Insulation Quilt (sponge type)

[thepliedes]

Sorry to repeat but need clarity/advice on this. I haven't used one before. I bought a sponge type (see page 30 in Thorne's catalogue). It says to be used on top of brood box or in an empty super. I had bought it to use on top fo the crown board between it and the roof.

Can I have thoughts from your experience please? 'Wild' bees in trees apparently keep bottom of the tree 'open' and close over the top above them. So I thought it would be better on top of the crown board when no feeding in progress.

Thanks.

 

[casualman]

Put on top of Crown Board. Make sure hole in Crown Board is closed as well.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Here is one members thoughts about them...


I bought a load of those insulating quilts in the thrns sale last year. They were rubbish. The hives were too damp and I lost a lot of bees.

From this thread........http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=20752

 

[drstitson]

kingspan. see threads passim.

 

[itma]

Sorry to repeat but need clarity/advice on this. I haven't used one before. I bought a sponge type (see page 30 in Thorne's catalogue). It says to be used on top of brood box or in an empty super. I had bought it to use on top fo the crown board between it and the roof.

Can I have thoughts from your experience please? 'Wild' bees in trees apparently keep bottom of the tree 'open' and close over the top above them. So I thought it would be better on top of the crown board when no feeding in progress.

Thanks.

Use an open mesh floor. No inspection board.
Use a crownboard without an open hole (just cover the hole, the bees will seal it with prop - but you could open it if you need to feed). Or make one (so easy I can do it with B&Q cut ply). Or better get a clear plastic one (bit trickier to make) so you can observe the bees without fully opening the hive.

Then put some insulation on top of the cover board. The more the better. There's nothing very special (or all that great) about your sponge. As the doc says, Kingspan (or similar) is much better.
If you use an empty super above the crown board, you can fill it with your sponge and/or any other insulation.
A plastic coverboard will seal any moisture from below reaching the insulation.
Then put the roof on top. If its watertight, the insulation protected from above and below, will stay dry.
And your roof should have small insect-proof vents, so you don't get any condensation above the insulation and under the roof. On a National, they should be the funny rectangular 'dents' in the sides ...

Hope that's clear enough.
/ its much more prescriptive and with less optional consideration than I really like - but you asked for clear direction!

 

[alanf]

I bought a sponge type (see page 30 in Thorne's catalogue). It says to be used on top of brood box or in an empty super. I had bought it to use on top fo the crown board between it and the roof.

I had seen these blocks. They appear to be like the reconstituted chip foam sold for upholstery. One feature of the stuff is that it's open cell, that is like a sponge it will soak up water. If there is any condensation or rain leaks water will be held against whatever you have underneath, potentially damp and cold leading to more condensation and eventually rot. The kingspan/celotex/xtratherm/knaufboard type insulation is closed cell and faced with foil, it's much more resistant to becoming a wet sponge.

Since it's sized and sold to sit in a super or eke above the crownboard presumably it works in some circumstances. And the springyness should allow a draught proof seal around it. You read about material like hessian being stuffed into supers as insulation, that could also hold moisture. If I did try it I'd be very wary and check regularly to be sure it's not getting damp. On the other hand, it's the sort of foam salvaged from sofas that many use to block the entrance when they're moving hives so it's not completely useless even if you don't use it as insulation.