should I be worried? damp between insulation and stand.

[irishguy]

View attachment 11075



I have been keeping an eye on my bees coming in an out with stores these last few days but one thing that caught my eye again is this in my picture. I raised my insulation up so I could get a proper picture. What seems to be happening is when its raining and for a day or 2after(or more) is that the rain is running down the insulation and sitting between it and this timber and creating this damp patch on my floor. I'm starting to think its going to cause problems for my bees, am I right or worrying about nothing.

 

[Little John]

What you have here is a horizontal flat piece of wood which is acting as a rather nice 'rain-catcher', which is allowing water to then wick between itself and the box resting upon it.
I don't know about it giving the bees problems, but this set-up will rot both pieces of wood eventually.

To stop this, it is necessary to break the capillary action of having one piece of wood upon another in direct contact. A quick fix would be to insert 4 large nails between the stand timber and the box. Just rest them on top of the stand timber - that will stop water being held in the gap. Flat nails (as used for fixing floorboards) would be better than round.

A longer term solution would be to make a stand which has slightly smaller dimensions than the box, which would allow the base of the box to then drip rainwater clear of the stand.

LJ

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

To stop this, it is necessary to break the capillary action of having one piece of wood upon another in direct contact. A quick fix would be to insert 4 large nails between the stand timber and the box. Just rest them on top of the stand timber - that will stop water being held in the gap. Flat nails (as used for fixing floorboards) would be better than round.

Or maybe use matchstcks?

 

[irishguy]

Or maybe use matchstcks?

I'm sitting here scratching my head thinking is sarcasm

 

[irishguy]

What you have here is a horizontal flat piece of wood which is acting as a rather nice 'rain-catcher', which is allowing water to then wick between itself and the box resting upon it.
I don't know about it giving the bees problems, but this set-up will rot both pieces of wood eventually.

To stop this, it is necessary to break the capillary action of having one piece of wood upon another in direct contact. A quick fix would be to insert 4 large nails between the stand timber and the box. Just rest them on top of the stand timber - that will stop water being held in the gap. Flat nails (as used for fixing floorboards) would be better than round.

A longer term solution would be to make a stand which has slightly smaller dimensions than the box, which would allow the base of the box to then drip rainwater clear of the stand.

LJ

I was thinking of maybe removing the insulation and trim about half inch all around the bottom of it and resealing. Reasons being is its the insulation sitting on the timber creating this problem. I could even raise the hive as you say but would be to much messing about with nails and hammering or maybe just slide some thick plastic or metal on 4 corners of hive, that seems the easy option.

 

[Madge]

Do you wrap your hive with insulation on the outside? I don't think you need to do that. Give them plenty of insulation above their heads in an eke or super. I only have poly hives now, but when I did use wood, I did not wrap them up - even though my bees are on a very exposed hill.

 

[Madge]

... Or give them insulating dummies inside the hive.

 

[theeggman]

This could another veeerrrry long thread!!

I'm about to find the ignore button.

Tim.

 

[irishguy]

Do you wrap your hive with insulation on the outside? I don't think you need to do that. Give them plenty of insulation above their heads in an eke or super. I only have poly hives now, but when I did use wood, I did not wrap them up - even though my bees are on a very exposed hill.

... Or give them insulating dummies inside the hive.

Yes, I insulated on outside. Was advised on here that was best approach for my bees.

 

[VEG]

Yes, I insulated on outside. Was advised on here that was best approach for my bees.

You dont usually follow the advise on here though lol

 

[Dishmop]

Why has the corner on the right got another bit of wood under it?

 

[Little John]

Or maybe use matchstcks?

I don't think matchsticks are really quite thick enough - you really need a minimum of 3 or 4mm - maybe a couple of inches cut from a garden cane ? Something like that - anything to lift the box well clear of that flat timber.

Reasons being is its the insulation sitting on the timber creating this problem.

The basic problem is you have a flat piece of timber as a stand, and rainwater is not easily running off it - so it's wicking between the two pieces of wood.

If the timber being used as a stand was round in section - this wouldn't be happening ...

You could try putting a piece of garden cane (etc) underneath the insulation - to stop the water wicking underneath there ...

LJ

 

[irishguy]

You dont usually follow the advise on here though lol

Probably sniffing to much aul dolls knickers has went to me head and gets me confused at times

 

[irishguy]

I don't think matchsticks are really quite thick enough - you really need a minimum of 3 or 4mm - maybe a couple of inches cut from a garden cane ? Something like that - anything to lift the box well clear of that flat timber.


The basic problem is you have a flat piece of timber as a stand, and rainwater is not easily running off it - so it's wicking between the two pieces of wood.

If the timber being used as a stand was round in section - this wouldn't be happening ...

You could try putting a piece of garden cane (etc) underneath the insulation - to stop the water wicking underneath there ...

LJ

I have 2 hives sitting in this stand and don't have problems like this with it because insulation isn't sitting on stand. Next year thou I'll rip the timber in half so there's not the same amount of surface area getting wet.

 

[oliver90owner]

This could another veeerrrry long thread!!

I'm about to find the ignore button

Perhaps we could do with an 'ignore this thread' button!

 

[Rio]

Your box could probably benefit from a light lick of linseed oil. If you do it on a cold day you shouldn't sacrifice too many curious bees. It'll help displace the moisture. Sin e!

 

[irishguy]

Your box could probably benefit from a light lick of linseed oil. If you do it on a cold day you shouldn't sacrifice too many curious bees. It'll help displace the moisture. Sin e!

My other hives are painted and where getting used at the time. This was a caste and i knocked up a hive quickly to house it and never got a chance to paint. Its been covered in 4inch xtratherm insulation since sept so no need for linseed. I just slid the insulation out of the way for taking the pic.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I just slid the insulation out of the way for taking the pic.

What insulation, i can't see any in the picture, have you got a picture of the insulation, maybe you had it on the wrong way round.
Looks like you have a damp spot on the lower corner of the hive, need to raise it off the stand.

 

[irishguy]

What insulation, i can't see any in the picture, have you got a picture of the insulation, maybe you had it on the wrong way round.
Looks like you have a damp spot on the lower corner of the hive, need to raise it off the stand.

This is the hive with the young lad standing beside it. In this pic it the bees were getting fed hence why its not fully covered but when feeder removed, the insulation slid right over the brood box and rested on the stand.

View attachment 11078

 

[Hivemaker.]

The second hive up needs the alighting board fixing back on.