Which poly hive?

[user 6228]

you can get the original manuscript here
manuscript pdf
not as pretty as the springer formatted paper
The figures and tables are at the back. There is a considerable difference between poly hives (1.3 to 0.97 W/K )but they are all much warmer than wood 2.6 W/K all of them nowhere near a tree 0.4W/K

 

[user 6228]

Interesting, are there dangers i.e. over heating or do they tend to regulate and protect in extreme cold as well as heat? Is plastic specifically bad for bees?

in EPS the have less heat stress in summer not more insulation works both ways

 

[Zante]

Hi Zante, good thread and i wanted to reply and ask how you went with your selection ? did you stay with the Poly Hive?

In the meantime I decided to move to Italy, and here the standard is wooden dadant-blatt hives. Poly hives is something very new although poly nucs are commonplace and you can find langstroth if you look hard enough.

So...
It's going to be wood DB hives. I'll see how they fare during the first winter and then decide whether to insulate the hive further.

 

[Beefriendly]

all of them nowhere near a tree 0.4W/K

So why aren't we still using trees or log gum hives as they are called ....
Perhaps the roof could do with a bit more insulation

 

[Swarm]

There are too many variables with trees or tree nests in size, shape, location etc. My son-in-law has recently dealt with five feral colonies in trees and all were different. A fallen tree with combs hanging beneath the trunk, close to the stump. A hollow chimney about seven feet tall by around eight inches diameter. A hollow tree with a large opening about a foot by two feet, around four feet from the ground. A section of hollow trunk, lying on its side with bees entering from each open end. A well established colony on open comb hanging in the canopy.

 

[user 6228]

There are too many variables with trees or tree nests in size, shape, location etc. My son-in-law has recently dealt with five feral colonies in trees and all were different. A fallen tree with combs hanging beneath the trunk, close to the stump. A hollow chimney about seven feet tall by around eight inches diameter. A hollow tree with a large opening about a foot by two feet, around four feet from the ground. A section of hollow trunk, lying on its side with bees entering from each open end. A well established colony on open comb hanging in the canopy.

The work was done using the stats from a tree nest survey of 30 nests the value is an average.if you want the error analysis read the paper

 

[Gilberdyke John]

you can get the original manuscript here
manuscript pdf
not as pretty as the springer formatted paper
The figures and tables are at the back. There is a considerable difference between poly hives (1.3 to 0.97 W/K )but they are all much warmer than wood 2.6 W/K all of them nowhere near a tree 0.4W/K

Thanks for the link Derek.

 

[Swarm]

Only 30 samples? That's far less than I would have expected.