# Insulated top cover- plans



## bjorn (Aug 7, 2013)

I've been seeing a lot of references to insulated top covers. Logic would tell me that the insulation would keep the inside of the top cover closer to internal hive temp, thus reducing the likelyhood that moisture would condense on the inside of said cover and drip on my bees. Does this theory hold up in practice? If so, does anyone have a link to plans?


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

I just cut my 1" rigid insulation board the same dimension as the inner edge of the inner cover then set my telescopic cover on.
And yes... it does work.


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## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

yes, very important imo. Im not so sure about "dripping", I have not observed, although wood wear will become wet/damp and mold. Condensation is a game of temperature differentials and relative humidity.


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## bjorn (Aug 7, 2013)

My inner cover is made of 1x2 lumber with a recess routed into it for 1/4" plywood to set in. If i understand correctly I would cut it the dimensions of that plywood, not the outside dimensions of the inner cover.


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## enjambres (Jun 30, 2013)

I have 1.5" inches of foam insulation tucked up into the top of my telescoping cover.

Directly below the tele cover, I have a shim (2" high) with two large round holes in that are open to the air.

I do not use an inner cover during the winter.

Below the shim I have a quilt box (about 5" high, it's a former comb-honey super) filled with pine shavings. It has a fabric floor to hold the shavings inside the box.

Below that I have a feeding rim (about 1.75" high) which has one ventilation hole/ top entrance about 1/2" in diameter.

Below that is the top bars of the upper super (or deep) depending on the hive.

This arrangement keeps the area inside the feeding shim quite warm: as high as 90 F when there are tons of bees up there, but rarely below 60F even when the bees have withdrawn down into a lower level. I have opened the hive to add sugar bricks several times over the course of this long bitterly cold winter. There are no signs of condensation within the hive (mold, blackness, dampness, or even any waterstains on the fabric). The shavings above have been changed out once when they seemed slightly damp. After I did that I opened the second hole in the upper vent shim and have not had any perceptible dampness in the shavings since. Ocasionally there will be a small amount of condensation on the undersurface of the foam in the tele cover, so I know moisture from the hive has passed through the shavings and is condensing when it hits the vent chamber which is open to the air. I am in northern NY, where it has been severely cold this winter.

I am (after this, my first year in beekeeping) happy with the quilt boxes and would continue using them. Also keep in mind that my hives are otherwise quite well insulated, inside and out, and also covered with blankets and plastic tarp (to protect the blankets from precip.) so I should be having _more_ condensation problems that I would otherwise have. I am not promoting covering your hives with blankets and may not repeat that, but quilt boxes seem to work very well. They are easy to make, inexpensive, reversible (can be used for other purposes at other seasons if you dump out the shavings), so they get my thumbs up.

Enj.


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## RiodeLobo (Oct 11, 2010)

This is what I use. I build them with out all the vent holes in the side. 
http://www.honeyrunapiaries.com/store/all-season-inner-cover-p-232.html


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## sweetas (Apr 16, 2012)

I use polystyrene colourbond sandwich as lids ; as in cool room material. mine has all been scrap and cost very little.


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## tommysnare (Jan 30, 2013)

We overwinter with dry sugar on newspaper over the top. Then add a 3" ventilated spacer box.
. It absorbs all the moisture.


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## Knisely (Oct 26, 2013)

Here's the links to the plans for the insulated all-season inner cover from Honey Run Apiaries. 

http://www.honeyrunapiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/all_season_inner.pdf

Thank you to Tim Arheit and Honey Run Apiaries. There are other plans available on the website that may be of value to beeks. (go to the main site and look under 'plans').


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## Woodchip (May 29, 2013)

Here is a link to a company making the insulated top cover http://www.greenbeehives.com/ttrintetop.html
I bought one and then made more based on their concept.


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

bjorn said:


> My inner cover is made of 1x2 lumber with a recess routed into it for 1/4" plywood to set in. If i understand correctly I would cut it the dimensions of that plywood, not the outside dimensions of the inner cover.


Yes.


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## bbbthingmaker (Sep 26, 2010)

I use a quilt box. It is basically a shallow box (2-4 inches). The bottom is covered with screen or hardware cloth. A layer of cloth is laid inside the box to keep fine dust from sifting through, then the box is filled with clean wood shavings. Some people drill holes in the sides of the box for ventilation. Moisture goes up through the box and out the top. It also provides insulation to the hive. The telescoping cover goes on top of this.


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## tommysnare (Jan 30, 2013)

bbbthingmaker said:


> I use a quilt box. It is basically a shallow box (2-4 inches). The bottom is covered with screen or hardware cloth. A layer of cloth is laid inside the box to keep fine dust from sifting through, then the box is filled with clean wood shavings. Some people drill holes in the sides of the box for ventilation. Moisture goes up through the box and out the top. It also provides insulation to the hive. The telescoping cover goes on top of this.


with dry sugar over newspaper under a 3-4" ventilation box (mountain camp method) you dont use screen because it is emergency food for them to gain easy access to. sugar is a great moisture absorber and when it absorbs the moisture it is very easy for the bees to eat and process/digest. leftover becomes early spring syrup. the best method i know of for overwintering.


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## rkereid (Dec 20, 2009)

Mr.Beeman said:


> I just cut my 1" rigid insulation board the same dimension as the inner edge of the inner cover then set my telescopic cover on.
> And yes... it does work.


Ditto on that. It works great. All my production hives have this and my nucs mostly have 2" foam.


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## ukewarrior (Jul 4, 2013)

I use this same cover and am very happy with it.



RiodeLobo said:


> This is what I use. I build them with out all the vent holes in the side.
> http://www.honeyrunapiaries.com/store/all-season-inner-cover-p-232.html


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## Bob J (Feb 25, 2013)

I made a shim with 1" rigid insulation and homasote fitted within the frame..... Vented with a 3/4 drilled hole in the front below the two... Leaves me enough space for some sugar blocks if I need to feed....


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## bjorn (Aug 7, 2013)

Is the insulation on the top cover alone enough to combat moisture or is some sort of moisture quilt also required?


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## bjorn (Aug 7, 2013)

Also how late in the season do you leave the insulation in there?


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## Bob J (Feb 25, 2013)

bjorn said:


> Also how late in the season do you leave the insulation in there?


I usually leave mine on until the spring flow..... Usually by then I am past any significant risk of extended cold.....


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## SeaCucumber (Jun 5, 2014)

..


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## SeaCucumber (Jun 5, 2014)

Woodchip said:


> Here is a link to a company making the insulated top cover http://www.greenbeehives.com/ttrintetop.html
> I bought one and then made more based on their concept.


I made some similar to that, except infinitely more durable. Each side has 2 long rabbets. One is 3/8" (for the 3/8" plywood top). The other is 1 or 2" (for the 1/8" plywood bottom). 2 of the sides have 2 short rabbets. 1" polystyrene foam is in the plywood sandwich. The top is galvanized. I used dado blades, but I could learn to use the CNC router at my maker space.


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## Pete O (Jul 13, 2013)

My ultra-simplistic top cover insulation is just a piece of 1" rigid foam placed on TOP of the hive cover and gets held down by two bricks. Works just fine; it's not necessary to put insulation inside the hive; you just need a means to stop the radiation of hive heat.


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## SeaCucumber (Jun 5, 2014)

Now you have an extra thing, and it's not durable.


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