case it's because I don't have a choice.
The only standard that is easily found in Italy is Dadant, and there is no poly version of that. None that I've found at least.

There is the possibility of getting poly Langstroth, but it's hard enough to find timber Langs, and anyway everyone around where I will move has Dadant. I might as well have British National hives.