Are Beehives Good Insulation?

[Doc Tinker]

A few years ago the bees found an opening in my almost new vinyl siding and built a huge nest in the crawl area between my downstairs ceiling and the upstairs floor. I sealed up the opening the next winter and haven't noticed any more bee problems.



Last winter I asked my son to add some insulation around the perimeter of the crawl area and while installing the insulation he discovered the hive. He stayed away from it since he's very allergic to bee stings. Obviously he didn't finish the job and left the north wall area without the extra insulation.



We haven't done anything with the hive yet. I managed to get a good look at the hive and it looks to be about six feet long and at least a foot high and is glued to the joists and wall. Do you think it's OK to leave it and just insulate up to the area of the hive? Should I try to remove it? What R-factor would a 6-8" thick hive have?



Doc

 

[Sled Puller]

I look at it this way, is the gain in r-value worth the HASSLE?



My answer, NO.



LMAO!!



Gene

 

[redneckdr]

bees

gee doc, aged honey. maybe it will have fermented? actually the honey probably is still good. might get some one to harvest it. probably no live bees in there any more if "several years" sealed up??

 

[illflem]

Doc, you'll get more R- value out of fiberglass, north side is the most important. If the bees are gone no worry about getting stung. Yours might be past this stage if the bees have been gone for a year or more, but I've found that abandoned hives will stink badly when it gets hot. New swarms of bees will also try to move back in if they can get at it, I'll bet if you look under your eaves in late spring you will see them searching for a way in. They can smell it though the walls. Also will attract ants. Get rid of it.

 

[Papa Joe]

Years ago I kept bees as a hobby.

If it's an active hive and you want it out of there, call a bee keeper (phone book) and they'll come and get it in the summer if it's healthy. If it's not healthy or if it's too much trouble - they won't.

If it's an abandoned matrix of comb (empty, larvae, honey, etc. ), Clean it out of there and throw it away. Insulate and patch it up properly. Dead or alive, you don't want a hive in your walls.



Joe

 

[Briar Hopper]

Skunks, and bees, Doc? What's next, bears ? Snakes? Don't hang your arms over the edge of the bed at night.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Sounds like the animal kingdom is organizing a major assult against Doc. What did you do anyway?

 

[CMAC]

If the temp. is below freezing right where the hive is , you will not have to worry about getting stung. One thing to think about is , these hives are very flamable ... ... My understanding is they have no R-value. .