What insulation will bees chew up?

[Teemore]

Came a cross an American website a while back where the Beek had experimented with a variety of insulation materials - After a few years testing he came down in favour of using woolen insulation above his crown boards. He rationalised that the wool is able to breathe and thus does not retain moisture unlike a variety of man made materials he had also tested. He had monitoring equipment set up inside his hives to measure temperature and moisture content and the wool persistently came out best. As well as using raw fleece he suggested (and tested) the use of three or four layers of old woolen blanket. He did caution that the extra heak retained could cause fondant to melt if used... My mentor has some hives with added insultaion and some without, all on OMFs and to date has seen no particular benefit from adding insulation reasoning that if they have sufficient stores the bees can look after themselves down to -28C.

 

[Poly Hive]

Where are you located Teemore please?

PH

 

[Finman]

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I have tried some materials as inner cover insulation and all where a mouse can make a nest, is not good for me. Blastic foarm mattress has worked well 30 years and I get new mattresses from recycling centre from dumping place.

Mice made hole into matress too, but when I stopped making of feeding hole in inner cover board, mice get no idea any more to make a cave to my hives.

Wood fibre board is popular too here and many say that it is "the best and only good". Even newspapers are good but they are not handy in practice.

 

[Leigh]

I've been making up new hives,floors and rooves. With the latter, I've been bench sawing scrap bits of recticel (a bit like kingspan I think) insulation board, which has foil on both sides. Haven't a clue how well it will work, but it should keep things cooler in summer and warmer in winter....and certainly can't do any harm.

The 14x12 hive in one of the shots looks wonky....it is lens distortion, I promise!

I've been making them out of 18mm ply...just bought some marine ply for £45 per 6'x4' sheet. I know it is a crap insulator as it is so dense, but hopefully the warm lid will offset that. Bloody cheap to make, but bloody heavy....a price to pay for everything somewhere!

 

[Poly Hive]

The research done at Craibstone pointed to ventilated floor coupled with top insulation.

Bernard went for the densest insulation he could find at the least depth which was the floormate.

PH

 

[thedeaddiplomat]

Last winter I used - absolutely nothing.

National hives with omf, crown board on top as it is now. Both of my hives ame through fine - but was this just beginner's luck?

 

[Finman]

Last winter I used - absolutely nothing.

Did you had winter?

I had 70 cm snow and -30C.

I dug hives from snow. I must take 500 litre snow in front from every hive.
Then after 3 weeks, when snow started to melt, I found that aha, there was one hive more!

.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Cornwall's climate is quite mild, yes?
We had -14 here but that's unusual. More importantly it's wet which is why I am exploring a breathable insulation.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Did you had winter?

Then after 3 weeks, when snow started to melt, I found that aha, there was one hive more!

.

Did it survive?

 

[thedeaddiplomat]

Cornwall's climate is quite mild, yes?
We had -14 here but that's unusual. More importantly it's wet which is why I am exploring a breathable insulation.

Mildness - like other things - is relative. But yes, Cornwall's climate is relatively mild. We did, however, get to -6 or -7, and we had snow on several days. But the real problem here, I would guess, is the damp - hence my reluctance to put anything under the roof that would block up any ventilation.

But maybe this winter will prove I have got it all wrong. I await further expert views...

 

[HighlandWozza]

I've been making up new hives,floors and rooves. With the latter, I've been bench sawing scrap bits of recticel (a bit like kingspan I think) insulation board, which has foil on both sides. Haven't a clue how well it will work, but it should keep things cooler in summer and warmer in winter....and certainly can't do any harm.

The 14x12 hive in one of the shots looks wonky....it is lens distortion, I promise!

I've been making them out of 18mm ply...just bought some marine ply for £45 per 6'x4' sheet. I know it is a crap insulator as it is so dense, but hopefully the warm lid will offset that. Bloody cheap to make, but bloody heavy....a price to pay for everything somewhere!

I like your workshop. Its nice and tidy - just like mine!!

 

[Poly Hive]

I fail to see why the wheel is being re-invented yet again re wintering.

With an OMF the carbon dioxide falls away through the floor and with it quite a lot of moisture.

With cool below and warmth above from the insulation the bees winter drier. I am assuming here a solid crown board or one with the holes so thoughtfully provided for the pretty useless porter escapes covered over.

Bees far prefer to have warmth over their heads. And are not averse to having a "sump" below the combs, think of a natural tree hollow.

No need for breathable wool or what ever above as no moisture should be getting up there in the first place. IF that is you have a solid crown board.

The answer to the side ways insulation is fablon over the poly. If you insist on going that route. So much easier just to buy a poly hive and relax.

I once bought a colony which had as a crown board a travelling screen or in other words a mesh top. It was completely solid with propolis. Let the bees tell you what they prefer and it is to me very obvious they hate holes above their heads.

PH

 

[beebreeder]

Totally aggree Poly, why re invent the wheel, I overwintered nus in 12mm ply boxes last winter on stands 16 inhes of the ground, no problem snow and all, its damp that kills bees not the old, they are their own insulator in the cluster temperature. Think of all the ommerial guys cutting down polystyrene for every one of 250 hives, don't think so.