I bought the new Abelo roofs and crownboards to try, having already used the old style overhanging roof and five hole crown boards. I asked Damien how they compared, he warned me that some users had reported water getting in the new style roofs and into supers. I thought at the time that they would probably propilise the join when CB is directly on the brood box.
Having bought some large correx sheets after reading Fat Shark‘s aka the Apiaries’s.org’s blog I made an overhanging correx roof to overhang the join on the new roofs.
I have left some of the new roofs as is to compare.
At this stage my thoughts are:
1) some water in the plastic channels could be used by bees in the winter rather than leaving the hive
2) the cortex roofs work out very cheap to make and as the large sheets have been turned into cheap and effective temporary crown boards, super separaters and bait hive roofs, it’s not too much of an imposition
3) the new roofs and crown board combo with the cheap feeder are convenient for feeding bees with syrup compared to the old roofs which need a super or eke to feed in the same way, and you don’t disturb bees when feeding. No need for an eke. They are also good for insulation as they are.
4) It would probably be less expense to make cortex roofs and have a slab of kingsman insulation over a wooden crown board, although this again would need an eke or empty super for feed, unless I cut out the insulation slab to make space for a feeder and replaced the cut out bit after feeding. Downside is time and making them.
Just my thoughts at this time. And might be a good idea to cut notches in the plastic edges for water drainage, although that might reduce available water over winter.
Courty
