Type of insulation

[richiel100]

Due to size of colony and temp etc I have packed out a hive with what I can only describe as 2 plastic sheets sandwiching a dense foam. this was from an off cut of building materials that I found.

my question is will I encounter any problems using this product? i now have the colony on 5 frames with 1 new frame on the outside and then the rest of the hive packed with this "insulation"

Many Thanks

 

[oliver90owner]

Anything will do, within limits or course. All they could do is start to chew it away, and it is only temporary. Fit two foundation frames as soon as the weather goes sensible, but that will be fine.

 

[tonybloke]

Due to size of colony and temp etc I have packed out a hive with what I can only describe as 2 plastic sheets sandwiching a dense foam. this was from an off cut of building materials that I found.

my question is will I encounter any problems using this product? i now have the colony on 5 frames with 1 new frame on the outside and then the rest of the hive packed with this "insulation"

Many Thanks

jut wrap the cut sides with gaffer tape or aluminium foil tape, this'll stop the bees from chewing it.

 

[MuswellMetro]

jut wrap the cut sides with gaffer tape or aluminium foil tape, this'll stop the bees from chewing it.

i have used Brown plastic parcel tape around the cut edges of kingspan ...not touched by the bees in five months....

 

[tonybloke]

i have used Brown plastic parcel tape around the cut edges of kingspan ...not touched by the bees in five months....

so there you go, two beekeepers, 3 types of tape!!

 

[FreeFall]

so there you go, two beekeepers, 3 types of tape!!

 

[richiel100]

Thanks all.

I shall test the 3 types of tape and report back on the most effective

 

[itma]

.... i now have the colony on 5 frames with 1 new frame on the outside and then the rest of the hive packed with this "insulation"

Not a suggestion for a different type of tape, but ...

Get or make a "dummy board" to bookend the colony properly.
What you fill the void beyond with isn't too important.

However, as with a house, most heat tends to be lost upwards.
Roof insulation gives the best bang for the buck.
So put a super on, above the crownboard, and fill it with insulation. Close off any feeder hole(s), maybe with a feeder, and put an old blanket in there, or a few supermarket plastic bags full of plastic packaging beads/noodles/chippings, or whatever else you have conveniently available. A cut-to-shape offcut of building insulation block (Kingspan/Celotex/etc) is about as good as you can get.

Oh, and the best place for one foundation frame is right next to the last brood frame...



Now ... wouldn't a dummy board be more effective if it was covered with shiny aluminium kitchen foil? (like some folk have behind their central heating radiators, and like Kingspan) Make it into a radiant heat reflector.
Maybe the easiest way would be to wrap the dummy board in aluminium (greenhouse) tape? Oh yes, more tape!

 

[tonybloke]

good idea itma!!