Insulation

[fatshark]

I've lined the inside of the roof of my hive with polystyrene sheet for insulation. However, in the last check of the year - putting the mouse guards and woodpecker protection in place - I noticed that the bees have started to chew away some of the polystyrene directly above the central hole in the crown board.

Should I worry? Is it necessary? Should I perhaps place a carpet square above the crown board to separate them from the insulation? This is my first hive and I want to give them the best chance of getting through the winter. They've got loads of stores ...

With thanks
David

 

[daytonadean]

some bees do and some don't.
last winter i had a hive strip and remove a large slab of polystyrine and deposit it out front.... i put a plastic cover over the crown board hole in the end.. that stopped em.

 

[Haughton Honey]

Cover the central hole in the crownboard if you have an open mesh floor. It doesn't need to be open (some say at all, unless feeding).

 

[Finman]

.
Polystyrene board is not good as inner cover.
Better is stuff which transfer moisture outside the hive.


'Uper insulation should be such that mice cannot make nest or holes there.

I have 10 mm wood board and them 70 mm foam plastic matress. It is the year around.
This structure stands about 20 years.

many use soft wood fibre insulating board but bees bite that too.

 

[steve1958]

When I made my last purchase at Thornes I bought an Insulated Quilt

Cost me £3.25

Its a bit like the emergency blankets the 999 services use
in that with the foil side downwards it reflects the heat back down into the Hive.

Or with the foil side upermost it will reflect heat away from the Hive in the summer months.

 

[MuswellMetro]

When I made my last purchase at Thornes I bought an Insulated Quilt

Cost me £3.25

Its a bit like the emergency blankets the 999 services use
in that with the foil side downwards it reflects the heat back down into the Hive.

Or with the foil side upermost it will reflect heat away from the Hive in the summer months.

i just use inside a 1/4 of an emegency space blanket..99p for afull one from ebay and any old waste expanded poly styrene weighted down with a brick on the flat roof ( outside)....currently the poly insulation from my laptop box will be my winter insualtion...fits exactly

 

[steve1958]

This will be my first winter as a Bee keeper, so I shall be saying lots of prayers, and keeping an eye on the weather forecast.
And of course resisting the urge to take a look inside.
I did suggest to my wife we bring the little loves indoors for the winter,
but she was not amused.
We don’t get too bad a winter here in the south, so things should be OK.

 

[plumber]

all the quilts etc are impervius to water vapour ie polstyrene space blanket thornes quilt.
just back from pub so typing rubbish.

so my toughts
1 brood
2 open mesh travaling screen
3 breathable fabric as used in outdoor wear tacked to an eke
4 glass wool mat
5 vented roof
6?

this is basicly how a house roof would work allowing moisture up and out but retaining heat

 

[Finman]

all the quilts etc are impervius to water vapour ie polstyrene space blanket thornes quilt.
just back from pub so typing rubbish.

so my toughts
1 brood
2 open mesh travaling screen
3 breathable fabric as used in outdoor wear tacked to an eke
4 glass wool mat
5 vented roof
6?

this is basicly how a house roof would work allowing moisture up and out but retaining heat

That is a good construction.

That blanket makes no sence. It stops moisture moving. Instead of that use insulating mat.

.

 

[Finman]

.
I have
1 brood
2 10 x 50 mm wood boads with nails + 7 cm frame
3
4 foam plastic sleeping matress
5 vented roof
6 Rain cover

I have not a good picture but my inner cover is leaning against the carry.
It has a framed box for insulation material, what ever you use.

The whole inner cover is made from recycled material.

 

[PaleoPerson]

Looking at Polyhive's 1930 videos, what about several layers of hessian/canvas?

 

[Poly Hive]

The classic in Aberdeenshire, not noted for gentle winters was a blanket.

PH