insulation

[Newbeeneil]

I needed a few more insulation slabs for the hives so I put a note on the local "Buy nothing" FB page last night. Had 3 messages this morning and picked up enough 2" thick insulation to make up a dozen pieces with a bit of judicious gluing and taping !

 

[Wilco]

I needed a few more insulation slabs for the hives so I put a note on the local "Buy nothing" FB page last night. Had 3 messages this morning and picked up enough 2" thick insulation to make up a dozen pieces with a bit of judicious gluing and taping !
View attachment 28604

It's amazing how much there is about. I found a whole 120mm thick sheet that had come off a truck on the local dual carriageway. No one had collected it after a few days so I rescued it- a bit broken in places but still salvable.

 

[E&MBees]

The local freegle / freecycle is another good source of PIR.
EBay is quite good for polycarbonate sheets, although prices have risen since covid.

 

[sean-a]

If all you are after is a rain barrier the cheapest way to do it is to use this
https://www.screwfix.com/p/capital-valley-plastics-ltd-damp-proof-course-black-30m-x-225mm/85921Cut into 2 m strips and stapled to the hive it works out about 50p/hive. I use it as woodpecker protection in susceptible areas.
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Edit. I just realise that my comments about woodpeckers could be misconstrued! - the downed tree was caused by high winds.

But are you sure that it wasn't the hole that Woody pecked in the tree that contributed to it's demise?

 

[SWHives]

Yes, they're not glass but polycarbonate crownboards (or quilts as they're often called). I usually get them from Maisemore. They do them with or without central feeder holes. I always get them without holes and just put on a traditional ply crown board with those feeder/porter escape holes on if I need to do any feeding. With my bees on double brood I don't often have to feed much but you can get them with a hole if you prefer and just block it off when you're not feeding.

Do you get any condensation under the polycarbonate crownboard or the insulated roof?

 

[Apiarisnt]

Do you get any condensation under the polycarbonate crownboard or the insulated roof?

My hives have acrylic crownboards surmmounted with copious slabs to PIR (aka Kingspan / Celotex). In the coldest months they get a little condensation at the edges, but not much. You get condensation on cold surfaces. If the crownboard is kept warm by the insulation on top, then there is no cold surface.

And the next time somebody solemnly informs you that "It is the damp, not the cold, that kills the bees" ask them if they are aware of any evidence at all supporting their pronoucnement.

 

[SWHives]

My hives have acrylic crownboards surmmounted with copious slabs to PIR (aka Kingspan / Celotex). In the coldest months they get a little condensation at the edges, but not much. You get condensation on cold surfaces. If the crownboard is kept warm by the insulation on top, then there is no cold surface.

And the next time somebody solemnly informs you that "It is the damp, not the cold, that kills the bees" ask them if they are aware of any evidence at all supporting their pronoucnement.

I have seen some videos where a thick see-through plastic foil is used instead of/or as a crownboard. This was mainly on the continent. Just thinking whether it would work as a cheap alternative to polycarbonate...

 

[drdrday]

Do you get any condensation under the polycarbonate crownboard or the insulated roof?

I agree with Apiarisnt. I very occasionally see a small amount of condensation in the corners of the crown board. It's really not an issue though as there's never condensation directly above the cluster where the crown board is warmest. A small amount of condensation in the corners will just drop back down through the hive.

No reason you can't use other materials, such as a thick transparent plastic sheeting etc. but personally I prefer having a framed board that I can use more easily year round. My hives are bottom bee space so I like having a bee space rim around boards.

 

[user 819]

Poly carb eke for me it can support a 4 pint feeder or a tub of fondant.

 

[masterBK]

I already had 25 hives with ekes on top of crown boards filled with 50mm Celotex (bought from Wickes) but I needed to insulate another 6 hives as I am wintering 31 colonies this year. I was considering a visit to Wickes to get some more Celotex when a skip appeared yesterday outside an unoccupied bungalow opposite. Workmen appeared and the skip soon filled up with all sorts of stuff including off cut pieces of 100mm Celotex which they let me have. There was enough for four ekes with the smaller pieces used to fill the cavities of couple of wooden Miller feeders now also being used to provide top insulation.

Note hive number pinned on hive. Made from red lid from Asda beef gravy container. Also use purple lids from drinking choc containers.

 

[drdrday]

I was considering a visit to Wickes to get some more Cdelotex when a skip has appeared yesterday outside an unoccupied bungalow opposite. Workmen appeared and the skip soon filled up with all sorts of stuff including off cut pieces of 100mm Celotex which they let me have.

I haven't had to buy any this year either, thanks to skips. There has been plenty of free stuff around here, with so much lockdown building work going on. I got lots of smaller offcuts of brand new insulation from one skip, and almost a full sheet of old used insulation from another (the bees won't care )

 

[Martimart]

I use the insulation you get for "free" when ordering meat from online butchers. Providence Village Butchers sent their products in a nice woollen insulation about 2 inches thick.

 

[BernardBlack]

No holes: think about your own house. Would you leave your loft open for all the hot air to rush into it? Of course not.

The holes are a relic from the Dark Ages of Beekeeping when Britain lead the world in stupidity.

 

[Boston Bees]

Yorkshire Beekeeping Association just sent out this bit of cognitive dissonance:

"Now is the time to ensure that hives are sound, secure, and waterproof. It is often not the cold that kills the bees but the damp. Damp conditions can also cause mould growth on combs and can stress the bees, bringing the risk of Nosema. There is an ongoing debate between ventilation and insulation. As heat is lost through the roof many beekeepers insulate the roof with an insulating material such as Kingspan or similar products. There is the other theory that to prevent the build-up of condensation in the hive, good ventilation is required. Personally, I insulate to help retain heat but also believe it is vital that you keep good ventilation throughout the hive so ensure that the roof vents are not blocked by any insulation material used."

 

[Murox]

Yorkshire Beekeeping Association just sent out this bit of cognitive dissonance:

"Now is the time to ensure that hives are sound, secure, and waterproof. It is often not the cold that kills the bees but the damp. Damp conditions can also cause mould growth on combs and can stress the bees, bringing the risk of Nosema. There is an ongoing debate between ventilation and insulation. As heat is lost through the roof many beekeepers insulate the roof with an insulating material such as Kingspan or similar products. There is the other theory that to prevent the build-up of condensation in the hive, good ventilation is required. Personally, I insulate to help retain heat but also believe it is vital that you keep good ventilation throughout the hive so ensure that the roof vents are not blocked by any insulation material used."

I somehow doubt that the committee suffered any mental discomfort from holding two conflicting beliefs.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Last sentence makes no sense. Roof vents have no connection with the brood chamber whether they are blocked by insulation or not anyway.

 

[Boston Bees]

Last sentence makes no sense. Roof vents have no connection with the brood chamber whether they are blocked by insulation or not anyway.

Unless your crownboard has holes in..

 

[Erichalfbee]

Unless your crownboard has holes in..

Doesn’t matter if there is a slab of insulation on top

 

[Erichalfbee]

Unless your crownboard has holes in..

But surely nobody on this forum does that?

 

[pargyle]

Yorkshire Beekeeping Association just sent out this bit of cognitive dissonance:

"Now is the time to ensure that hives are sound, secure, and waterproof. It is often not the cold that kills the bees but the damp. Damp conditions can also cause mould growth on combs and can stress the bees, bringing the risk of Nosema. There is an ongoing debate between ventilation and insulation. As heat is lost through the roof many beekeepers insulate the roof with an insulating material such as Kingspan or similar products. There is the other theory that to prevent the build-up of condensation in the hive, good ventilation is required. Personally, I insulate to help retain heat but also believe it is vital that you keep good ventilation throughout the hive so ensure that the roof vents are not blocked by any insulation material used."

Bill Bielby will be spinning in his grave ..... he'll be back to haunt them with any luck .... I can feel his ghostly form going round the hives removing the matchsticks ....