a couple more points to add...
Wool is an industrial by-product of sheep farming. Only a few breeds of sheep
have wool with long enough fibres to be used for clothes. I'm told that much of
it gets dumped in land-fill. It should be cheap, but will have been treated
with sheep-dip (they used to use Organo-phosphates... is that still correct?)
You'll need to protect against wool moth. A cotton cover (like a pillow case)
to enclose it should be enough. This will protect its breathability and prevent
bees getting caught in it. You can also use loose wool in a cotton cover.
Will
On 02/08/18 12:19, Oxnatbees wrote:
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<mailto: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<mailto: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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