Poly Nuc Condensation

[nantmoel]

Just wanted to post to see what response I would get regarding the use of 'Poly' nucs and does anyone else suffer with condensation? We checked all three today and two had quiet bad condensation. I know we have had 10 weeks of almost continuos rain, so perhaps its a weather thing.

 

[Finman]

Just wanted to post to see what response I would get regarding the use of 'Poly' nucs and does anyone else suffer with condensation? We checked all three today and two had quiet bad condensation. I know we have had 10 weeks of almost continuos rain, so perhaps its a weather thing.

Tell more where it appers, and how many frames bees, what kind of floor and inner cover.

 

[bpmurray]

I checked mine today and one poly was wet at the rear of the brood box, at least on the top - I don't know how far down into the box was wet. There was a handful of bees dead in the moisture, but otherwise the hive seems fine.

 

[nantmoel]

Tell more where it appers, and how many frames bees, what kind of floor and inner cover.

They all have 6 frames in them, two were quiet strong with bees in the Autumn the other OK, because it a 'Poly hive' with a thin perspex inner cover you can see the bees and all seem fine. They all have OMF

 

[andyphibb]

As my brother has said (nantmoel) we have condensation on the thin perspex on the poly nucs we have three nucs next to each other one had quite a bit one has just a small amount and the third none all nucs are about the same colony size and all with open mesh floors

 

[Finman]

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Condensation happens on surfaces which are coldest. Condensation in inner cover is harmfull, because it rains onto bees.

Inner cover must have best insulation, that condensation happens on side walls.

When hive is cold, and cluster small, dew point forms inside the hive.

These are basics.

Heavy condensation makes mold onto bars and combs. Open food swells and comes out from cells.

6 frames bees. It would be clever to set dummy board.
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[MuswellMetro]

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Condensation happens on surfaces which are coldest. Condensation in inner cover is harmfull, because it rains onto bees.



6 frames bees. It would be clever to set dummy board.
.
.

OP said that they are six frame Nucs not Full hives, so they are full of frames and no need to dummy down

What make of Nuc are they as i have condesation on a new type recently purchased and think the roofs are too thin so we have added a slab of of celatex insulation

 

[madasafish]

Nucs with less than 100mm of poly insulation on the roof require added insulation.

 

[Tremyfro]

Really...the manufacturers should offer a thicker, better insulated roof...particularly for the nucs as the poly is much thinner. With all the information available you would think they would have done it to start with.

 

[user 6228]

I use a 30mm recitcel bonnet on polynuc.
Why? You need to keep the MAss conductance ratio up. The MCR determines the internal temperature. Half the number of bees you need to think of doubling the insulation. (Isn't quite that simple but it's the general idea)

 

[Itchy]

Really...the manufacturers should offer a thicker, better insulated roof...particularly for the nucs as the poly is much thinner. With all the information available you would think they would have done it to start with.

 

[Mrs Shoot]

I have two poly nucs, I have added a slab of Celotex to the roof of the hive as I felt the roof wasn't very thick (especially compared to the poly hive). They seem fine and the bees are doing well in them.

 

[Obee1]

Looks like a trip to your workshop is due to whip up some nuc bonnets

 

[Tremyfro]

Mine have a poly eke with a thick layer of sheepswool insulation in it......with a slab of fondant under it. Next year I'm going to use celotex instead with a piece cut out for the fondant as I have seen others posting that it works well. That is not beyond my DIY skills!

 

[Finman]

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Knowledge in this forum is very good, how to avoid condensation in the hive.

When I looked from google, what guys tell there, solutions are awfull. Real black magic.

To put too thick is not so bad, as thin.

Polyhive wall is in some hives 4 cm and that is why cover must be thicker, that it is warmer. The same inner cover in on the whole year.

I have as insulator recycled 5 or 7 cm foam plastic matress and works well. It is mouse resistant. Piece of matress in in wooden box, where bottom is (inner cover) 0,9 cm thick.

The whole cover is made from recycled material. Easy to keep clean with flame. I can use it about 10 years. Then to make a new is easier than clean the old one.

in nucs I use in summer piece of polystyrene board. Bees bite them broken in 2 years. And ants in 2 weeks. We have lots of ants in woods.
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[oliver90owner]

It is a shame that the suppliers are so dim. Providing a box with minimal insulation at the most important part may make them more profit, but it also leads to unknowledgeable beeks believing that situation is OK.

Now where is the first place to add insulation, to our homes, after reducing unnecessary draughts? GCSE level, taught in schools - or should be - so no real excuse for not knowing.

 

[Finman]

I have measured on my cottage, where the heat escapes most. It is doors between room and hall. They have only 4 mm ply. Room temp may be 20C and doors' temps are 6C.

We had -25C in Helsinki. Our flat cooled down very badly. First of all ventilation openings were too wide. They were in summer position. There was air in radiators too.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Should have blocked up the front doors and gone in and out through a hole in the roof

 

[beepeaceful]

Just wanted to post to see what response I would get regarding the use of 'Poly' nucs and does anyone else suffer with condensation? We checked all three today and two had quiet bad condensation. I know we have had 10 weeks of almost continuos rain, so perhaps its a weather thing.

I read about the problem before and was going to make a kingspan bonnet but realised the poly feeder I have for the poly nuc is thicker polystyrene so put that on without any feed. You could also pack the feed space with insulation if you wished. I don't like the built in side feeder. The nuc is doing well so far.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

In an emergency just cut a piece of PIR foam (or expanded polystyrene in a real emergency) and fit it SNUG (lots of weight) to the polycarbonate sheet. The thicker the better but anything helps. Short of a bonnet, it displaces the condensation to the side (and into the feeder) which is a start. To be properly snug you need a lip down over the edge (and enough thickness).


ADD: to be clear: by "to the side" I mean to the outer edges of the polycarbonate sheet, not the sides of the nuc. It is very hard to avoid thermal leakage at the roof/side corners without a proper bonnet.