Top insulation

[TOBY-3652]

Hi everyone who uses insulation? And who does not? And how have the bees overwintered???? Reg toby

 

[Finman]

.
Strange question. In my country wall and top insulation is must.
We have insulation in houses too.

These ice sticks in Russia tells that the flat has "heat leak" on to the roof. That is why snow melts on the roof in the middle of winter.

 

[hedgerow pete]

mine are in the videos, normal for me is celotex on four sides but not the bottom and the crown board too, 50mm celotex.

this year as per the videos i have had a lot of stupid problems with ventalation inside the shed so i have removed the celotex and used a sleeping bag and a duvet instead to allow the air to flow through a bit more.

theres one issue there for you and thats because mine are in the shed that they dont feel the days morning sun as quickly as an outside hive does, so where the outside ones are flying the inside ones are still a sleep

 

[Erichalfbee]

50mm eke, 50mm kingspan on top of the crownboard. Hole cut out for fondant through half the thickness.
All three colonies flying well on sunny days. All taking neopoll.
Too early to look in, maybe end of month

 

[Poly Hive]

My wintering has been rubbish but that is my fault and nothing to do with the bees or hives. I had serious family issues at the wrong time (is there ever a right time?) and the uniting that I should have achieved was never done and the poor bees have paid the price.

PH

 

[tonybloke]

no insulation, solid floors, reduced entrances, slight top ventilation, all colonies seem OK.

 

[freethorpe bees]

I have omf, top insulation in the roof of one inch polystyrene from the packaging off a neighbours washing machine!

 

[drstitson]

mine have 50mm Knauf board poly insulation in a box which sits over a convection chamber crownboard (itself half insulated with another 50mm).
OMFs open all the time.
all three thriving (although no activity from two dadant for last few days as had snow fall from sun-thurs upto knee deep).

 

[rich]

I have 50mm kingspan on top, and OMF open all year except for Apiguard treatments and varroa checks.

All 11 of them were out and about two days ago when it was 8c and sunny.

Rich

 

[tkwinston4]

mine have 50mm knauf board poly insulation in a box which sits over a convection chamber crownboard (itself half insulated with another 50mm).
Omfs open all the time.
All three thriving (although no activity from two dadant for last few days as had snow fall from sun-thurs upto knee deep).

snow???????

 

[TBRNoTB]

I have 50mm kingspan on top, and OMF open all year except for Apiguard treatments and varroa checks.

All 11 of them were out and about two days ago when it was 8c and sunny.

Rich

Those eleven will have to work hard to give you any honey!

 

[Tom Bick]

50mm eke, 50mm kingspan on top of the crownboard. Hole cut out for fondant through half the thickness.
All three colonies flying well on sunny days. All taking neopoll.
Too early to look in, maybe end of month

I think just about perfect the fondant is warm to touch has to be good for the bees. I do a similar system.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Both, and the bee's over winter just fine.

 

[MuswellMetro]

I have 50mm kingspan on top, and OMF open all year except for Apiguard treatments and varroa checks.

All 11 of them were out and about two days ago when it was 8c and sunny.

Rich

similar to mine, i put 150mm ply skirts on my stands or use a super under the floor to stop drafts

Bees tend to cluster higher up that hives without insulation and varroa boards in,

 

[Finman]

.
HI, WHERE ARE THOSE WHO HAS LOST HIS ONLY HIVE, WHAT THEY USED?

Decision is that if you use that or that it means 100% loss.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

50mm eke, 50mm kingspan on top of the crownboard. Hole cut out for fondant through half the thickness.
All three colonies flying well on sunny days. All taking neopoll.
Too early to look in, maybe end of month

Ditto without the eke (WBC doesnt need it and deep roof on National)

and OMF, open but protected from the wind for most of the winter.

 

[madasafish]

Two TBHs both with insulated roof:
http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.j...mpid=4&tmad=c&ecamp=cse_go&CAWELAID=409109256

Old carpet underlay (not rubberised) on top of topbars.

OMF floors, covered in winter.

Both appear to have survived.. -18C this winter

 

[Bad Boy Bee]

OMF = poly tile - Solid floor = matches under crown. Create a controlled flow of ventilation. Dampness is the killer not cold.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Two TBHs both with insulated roof:

I think Kingspan is similar to your Knaufboard......probably more expensive though. It is foil covered and I tape it up with foil tape after cutting to size so that I can use it to dummy the frames if the colony is small...... that way the bees don't chew it.
One of mine are like that.
I got mine from a skip

 

[Queens59]

One complete WBC lift filled with polystyrene, with OMF - how are they doing? Fantastically well...haven't seen the BB but the overwintered super is fuller than when closed up last November.