Hive insulation

[echidna]

2 insulation threads.

I'm intrigued by what looks like sponges in the photo. Are they soaked in oxalic acid or similar?

 

[Phill M]

No not sponges.
They are small blocks of wood.
I put these either side of the feeder hole in the crown board (perspex) so the bees don't get squashed.

 

[ken in NH]

At the risk of sounding (being) dumb- what is PIR?

 

[JamezF]

At the risk of sounding (being) dumb- what is PIR?

Polyisocyanurate (can you guess why people call it PIR? ). Sold in the UK and Europe as a rigid foam board faced with aluminium foil, anywhere between 12mm (½") and 150mm+ (6") thick, for insulating buildings, typically used between the leaves of a hollow wall and between rafters/joists.

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

At the risk of sounding (being) dumb- what is PIR?

This

 

[echidna]

No not sponges.
They are small blocks of wood.
I put these either side of the feeder hole in the crown board (perspex) so the bees don't get squashed.

Ah, thanks. I wondered if you were trying a varroa treatment like Randy Oliver. Looks like you've put a lot of thought and effort into your set up.

 

[JamezF]

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.

Where did you get the PVC channel, out of interest?

James

 

[Phill M]

All the plastic. Channel and angle come from MKM extrusions.
1 Long hive 30-32 frames. 14x12.
Fully built costs me around £125.
All materials bought new in bulk.
Takes about just 2-3 hours to build.
Phill. M .

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

I wrote a response to David Wilkinson's article on Derek Mitchell's research in the October issue of BBKA News. It wasn't printed in the following issue so I'll attach it here. Easy to ignore and not click!

 

[madasafish]

How to test your roof insulation?
If the snow on the roof melts quicker than the surrounding snow, your insulation is inadequate.
Overnight 5cms of snow still there on my hives..

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I wrote a response to David Wilkinson's article on Derek Mitchell's research in the October issue of BBKA News. It wasn't printed in the following issue so I'll attach it here. Easy to ignore and not click!

why do you obsess about ventilation? have you ever read Wedmore's 'On the ventilation of beehives' it's just a classic example of 'baffle them with ******** and meaningless figures'
most of us here don't give the hives any form of 'ventilation' but leave it to bees, as do most of us not obsess with insulation but seem it good practice to insulate above the crownboard.
not wanting to waste my money on BBKA membership, I have no idea what Wilkinson said so I can't comment on that

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

why do you obsess about ventilation?

I'm not! (Apparently I'm not very clear either!) I wrote:

Thür argued that the health of the colony depended on preserving the hive atmosphere, which he described as warm, humid, odorous, germ-free and pheromone-laden – a microclimate that should not be ventilated away.

And how are we to avoid dampness if we opt for a reduced level of ventilation? By insulating the top of the hive. With proper insulation, rising warm air wouldn’t collide with a cold crownboard. Consequently, there would be much less condensation. Any condensation that did form would likely run down the sides of the hive, causing no harm and providing the bees with a useful source of water in winter. I now keep the top of my hives insulated year-round, giving some protection not only from winter cold but also from summer heat.

 

[Phill M]

So. All my hives have no ventilation, apart from the round hole in the solid floor, which is 40mm if I remember rightly.
So 3 holes. I in each end for bees to get in and out, and 1 right in the middle which is left open during the summer and blocked for winter.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

what sort of hive have you?

 

[Phill M]

Check back through the thread.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

ah yes, of course, busy today so not paying proper attention!

 

[Lolly Bee]

I'm not! (Apparently I'm not very clear either!) I wrote:

Thür argued that the health of the colony depended on preserving the hive atmosphere, which he described as warm, humid, odorous, germ-free and pheromone-laden – a microclimate that should not be ventilated away.

And how are we to avoid dampness if we opt for a reduced level of ventilation? By insulating the top of the hive. With proper insulation, rising warm air wouldn’t collide with a cold crownboard. Consequently, there would be much less condensation. Any condensation that did form would likely run down the sides of the hive, causing no harm and providing the bees with a useful source of water in winter. I now keep the top of my hives insulated year-round, giving some protection not only from winter cold but also from summer heat.

May I ask what you use for insulation?

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

May I ask what you use for insulation?

50mm PIR (Kingspan etc) on top of the crownboard. I fit it in an eke like this but others fit it inside the roof, sometimes removing the strips of wood round the inside edges.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

others fit it inside the roof, sometimes removing the strips of wood round the inside edges.

the strips are just a hangover from the time of gaping holes in crownboards and vents in the roof to ensure 'good ventilation' I haven't incorporated any of those battens in my hive roofs since my first hive, nor have I any vents in the roofs. the battens don't offer any structural benefits whatsoever so use them for making ekes and suchlike

 

[Penninetrader]

I make my roofs deep enough to accommodate 50mm PIr insulation, left in place year round. If I judge hives could be too hot, bees bearding or fanning entrances, in summer then I place 1/4 inch strips on top of disc vented crownboard