Natural Beekeeping International Forum

[Chris L]

I just finished building a top bar hive and am wondering what to source as good insulation for underneath the gabled roof. I am in Colorado where it is quite dry, very hot at times in the summer, and can get very cold (below zero) in winter. I was thinking something that would absorb moisture - an old wool blanket, perhaps - with something fairly dense to seal the warm air in, but am wondering what others use.

[stevecook172001]

I have a Warre hive. I have a cavity on the top of it that I fill with coarse sawdust. If you were to do something similar and yours is a kenyan top bar hive, then you would need to make some kind of container to hold the sawdust, that spanned the top of the bars, but was shaped such that the gable roof could still fit on top

[Chris L]

Thanks so much for the idea. I have a coarse sawdust that we use as bedding for our horses - I suppose I could sew it into a sort of a pillow case so it wouldn't be so messy!

[mannanin]

There are many things you could use for insulation but I would urge you to think if you really need it. You could end up just trapping moisture within the material used in the gable and have a soggy mess. I leave my Kenyans with just an air space in the void. An air space can act as decent insulation. With my Warres I also just leave the space in the gable and never had a problem with either. Of course your climate is probably very different so this may not necessarily work for you. Good luck whatever you decide.

[jnickison1]

Hi, I have hTBAs and use a pillow case with course and fine sawdust mixed, 'caus I have horses also, and a few chickens. Removed pillows from the roof space about 3 weeks ago and all was fine. During the year I use a sheet of thin corrugated cardboard covered with tin foil, helps maintain heat in the brood and also keeps heat out on hot days.

[Barbara]

I have an old feather pillow in one and straw filled pillow cases in others, but you could also use a stack of newspapers and there are plenty of other options like building insulation (Kingspan etc) There is no reason why the insulation should get soggy providing that the roof is water tight and there is some through ventilation. The top bars are usually sealed with propolis for winter, so very little moisture comes up out of the hive body.

[Chris L]

Thanks for the ideas, all. Our climate here is extremely dry - probably want to maintain some humidity in the hive, as much as possible. Good thoughts.