Insulation.

[Finman]

I don't see why I should think everything that someone who has 50 hives & kept bees for x number of years is going to be correct. No more than someone who has only one hive is wrong.

Strikes me that most of this "hobby" is mostly guesswork anyway.

Fun though

Yes, it is a miracle.

Every beekeeper starts with one or two hives.
You think that a person is at its best at his very beginning.

Then he becomes more and more stupid. That is odd.


I have allways measured my succes with Honey yield.

20 kg average/hive
40 ....50....60...80...100..130kg

 

[Norfolk]

............I have allways measured my succes with Honey yield.

20 kg average/hive
40 ....50....60...80...100..130kg

I would have thought it was the Bee's success that you are borrowing.

I guess what you are saying is the more hives someone has the more stupid they become, that can't be right though, can it ?

 

[domino]

The simple truth is the more hives you have, the more time in hives you spend and the more experience you get.

 

[mbc]

The simple truth is the more hives you have, the more time in hives you spend and the more experience you get.

Alternatively :
....the more hives you have, the less time you spend interfering with each individual hive, the better they do and the more experienced and competent you think you are

 

[maddydog]

Testing some insulated hive covers at the moment, basically looking to remove the need for wooden/metal roofs. Having looked at the thermal images of hives in winter it seems to me that a lot of heat is lost where hive components meet e.g. BB to CB. They're full BB depth and so should help retain heat when the first super goes on aswell.
Prototype 1 - kingspan type but without the silver foil. Glued only & 2 coats of brown masonary paint. Standing up to the elements and use so far
Prototype 2 - kingspan (silver type) with seams aluminum taped and glued plus 2 coats of masonry paint. Doesn't seem as robust as P1, the silver foil delaminates and the glue adheres only moderately i believe. Annoyingly the rain finds any holes and buries beneath the paint causing bubbles
Hence possible Prototype 3 - I've sorced some 3mm brown perspex. I'm thinking of glueing said perspex to the outside and using silicon to seal any gaps, thus waterproofing and strengthening the ‘cosy‘ simultaneously.

 

[Itchy]

I'm going to cover mine with fibreglass over Kingspan...or thin aluminium over Kingspan next time I dismantle a caravan

 

[Finman]

I'm going to cover mine with fibreglass

That is not nice insulation material in hives. You produce honey. Glass wool makes fine glass itchy spike dust, and dust move inside the hive and onto your skin and clothes.

Stonewool is not that bad, but wool dust is not proper near honey production.

When you use Kinspan, it is surely enough as insulator.

Check the ventilation, how much you use during winter. And wind protection.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

That is not nice insulation material in hives. You produce honey. Glass wool makes fine glass spike dust, and dust move inside the hive and onto your skin and clothes.

Stonewool is not that bad, but wool dust is not proper near honey production.

When you use Kinspan, it is surely enough as insulator.

Check the ventilation, how much you use during winter. And wind protection.

I think you may be confusing fibre-glass wool with fibreglass reinforced resin such as used for building boats and cars or waterproofing roofs. I have used the reinforced resin on my hive cosy covers. The resin attacks polystyrene unless there is a barrier between them.

 

[Finman]

I think you may be confusing fibre-glass wool with fibreglass reinforced resin .

OK. It will be rain cover...not insulation material....that language barrier

.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

I'm going to cover mine with fibreglass over Kingspan...or thin aluminium over Kingspan next time I dismantle a caravan

I went along the thin-aluminium-from-a-caravan route. There's a picture and construction details of the Hive Cozy on
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?p=370238#post370238

CVB

 

[user 6228]

found that ally is ony really needed on the corners

 

[pargyle]

found that ally is ony really needed on the corners

Hi Derek,

What glue do you use on your Kingspan ? I know that you reinforce the joints with barbecue skewers but do you also glue the faces together ?

 

[Itchy]

the fibreglass cover for the Kingspan "Derek bonnet" appears ideal - strong, waterproof, paintable and light.

 

[madasafish]

I have used "industrial" insulation for my hive exteriors. 35mms thick , on one side is the obligatory aluminium fail, on the other a stippled covering - rather like a bubble surface wallpaper. which is much stronger. (Cheap from a demolished Premier Foods factory)

Paint with green Hammerite and it gives a TOUGH surface..

PU glue works perfectly.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/67529087@N02/sets/72157638202801973/

 

[user 6228]

Hi Derek,

What glue do you use on your Kingspan ? I know that you reinforce the joints with barbecue skewers but do you also glue the faces together ?

unibond megagrip plus (outdoor variant, solvent based)

 

[Finman]

.
Best, and only glue to use for stryfoam materials is polyutrethe ( PU) glue.

Spray faintly water on surfaces ,because water hardens the bgue. Then push parts together and put screw or something into joints. Glue makes little bit foam and it pushes parts apart if the joint is not under pressure.

If you glue Kingspan, take the aluminium layer off from joint site, because it is quite loosly glued.

If you have polystyrene insulating foam, you may use it too. It is simpler to use. Rub bubbles from foan and you get glue from it. It is very fast to harden.

When hardened, cut extra material off.

Protect your skins with plastic cloves ---- and be carefull with your clothes....

PU is quite weak as a glue. JOint will not stand much forces.

.

.

 

[Finman]

-

Adhesives & Tapes : UniBond Mega Grip Adhesive

Size: 300ml

This product should not be used with mirrors, polyethylene, polypropylene or expanded polystyrene.

http://www.cutplasticsheeting.co.uk/adhesives-tapes/unibond-mega-grip-adhesive

 

[user 6228]

-

Adhesives & Tapes : UniBond Mega Grip Adhesive

Size: 300ml

This product should not be used with mirrors, polyethylene, polypropylene or expanded polystyrene.

http://www.cutplasticsheeting.co.uk/adhesives-tapes/unibond-mega-grip-adhesive

PIR is not expanded polystyrene

 

[Finman]

.
OK, new to me

wikipwdia: Polyisocyanurate, also referred to as PIR, polyiso, or ISO, is a thermoset plastic[1] typically produced as a foam and used as rigid thermal insulation. Its chemistry is similar to polyurethane (PUR) except that the proportion of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) is higher and a polyester-derived polyol is used in the reaction instead of a polyether polyol. Catalysts and additives used in PIR formulations also differ from those used in PUR.

 

[user 6228]

The mega grip works on correx which is polypropylene however this is polypropylene that has been treated so you can paint it.