Pxxxxs poly hive coverboard & winter

[Blacky50]

The coverboard supplied is a sheet of polycarbonate and the hive is bottom bee space. When the coverboard is on the bees have to go round the sides of the frames to move about. On the Thornes national wooden boxes (and no doubt others) the coverboard has a 10mm or so rim to enable the bees to go over the top of the frames.

Surely in winter the passage over the top of the frames is warmer and therefore more likely to be used and I'm wondering if I should add a rim to the polycarboate sheet.

What do others do? Or is it of no consequence?

 

[theeggman]

I leave the supplied coverboard in the shed and use standard framed ply ones, it raises the inadequate roof but is useable.

 

[itma]

I have used a Thornes framed polycarbonate (better with no hole) coverboard AND topped it with a Payn super with celotex cut to fit the rectangular internal shape - because my Payn's roofs are the original pattern and too thin (thinner thus colder than the walls => condensation above). Super of Celotex, sorted. (This is what I do with my remaining wooden hives.)
A more radical solution would be to fit a square slab of celotex AS the insulation super.
And the most radical would be to build a roof out of celotex to the same 'overhanging cap' pattern as traditional wooden roofs. Not too hard to do. See the work of DerekM.

I have bought a BHS poly roof. Expensive, better looking and seemingly much better insulated. Fits a treat. But the other two polys will get some combination of the above work-arounds.


I haven't (yet - maybe in the Sale?) tried Payns Mark 2 (mid 2013) roof, which is supposedly thicker.

 

[Alabamaeee]

I'm pondering the same problem. The manufacturer told me that there is no problem with the bees going round the sides of the frames, and thinking about it the bees must go round the combs in the wild if they are attached at the top of the hive.

Can't say I am happy about using a standard cover though as the roof then leaves it exposed to the elements, unlike when a deep roof fits down over the cover on a wooden hive.

 

[Swarm]

They will over Winter fine with the sheet provided. As above, no top bars in wild combs. Fitting a standard bee gap crownboard will not leave it open to elements. Simple to make an insulated crownboard, mine is from 3x2 with a recess for a clear crownboard cut into it, leaving a nice 2" space for insulation board and the roof fits snuggly over the lot.

 

[BeeJayBee]

I'm pondering the same problem. The manufacturer told me that there is no problem with the bees going round the sides of the frames, and thinking about it the bees must go round the combs in the wild if they are attached at the top of the hive.

If there's comb blocking the route they want to take, they'll chew a hole through it.

Tends not to work with plastic frames though, which is why some people drill out each corner of the plastic foundation before putting the frames in the hive.

 

[Alabamaeee]

They will over Winter fine with the sheet provided. As above, no top bars in wild combs. Fitting a standard bee gap crownboard will not leave it open to elements. Simple to make an insulated crownboard, mine is from 3x2 with a recess for a clear crownboard cut into it, leaving a nice 2" space for insulation board and the roof fits snuggly over the lot.

That's a great idea. Could also make a slot in it for feeding fondant with my usual "takeaway" trays.

 

[IBeeHere]

The clear crownboard supplied is quite lightweight and the bees seem to push it up,especially in the centre and then bracecomb it to a bees depth. This is what happened in mine last winter.
Whatever you do don't just use the roof and no crownboard as they will propolse it to the brood box and you will have a real problem removing it.

 

[Skyhook]

The clear crownboard supplied is quite lightweight and the bees seem to push it up,especially in the centre and then bracecomb it to a bees depth. This is what happened in mine last winter.
Whatever you do don't just use the roof and no crownboard as they will propolse it to the brood box and you will have a real problem removing it.

Agreed, also too floppy to frame as it will sag in the middle. I've never known as much propolis as using one of these, and the same goes for the excluders. Proper framed item being used to replace both.

.

 

[Smuffles]

I've just left the feeder on top of my hives for the last 2 winters which gives them a bee space above the top bars and extra insulation. In summer a framed crown board would be nice but I cant say I'd go out of the way to make one.

 

[Roola]

I've just left the feeder on top of my hives for the last 2 winters which gives them a bee space above the top bars and extra insulation. In summer a framed crown board would be nice but I cant say I'd go out of the way to make one.

sorry to hijack here but just a quick question i've been wondering about. I might buy a couple of poly nucs in sales if i can but read previously about how the feeder is awful and a bee death trap... how have people fed bees in the ****** Poly Nuc?

 

[user 6228]

I've just left the feeder on top of my hives for the last 2 winters which gives them a bee space above the top bars and extra insulation. In summer a framed crown board would be nice but I cant say I'd go out of the way to make one.

any void above the bees, between them and the insulation increases the heat loss.

 

[Smuffles]

sorry to hijack here but just a quick question i've been wondering about. I might buy a couple of poly nucs in sales if i can but read previously about how the feeder is awful and a bee death trap... how have people fed bees in the ****** Poly Nuc?

I've personally not used the feeder in the poly nuc, just the Full sized hive. The nucs now come with a length of wood which I'm guessing is to float on the feed to give the bees something to climb on.

 

[Smuffles]

any void above the bees, between them and the insulation increases the heat loss.

I'm not sure that is correct as trapped air is an extremely good insulator and the air effectively is trapped in the feeder.

 

[mbc]

sorry to hijack here but just a quick question i've been wondering about. I might buy a couple of poly nucs in sales if i can but read previously about how the feeder is awful and a bee death trap... how have people fed bees in the ****** Poly Nuc?

Syrup in the built in feeder, no problems at all here.

 

[theeggman]

Re; Polynuc feeding

I use an extra eke and a suitable bit of 4mm ply with a hole in it along with a 4pt. rapid feeder. The built in feeder is blanked off with tape. The space in the eke could have been made for the feeder.
No poly feeder to try to paint and clean and no drowned bees.

Tim

 

[drstitson]

fondant in the feeder.

 

[IBeeHere]

Fondant in feeder if stores low in winter. Syrup in rapid feeder with 3mm ply for Autumn and spring feeding, and tape off feeder box during main season.
I am currently cutting out the feeder in one of the boxes to make a 8 frame nuc with the option to reduce to 7 frame and seperate internal feeder, that will be tested next year.

 

[itma]

Until a robbing/drowning incident this year, I had used an ordinary frame feeder.
At present, the one occupied nuc has a correx crownboard and an extra eke with round 4-pint rapid feeder.
I think the ekes were £7.50 in last year's sale ...

 

[dickndoris]

Made a frame for my polycarb out of 7mm pine. Much easier to put back on and the bees don't try and build comb on it, most of the time. Put 2 strips that sit along the top of the frames to stop sag alnong the middle and a feeder hole in the middle which works great. They do propolise this but easy to dislodge. Put a 2“ slab of celotex over in winter with a hole cut out for fondant. Never lost any colonies over winter...........yet.........