Our wool experts are Margaret and Mariella, so I have bcc'd this to them to
flag this message up to them. They know all about lanolin and suppliers and
stuff.
I have tried both wool and wood shaving insulation. The wood shavings are
messier, some always fall out the top of the hive! But that isn't really an
issue for a hive in a flowerbed.The wool is easy to handle. I would say one
warning against it: bees' legs seems to get caught on it like velcro, so it
is best covered so they cannot land on it when the hive is open.
I looked into its insulation value ages ago. Although lots of green
eco-people think it is the best insulator ever because it is Natural, its
R-value is significantly worse than many modern insulators like, say,
polystyrene. So there is a tradeoff - if you want the absolute best
insulator you would probably go for some fancy cutting edge plastic / glass
composite material, but it might outgas something. Also wool (and wood
shavings) have the advantage that they are porous which means moisture
escapes, thus no buildup of mould. On balance I decided it is best to go
for something which is "good enough", proven to work, and adds reasonable
insulation without risking factors like silicone release agents etc
gradually leaking into the hive.
Another point about wool: it can be compressed. So should you pack it
lightly, with maximum air gaps, or tightly, to limit convection? I asked
this on a forum once and the answer, if I recall correctly. was not too
loosely. Moderately packed is best, but not super-dense.
Another point about wool: it absorbs and releases moisture and acts as a
humidity buffer in the hive. This is a good thing.
Paul
On 2 August 2018 at 11:12, Gino Sprio <gino@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi Gillian,
In the past I have used a couple of unwanted feather down pillows as
insulation in a top bar hive.
They worked well as insulation but mice also thought they were a wonderful
place to spend the winter!
The quilt idea works well on a Warre because the top of the quilt box is
sealed by the roof base.
If you wanted to have an eke with insulation over the top bars I would
seal the top with something mouse-proof, mesh would allow moisture out, but
I suspect a thin sheet of plywood with some small holes drilled into it
would be fine.
Gino
On 2 August 2018 at 10:01, Gilliane Sills <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
I'm planning to insulate my two hives (one with bees, the other empty
now, but set up in preparation for next year) over the winter, much more
than I did last year, and am considering using natural wool insulation in
an eke placed underneath the roof - see https://sheepwool4homes.co.uk/
products/optimal-sheep-wool-insulation-2 for 75mm thickness. The wool
is a good insulator, it breathes and they claim no chemicals have been
added, so I think it should be fine directly on top of the bars. It's
worth scrolling down the page to the video that shows the product being
unrolled. However, it's not possible to buy a sufficiently small quantity
for just two hives and I wondered whether anyone would be interested in
sharing an order with me. The minimum order of 570mm wide is for two 6m
rolls and costs £92, including shipping. This works out at about £8 per
metre length. I'll need 2m for my hives, leaving 10m available for other
people. I could bring the insulation to a future meeting, for anyone who'd
like it.
I'd be grateful for advice for or against this idea - and if it seems a
good idea, please let me know if you'd like to share an order. I should
say that I know no more than the information provided by the website - so
I can't be sure it will be successful/suitable...
Best wishes
Gilliane
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