Hive insulation

[Shutler]

With winter setting in and temperatures reportedly dropping to -3°C here in the south, I’m curious to hear everyone’s thoughts.

At the moment, I have organic sheep's wool above the crownboard for insulation, but does anyone else wrap their hive for added protection during the colder months?

For context, it’s a National hive with a gabled roof. Would love to know what works best for you!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

noone in the UK, in their right minds wraps their hives.
But what you should do is cut a piece of 50mm PIR (celotex) to fit snuglu inside the roof and fix it permanently in place - after blocking off any 'vents'

 

[Shutler]

noone in the UK, in their right minds wraps their hives.
But what you should do is cut a piece of 50mm PIR (celotex) to fit snuglu inside the roof and fix it permanently in place - after blocking off any 'vents'

I hadn’t considered the PIR insulation approach, but it sounds like a great idea. I’ll look into getting some and making the adjustments. Out of curiosity, would the sheep’s wool I’ve added above the crown board achieve a similar effect? Really appreciate the advice.

 

[Erichalfbee]

With winter setting in and temperatures reportedly dropping to -3°C here in the south, I’m curious to hear everyone’s thoughts.

At the moment, I have organic sheep's wool above the crownboard for insulation, but does anyone else wrap their hive for added protection during the colder months?

For context, it’s a National hive with a gabled roof. Would love to know what works best for you!

50mm PIR on the crown board.
I used to do this but all my colonies are in poly now

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

would the sheep’s wool I’ve added above the crown board achieve a similar effect? Really appreciate the advice.

I'd forgotten that you said you'd used wool - and that you had a gabled roof. Yes, wool would to the trick, same, I woild seal off the vents then pack the whole roof space with wool.
Dani's idea of just putting a slab of PIR on the crownboard would work too, trouble with fagle roofs is you haven't got the luxury of the 'telescope' roof (aspecially If you have an extra deep flat roof.

 

[ericbeaumont]

wrap their hive for added protection

Best insulation for bees is more bees, so if you've reduced the hive volume so as to pack them in, treated for varroa and they're up to weight, then no more need be done except to seal lid & roof and insulate the space above. PIR outranks sheep's wool in terms of thermal efficiency.

 

[Sutty]

One insulation material i have used recently (for insulating around and above a rapid feeder in a spare super) is loft insulation - but  not the glassfibre/rockwool stuff, but the stuff made from recycled plastic bottles. I'm not sure I'd use it much in a loft as I suspect it's flammable.

 

[Garry R]

The idea of PIR is great with one big but.... You must ensure that there is not a single pin prick, tear or rip in the foil which can allow water to get into the Celotex. I was asked by someone to check on some hives which seemed to be abandoned and in the course of the inspection I realised that the insulation itself as the most wonderful sponge and the surrounding box was waterlogged. Not sure if they survived as they disappared but I doubt it. The weight of the hives was collossal. Like Erichalbee I I keep in polyhives and have done since 1977 and they do not mop up water like Celotex.

 

[Penninetrader]

All sounds much too high brow, those who poopoo insulating hives seem to have little problem with permanently insulated manufactured plastic tubs. I insulate and draughtproof in the way I see best. Foam insulation that is dense in structure does not draw water to any degree. And yes, more bees less unnecessary space in winter.

 

[pargyle]

The idea of PIR is great with one big but.... You must ensure that there is not a single pin prick, tear or rip in the foil which can allow water to get into the Celotex. I was asked by someone to check on some hives which seemed to be abandoned and in the course of the inspection I realised that the insulation itself as the most wonderful sponge and the surrounding box was waterlogged. Not sure if they survived as they disappared but I doubt it. The weight of the hives was collossal. Like Erichalbee I I keep in polyhives and have done since 1977 and they do not mop up water like Celotex.

Aluminium tape to cover the cut edges and the whole lot given a couple of coats of Garden Shades renders PIR almost totally weatherproof - my solar wax melter stood outside for 10 years without deteriorating - what finished it was me thinking I could use it with steam as a wax melter - big mistake !

 

[Erichalfbee]

The idea of PIR is great with one big but.... You must ensure that there is not a single pin prick, tear or rip in the foil which can allow water to get into the Celotex.

You cover every surface with overlapping aluminium tape then you paint them.
The ones in my photo were before they were painted. Laborious, yes, but lasted a good ten years.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I have a stack of PIR with unprotected cut edges sat outside the shed for the best part of ten years - maybe not as dry as they were on the day they were cut, but definitely not sodden

 

[pargyle]

I have a stack of PIR with unprotected cut edges sat outside the shed for the best part of ten years - maybe not as dry as they were on the day they were cut, but definitely not sodden

There have been problems with sprayed polyurethane foam used as permanent buoyancy in small boats - in some cases where the cavities were formed such that water could get into them the polyurethane foam actually did soak up water over a period of time. The added weight not only negated any benefit of the original bouyancy but contributed to a capsize.

I was involved in a tragic boating accident where a child died - it was a dory that had foam filled cavities and had been considered a very safe platform - as a result of the design rainwater ingress into the cavity, soaking the foam, had added massive additional weight - the foam acted like a giant sponge. The situation made worse by the low freeboard of the dory. A situation arose where the weight of the people on board was transferred to one side of the boat (which would not have been an issue if the foam was dry) but the additional weight of the sodden foam - followed by other free water in the 'sealed' cavity caused a capsize.

 

[madasafish]

Crows and magpies peck holes in my PIR roofs. I don't mend them before summer when warm and dry.
ZERO water is found in the damaged roof.
(I fill the holes and repaint.. )

 

[Penninetrader]

Crows and magpies peck holes in my PIR roofs. I don't mend them before summer when warm and dry.
ZERO water is found in the damaged roof.
(I fill the holes and repaint.. )

Do you not cover with a little ply or metal ? How does the paint stick to the foil or is not foil faced

 

[Garry R]

A spray of carpet adhesive and a piece of pond liner does the trick. Light weight and waterproof.

 

[Phill M]

2 insulation threads.

 

[JamezF]

Very nice. Sadly I've not been able to find a supplier of camouflage paint.

James

 

[Phill M]

Ha ha. It's vinyl car wrap.
I make these out of 30mm pir.
Back to back.
30mm pvc channel to top off the edges and 30mm pvc angle for the frames to sit on.
All stuck with ob1.
Phill.

 

[Phill M]

As you can see they are long hives.
External dimensions. 500mm x 1200mm.
Internal 380mm x 1140.
I start the season with a colony in 1 end. I do a horizontal demerae and have a Queen in both ends and honey frames in the middle.
Phill. M .