My first styrofoam hive box

[ugcheleuce]

Hello everyone

I've read some threads here and elsewhere of people who have made home-made beehives from sheets of insulation-grade styrofoam or art-and-craft types of styrofoam, but I have never seen any pictures of it. Does anyone here have pictures? Or drawings?

Although I plan to have some wooden hives in 2014, I'm also quite interested in the viability of using home-made styrofoam hives, even if the hive boxes last only two or three years. I used insulation boards from my local hardware store, and the total cost of one brood box is EUR 3.00 (maybe EUR 5.00 if I paint it and include the paint price). At that price the "buy durable hives" argument falls away, at least for the hobbyist beekeeper.

I made my first styrofoam hive box yesterday, and today I put 250 kg of bricks on top of it to see what would happen. So far, the hive box doesn't show any signs of being aware that there is 250 kg of bricks on it. My main concern is, indeed, whether such a hive box can support a lot of weight, because if it can't, then such a hive would be limited to e.g. two or three boxes.



I used no glue -- only duct tape. I also wrapped the sides that the bees will have access to with clear plastic film of the type that you wrap gifts or flowers in. Later I'll do a similar weight test without any frames in it. You'll notice that the frame rest from the upper box will rest directly on the frame ears of the lower box -- that is deliberate, in an attempt to let more of the styrofoam carry weight.

The styrofoam I've used is 40 mm thick, and by my calculation 11 kg/m3.

The "plan/drawing" for the hive is attached.

Samuel

 

[Swarm]

Hardware store prices sound much cheaper there. Can you confirm 250 kg of bricks? That's 550lbs one helluva lot of bricks!

 

[Finman]

.
I have done own styro boxes and it is only Waste OF human time.

.

 

[ugcheleuce]

Hardware store prices sound much cheaper there.

If styrofoam sheets cost more in your area, it may be that they sell better quality sheets. Also note that the price in the advert I linked to is per m2. A set of 6 sheets (50 cm x 100 cm) costs EUR 8.00. And the duct tape is EUR 10 per 30 meters.

Can you confirm 250 kg of bricks? That's 550lbs one helluva lot of bricks!

I weighed the bricks before loading them on. The smaller bricks are 4.5 kg a piece, and the larger, flat ones are 11.5 kg each. There are 5 flat bricks and 54 small ones on the pile.

I think this is a nice amount of weight for a first test. I also "rocked" the hive box a little bit, with the bricks on it, to see if I could make the styrofoam snap, but it didn't seem to damage the box. The styrofoam didn't seem to bulge at all, under all that weight.

 

[ugcheleuce]

I have done own styro boxes and it is only Waste OF human time.

Please tell me more.

Making the box takes a bit of time -- I think it took me 2 hours to make that box, but then I wasn't hurrying either, and it was my first box. I've read some posters complain that waiting for the glue to set can increase build time, but I didn't use any glue or clamps.

 

[Finman]

Please tell me more.

Making the box takes a bit of time -- I think it took me 2 hours to make that box, but then I wasn't hurrying either, and it was my first box. I've read some posters complain that waiting for the glue to set can increase build time, but I didn't use any glue or clamps.

Glue should be polyurethane glue.
Spray a water mist onto surfaces and water hardens the glue in 15 minutes. It makes a Little bit foam.

What is wrong with insulating material?
Bees chew the board. And small black ants love to make their mest Into material.
Sometimes the boxes collapse down Before get a frame inside.
Polyboxes lasts at least 30 years....unless wax moth does not eate them to sieve.

 

[ugcheleuce]

What is wrong with insulating material? Bees chew the board.

That is why the parts of the hive that the bees would be exposed to are covered in clear plastic.

Instead of covering it with plastic I guess I could just cover it with duct tape all over. However, It would take 60 meters of duct tape to cover everything, so I'll prefer to use clear plastic film for the larger areas.

And small black ants love to make their mest Into material.

Thanks for the warning -- I guess I would have to cover the outsides with plastic as well.

 

[Finman]

.
Painting the surfaces helps a lot.
But paint is expencive.
.

 

[blackcavebees]

I made some from foil backed insulation, and jointed with bbq skewers (bamboo I think) and duck tapped edges. Not convinced will last more than a couple of seasons, but not expensive, only time. I alsp painted outside with water based masonary paint I had left over

 

[Finman]

.
Your problems start later when you use boxes.

 

[ugcheleuce]

Your problems start later when you use boxes.

That is what I expect, yes

 

[pargyle]

That is what I expect, yes

Hi Samuel,

I think you have two fairly major problems from what I can see in your photos:

1. Duct tape is not weatherproof .. when it gets rained on water gets under the edges and it gradually comes unstuck - personal experience ! OK for short term repairs but I doubt it will make it through a winter intact,

2. Your frames (it appears) are tight up against the inner surfaces of the box ... bees love sticking things (that are less than a bee space apart) together with propolis. In a timber hive, this is not usually a problem as you can prise things apart with your hive tool. Whilst your box clearly has some compressive strength I'm not sure it will stand up to the stress of levering out frames with a hive tool.

 

[Finman]

That is what I expect, yes

Never mind. Then you see it.

.

 

[ugcheleuce]

1. Duct tape is not weatherproof .. when it gets rained on water gets under the edges and it gradually comes unstuck - personal experience ! OK for short term repairs but I doubt it will make it through a winter intact.

And you can't really use duct tape on wet styrofoam -- it has to be dry for it to stick properly. I wonder what I can do to make the duct tape more waterproof... paint, probably.

2. Your frames (it appears) are tight up against the inner surfaces of the box...

Yes, I have thought about that, and my solution is that I'll make the "mark II" hive 20 mm wider, and make the frame rests moveable, so that the user can adjust them according to the frames. The extra 20 mm will also make it possible for the user to add some plywood against the inner walls if he feels more comfortable with it. I'll also take 10 mm off the top of the frame rest and put a piece of 10 mm thick wood there, for the frames to rest on, so that prying the frames loose from the frame rest will not cause it to become damaged.

A particular problem with local frames is that they are very poorly made (unless you make them yourself, of course). The frames that you buy at beekeeper stores are rarely flush or at 90 degree angles. I know this sounds crazy but that seems to be standard around here. This means that even if the bee space is 100% correct in theory, as soon as you put a frame in, you'll find that it's too close to the one end and too far from the other end.

Whilst your box clearly has some compressive strength I'm not sure it will stand up to the stress of levering out frames with a hive tool.

Yes, which is why I think using plywood on the sides where the frames touch the walls might be a good idea after all.

When I built the hive, I picked up a sheet with my fingers, and a moment later I no longer had the sheet in my hands but two thumb sized pieces of styropor. :=)

 

[pargyle]

And you can't really use duct tape on wet styrofoam -- it has to be dry for it to stick properly. I wonder what I can do to make the duct tape more waterproof... paint, probably.

....

Yes, I have thought about that, and my solution is that I'll make the "mark II" /QUOTE]

It took me four attempts to get the hive I wanted ... and even now I'm still making modifications and 'improvements'. Your 'modifications' sound very sensible.

Instead of using duct tape see if you can find some aluminium foil tape ... I buy mine from a builders merchants over here:

http://search.wickes.co.uk/search#ts=ajax&method=and&w=aluminium tape&isort=score

But you should be able to find the equivalent over there. It's much more weatherproof and although it is thinner than duct tape it is very strong.

Also DerekM reinforces the corner joints of his hives using barbecue skewers inserted at right angles inserted into the corners.

 

[blackcavebees]

I'm not being negative, as I went through this process last year, much as you are now Samuel. It was interesting and after a few versions I came up with a workable model. I even made a model that had outer and inner skins of ext plywood to protect insulation. I enjoy making stuff for my beekeeping.

Problem will always be getting hard enough insulation board (like stuff poly hives are made from). I now would buy poly brood box and make floor and roof etc, and you can buy a poly brood for around £16 ish.

 

[ugcheleuce]

I even made a model that had outer and inner skins of ext plywood to protect insulation. ... Problem will always be getting hard enough insulation board...

Yes, the fact that the styrofoam is easily damaged is a concern to me. I can't quite poke a hole in it with my finger, but any hard object (e.g. my shoe) can damage it quite dramatically. I can also press against it with my fingers and create a lot of damage that way.

Using plywood on the outsides seem like a good idea. A cheaper solution may be to cover the styrofoam with cut-open milk cartons. Those cartons are typically water-resistant on both sides, and will protect the insulation board against accidental bumps with sharp objects.

In fact, I wonder if I can't use milk carton carton on the inside of the box as well. Remember, the reason for using cladding on the inside of the hive is not to protect the styrofoam against bumps (as on the outside) but against scrapes.

Added: I just checked -- two milk cartons will cover one side of the hive. They're just the right height, too. I think I'll put the printed side on the outside -- that'll make for very colourful hives.

I now would buy poly brood box and make floor and roof etc, and you can buy a poly brood for around £16 ish.

Hereabouts I can get a poly brood box for EUR 30. I can get a wooden brood box for about EUR 40. That's okay if you're going to have just one hive, but if you want to kick-start your hobby with e.g. 5 hives (which is also more sensible than just one hive), it becomes a bit expensive.

 

[ugcheleuce]

A cheaper solution may be to cover the styrofoam with cut-open milk cartons. Those cartons are typically water-resistant on both sides, and will protect the insulation board against accidental bumps with sharp objects.

See attachment :=)