Roof insulation

[abm]

If insulating the roofs on hives helps colonies reserve crucial heat over winter, why not simply replace wooden roofs with poly roofs over the cold spell ?

Thanks,

 

[enrico]

I am not sure they would 'just fit' . We need someone to come up with a nice designed bonnet for hives. Homemade ones look naff. Well mine do anyway. They need to be a nice colour and have some weight.
E

 

[abm]

Thanks,

i've recently purchased 2 poly's to see the difference between the national wooden omf & and non omf, compared to the poly omf hives.

 

[Softley]

I am not sure they would 'just fit' . We need someone to come up with a nice designed bonnet for hives. Homemade ones look naff. Well mine do anyway. They need to be a nice colour and have some weight.
E

An empty super above the crown board containing a 50mm thick sheet of insulation board looks as neat as the rest of the hive, when the roof is put back on.

 

[madasafish]

If insulating the roofs on hives helps colonies reserve crucial heat over winter, why not simply replace wooden roofs with poly roofs over the cold spell ?

Thanks,

I leave my poly cosies on all year. # I have no traditional wooden roofs in use on active hives.. use my one wooden one to top a stack of supers stored outside.

# they weigh under 4kg and are easy to lift on/off

 

[Softley]

Thanks,

i've recently purchased 2 poly's to see the difference between the national wooden omf & and non omf, compared to the poly omf hives.

I use poly nucs and find the bees are more likely to go wall to wall with brood as there's better heat retention at the edges of the nest. When the bees are ready I will add a poly nuc brood box above and find that foundation is drawn much faster than if trying to get them to draw it in a 12 frame National brood box (heat rises, and all that). They're then moved to a National hive on 12 frames, rather than 6. I'm tempted to go fully poly.

 

[Swarm]

If you have cedar nationals you can buy abelo poly roofs, they fit a treat, already painted and they are marvellous.

 

[enrico]

Any links swarm...... iGnore that just found them. Thanks

 

[Beefriendly]

If you have cedar nationals you can buy abelo poly roofs, they fit a treat, already painted and they are marvellous.

I'll second that, they will also take a slab of fondant underneath if required in spring without needing an eke/empty super..
Plus they do a poly crown board, that has ventilation slots and poly bungs to stop them up. Can be used for ventilation or a travel screen if left open or when closed up adds even more layers of insulation.

 

[Webby]

I'm sure you can buy a poly type roof for a langstroth. I have 50mm celotex in my top empty super with fondant underneath over crownboard if needed.

 

[masterBK]

If you are a twitcher get a poly roof and then you can watch the green woodpecker adding some extra ventilation to it during the depths of winter!

 

[pargyle]

If you are a twitcher get a poly roof and then you can watch the green woodpecker adding some extra ventilation to it during the depths of winter!

We have both green and black spotted woodpeckers in the garden - never had a problem with them attacking my poly hives ... I think it's learned behaviour.

If they find out how to do it then they will -- and it's not just poly hives - I've seen holes in timber hives. They will find the thinnest part as well, like the handhold recesses ...

 

[Beefriendly]

Have never had a problem with poly hives and woodpeckers and one of my out apiaries is adajcent to woodland that has a considerable number of them.
I've had trouble with sheep on't moors.... had one poly hive eaten by them.
Had damage caused by bullocks using them as "salt licks". but woodpeckers, (cross fingers) not yet.

 

[Swarm]

Any links swarm...... iGnore that just found them. Thanks

Very nice aren't they? Treated myself to a couple of these and I'm very happy with them. Plenty of insulation and a snug fit, I'd imagine they would be right up your street.

 

[Millet]

If you have cedar nationals you can buy abelo poly roofs, they fit a treat, already painted and they are marvellous.

 

[BernardBlack]

Someone mentioned insulating roof with Kingspan something-or-other. Was mentioned before on another thread but can't locate it.

Anyone got any info on that?

 

[charlievictorbravo]

Someone mentioned insulating roof with Kingspan something-or-other. Was mentioned before on another thread but can't locate it.

Anyone got any info on that?

Something like this? The first photo shows my insulating telescopic roof in construction (the joints are glued and pinned with bamboo barbeque skewers) and the second photo shows one completed. I cover the top with thin aluminium to shed rain but aluminium is a good conductor of heat so it's a balance as to whether to use such a cover. The cut surfaces are covered with aluminium tape and the whole exterior surface is painted with masonry paint. The internal dimensions of the cozy is 10mm bigger than the external dimensions of the brood box.

CVB

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Someone mentioned insulating roof with Kingspan something-or-other. Was mentioned before on another thread but can't locate it.

Anyone got any info on that?

Simples - and better insulation properties than poly (although those Abelo poly roofs are a good compromise.
Kingspan, celotex or whatever is that soloid foam like insulation stuff you get covered both sides with foil.
Get deep 7" roofs for all your hives, strip out the superfluous batten from the inside then cut a piece of 40 or 50mm kingspan to the inside dimensions of the roof and glue in place - a blob of stickslikeshit is ideal.
This gives a well insulated roof, deep enough not to blow off in a gale and deep enough to cover a feeder or a pack of fondant surrounded by insulation.
The Kingspan will also handily block off the roof vents or, if you starting from scratch with a flatpack roof - construct the sides 'inside out' so the ventilation grooves are on the inside, making the roof look much tidier.

 

[Arfermo]

Why insulate at all. Never bothered with it anmd no probs if fed properly.

 

[madasafish]

Why insulate at all. Never bothered with it anmd no probs if fed properly.

My bees survive better over winter with insulation. I tried a back to back comparison.. there was no contest..