Hive records in poly roof

[Roola]

Ok, stick with me here... I may be shouted down or told it is stupid... that's fine as i'd rather that than waste my time.

I predominantly use swienty polys, now I know these are designed to use without crown board but I got sick of the roof being stuck down with prop and wax. As a result I use crown boards. Now previously i have kept a record sheet for the hive on a piece of laminated paper under the roof on top of the crown board but this year got fed up with them blowing off the crown board or slipping below the stand so I started thinking about how I could use the underside of the roof as the record sheet. Now obviously I can't write direct on to the poly, and this is where you guys come in.... is there some kind of product you can think of that can be applied to the poly to form a smooth writable (with drywipe pen) surface that can then be wiped away? This may seem like a silly idea to some but i'm certain if it works it would save some effing and jeffing this coming season. Any ideas?

 

[Quis Custodiet]

Not being facetious, but have you considered giving the surface a coat of paint? If an appropriate paint is oil/spirit based, use a coat or two of water based paint first.

 

[midnight sun]

Ok, stick with me here... I may be shouted down or told it is stupid... that's fine as i'd rather that than waste my time.

I predominantly use swienty polys, now I know these are designed to use without crown board but I got sick of the roof being stuck down with prop and wax. As a result I use crown boards. Now previously i have kept a record sheet for the hive on a piece of laminated paper under the roof on top of the crown board but this year got fed up with them blowing off the crown board or slipping below the stand so I started thinking about how I could use the underside of the roof as the record sheet. Now obviously I can't write direct on to the poly, and this is where you guys come in.... is there some kind of product you can think of that can be applied to the poly to form a smooth writable (with drywipe pen) surface that can then be wiped away? This may seem like a silly idea to some but i'm certain if it works it would save some effing and jeffing this coming season. Any ideas?

White 'sticky backed' plastic for shelves. Homebase DIY store.

 

[Tremyfro]

You could buy sticky backed blackboard paper and use chalk.

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Saw a guy stick duct tape on to write notes on

 

[Erichalfbee]

You need an assistant to take notes

 

[madasafish]

Piece of correx sheet . And use a felt tipped pen..

 

[For want of a better word]

Piece of correx sheet . And use a felt tipped pen..

That is exactly as I have been doing with the white correx crownboards as supplied with the Beehivesupplies pollys!
Writing in the roof means just that one extra maneuver costing a couple of more minutes rach inspection... turning it over, etc etc!

Yeghes da

 

[Swarm]

Laminated sheet and drawing pins? I think the assistant is the best idea.

 

[derekm]

Dont use a wooden crown board as it compromises the insulation (you did buy a poly for the insulation value didnt you?). instead use a piece of PIR (kingspan, Recticel etc)

 

[Plenty of honey]

Saw a guy stick duct tape on to write notes on

Yup, just use duck tape, i converted this year, unfortunately my writing is terrible so half the time i cant understand what i wrote, but its getting there!!

https://youtu.be/M9Qnzf-2BAU

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

use some kind of numbering system for the hives and mark them all - same number on record sheets and keep them all in a folder in the car

 

[mintmoth]

If you leave your notes inside the hive, how do you remember, when you get home, what will need doing next time you visit, so you can take the appropriate equipment? (Maybe that's a stupid question, but I'm a beginner and also very forgetful)

 

[Hivemaker.]

use some kind of numbering system for the hives and mark them all - same number on record sheets and keep them all in a folder in the car

also bricks or even stones placed in a certain way on roofs make good markers to remember certain things.

And for the mini mating nucs use numbers in combination with those plastic topped map pins, pin holding excluder over entrance = mated queen in, pin at top holding excluder = needs cell, and at bottom corner = virgin in.

 

[stevebrowning]

one problem with writing on the roof only is, what if two roofs accidentally get swopped?especially as polly roofs like to blow all over the place. I write on roofs in my own short hand then write up properly sat in the van ( where the notes always stay)
I also have a few bricks in use too, brick stood on its end on the roof tells me 'dead out' with just a glance

 

[For want of a better word]

Dont use a wooden crown board as it compromises the insulation (you did buy a poly for the insulation value didnt you?). instead use a piece of PIR (kingspan, Recticel etc)

How does the Correx sheet stand up as far as insulation goes... 4mm thick no feed holes/ feed hole covered in another piece of correx, under a close fitting polly roof????

Yeghes da

 

[BeeJayBee]

I predominantly use swienty polys, now I know these are designed to use without crown board ...

They aren't designed to be used without a crown board or inner cover. Swienty provides a "transparent plastic innercover" as part of the complete hive but it is quite thin and looks fragile.
http://www.swienty.com/shop/vare.asp?side=0&vareid=100062

Some beekeepers prefer to use a sheet of polycarbonate, correx, or some thick polythene as a crown board or 'inner cover'. I prefer the polycarbonate, but the correx might make a useful SHB trap.

If you use polycarbonate you could write records on it using a queen marking pen or a board marker.

 

[B+.]

Saw a guy stick duct tape on to write notes on

Mike Palmer does this in his videos. I tried it last year on my nucs. I'm not sure if I was just using some sort of cheap duct tape but the "permanent" ink faded/washed off....so it didn't really work for me

 

[madasafish]

I use a waterproof double sided clipboard, paper - one sheet per hive - and a biro attached by string.

Not high tech but easy to carry, easy to use, rubber band holds sheets in a wind and it's unaffected by propolis .

Takes about 30 secs to write up..

 

[Millet]

The records i have been keeping would require a sheet of 8ft x 4ft ply.. i have a little note book instead.