Hive wrap

[enrico]

I don't bother. I fill the joints with silicone bathroom sealer.

So do I, works a treat. On all inside joints.
E

 

[.B.]

To all of you who use these bonnets / cosys – have you seen moisture building up under the top of the bonnet, or on the top of the crownboard? Especially in winter, if you were to lift it off to see.

 

[Finman]

To all of you who use these bonnets / cosys – have you seen moisture building up under the top of the bonnet, or on the top of the crownboard? Especially in winter, if you were to lift it off to see.

You must add insulation on it, if condensation happens.
The moisture condensates onto the coldest surface. The is the main rule.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

To all of you who use these bonnets / cosys – have you seen moisture building up under the top of the bonnet, or on the top of the crownboard? Especially in winter, if you were to lift it off to see.

I have never seen condensation on my clear crown boards under a Cosy; in fact, the crown board is warm to the touch, even in winter.

DerekM will confirm that keeping them warm in winter changes their behaviour - they no longer need to form a tight cluster in a typical British winter. They can therefore move around to their stores so there's less chance of isolation starvation. The added plus point is that, as the heat they produce is conserved, they use less energy (and therefore stores) in maintaining the hive temperature. Adding a 100mm and 50mm cosy to the top and side respectively is roughly the equivalent of the bees being in a tree with a 150mm thickness of tree wood around them.

On the question of sealing the corners, inside and out, I've taken to cutting my pieces of Recticel insulation on a table saw because you get clean, square cuts - I had not found a way of cutting with a knife that consistently produce square cuts (and therefore no air gaps).

CVB

 

[Erichalfbee]

Always dry for me. I have a square of PIR cut to fit wooden crown board then cosy goes on top. Crown board is warm as CVB

 

[.B.]

Ok, good to know, thanks again.

 

[bpmurray]

What about the roof? I presume that won't fit over the cosy, or do you dispense with the roof while the cosy's on?

 

[Erichalfbee]

No roof

 

[charlievictorbravo]

My cosies incorporate a roof - fettled out of aluminium sheet taken from a scrapped caravan - see photo.

I aimed to ensure that as much rain as possible was shed so that it does not run down the side of the cosy.

CVB

 

[NewBeeMan]

I like the bonnet idea but is their any problem as regards humidity/ventilation.

I was thinking of making a frame and covering it in roofing felt. That way it will absorb heat and hopefully create an insulating air gap.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I like the bonnet idea but is their any problem as regards humidity/ventilation.

.

Mine are always bone dry inside.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

I like the bonnet idea but is their any problem as regards humidity/ventilation.

I was thinking of making a frame and covering it in roofing felt. That way it will absorb heat and hopefully create an insulating air gap.

My suspicion is that any air gap greater than about 10mm will allow convection air movements to cool the hive or will even allow the wind to blow your warm insulating air away from the enclosure. If you're going to make anything, make a cosy/bonnet out of celotex/recticel/kingspan/

I've never encountered humidity or ventilation problem with the use of a cosy - by conserving heat, the bees in theory should have more collective energy for other things like ventilation.

CVB