Insulation

[Luminos]

For those who insulate their hives, at what temperature low do you put on insulation - e.g, before the first frost, below 10 degrees etc etc?

 

[village girl]

and can i add to that question what do people use for insulation? I hope you dont mind me taging on to your question

 

[protheroe]

the only insulation i use is polystyrene in the roof and it stays there all year round

 

[protheroe]

the only insulation i use is polystyrene in the roof and it stays there all year round.

 

[Luminos]

and can i add to that question what do people use for insulation? I hope you dont mind me taging on to your question

No wurriz, VG
...I use the French equivalent of Kingspan

 

[Poly Hive]

When I used timber units as well as poly I had 2" insulation in the roofs all year round, plus ventilation in the floors. This mind when 99.9% of UK floors were solid.

The material was a blue material made by Dupont and meant I believe for under floor insulation.

Any dense insulation will do as it does not actually come into contact with the bees. Given that is that the CB is a proper one, ie no holes in it....

Dons tin hat and retires.....

PH

 

[meidel]

i use loft insulation and like PH, over the crownboard with the holes covered and all year round - keeps internal temperature as constant as possible. but with OMF open except during varroa treatment

 

[itma]

I've cut thick Kingspan to a size that fits a super. Two layers fill one completely. Hole in the bottom layer, actually sized to take a small rapid feeder - and thus big enough for a Flora tub of fondant. With bees in the garden, I don't feel the out-apiary pressure to provide lots of feed in one go.
Oh - and now its clear plastic pots (not marge packs) that I collect ... (easier to see when it needs refill/replacement)

I think a super containing a binbag of those 'loosefill' polystyrene packaging chippings would be simple and effective - with any coverboard holes closed, as they should be!

Some would say that insulation is a great thing all year round.
Others that the bees NOT going into a cluster (because they aren't cold enough) increases the amount of stores they consume - that argument would have insulation withheld (at least) until they are clustering.

I reckon its reasonable to fit the insulation when you finish Autumn feeding, or when you decide that they have enough stores and so don't need feeding.

 

[Anduril]

When I used timber units as well as poly I had 2" insulation in the roofs all year round, plus ventilation in the floors. This mind when 99.9% of UK floors were solid.

The material was a blue material made by Dupont and meant I believe for under floor insulation.

Any dense insulation will do as it does not actually come into contact with the bees. Given that is that the CB is a proper one, ie no holes in it....

Dons tin hat and retires.....

PH

Kingspan in roof all year round to insulate in winter and stop the metal roof from baking the hive in summer

 

[Cazza]

For those who insulate their hives, at what temperature low do you put on insulation - e.g, before the first frost, below 10 degrees etc etc?

Never thought in terms of temperature. I insulate when I have finished feeding at around the same time as I put mouseguards on, some time at the beginning of October.
Cazza

 

[Chris Luck]

Having experimented, (as always), I've found it makes no difference to colony performance / numbers and don't bother any more although I still have hives with what amounts to a dense felt-board built in to the CB and some with foil multi layer sandwich insulation, these stay on all the time as per all the French I know if they use anything. The thing to avoid is damp build up here, most of the winter is mild and wet with only the sporadic sharp cold spells, albeit these can be v.cold with minus 25°C and lower possible.

If the colony is strong and in good health the heat and cold aren't issues.

Chris

 

[user 6228]

Insulation is an old topic... Langstroth himself was an advocate of copious insulation and his original designs were for insulated hives. This book freely available on the internet describes the correct time for adding insulation.
http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Outdoor_wintering_of_bees.html?id=wm8uAAAAYAAJ&redir_esc=y

, as being before the temperatures fall too far. Note the publication date.

 

[oliver90owner]

and stop the metal roof from baking the hive in summer

Mis-information or myth yet again.

Unless the metal is directly above the bees and there is no ventilation at all, there is never any risk of overheating the hive with a metal roof covering. It just simply does not happen.

 

[Chris Luck]

Unless the metal is directly above the bees and there is no ventilation at all, there is never any risk of overheating the hive with a metal roof covering. It just simply does not happen.

I can vouch for that even with our summer sun and temperatures.

Chris

 

[Finman]

Having experimented, (as alwayeo
If the colony is strong and in good health the heat and cold aren't issues.

Chris

Insulation has nothing to do with healthy and strong. Second thing is that quite few hives are healthy and strong. For example varroa deminish cluster more or less.

The meaning of isulation is save energy = saving wintering food. Less feeding, less starving.

.

.

 

[Finman]

Insulation is an old topic... Langstroth himself was an advocate of copious insulation and his original designs were for insulated hives. e.

that has nothing to do with 2012 beekeeping.
Things have developed much during 150 years.

.beeks in USA do not understand insulation at all. It is same in and Canada.

Like Brother Adam talked about "severe winter" which is sometimes frost.

.

.

 

[itma]

..
Like Brother Adam talked about "severe winter" which is sometimes frost.
...

Perhaps he wasn't writing only for readers in Finland?

 

[Finman]

Perhaps he wasn't writing only for readers in Finland?

don't bother...

sorry but we do not need insulation advices from Great Britain, neither wintering advices.

But if you look your spring and summer this year, it has not much difference with your "severe winter".

 

[Chris Luck]

In this instance the question came from France in a region with little climatic difference to where I am, perhaps a bit "less hot" in summer and about the same in winter, perhaps a little cooler bit not colder...

...therefore Finman I think I can speak with some experience on this subject...

....but don't let that stop you.

Chris

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

No wurriz, VG
...I use the French equivalent of Kingspan

That'll be Le Roispan then