Using 12mm thick marine ply, this box could have the least amount of insulation of all.
Marine Ply is hardwood and used for many things like boat construction where it’s covered over with fibreglass, but it isn’t magic and can still rot. Some people use it for making native bee boxes and I have seen many plywood boxes that have lasted twenty years. It may just depend on the exposure to external moisture.
12mm is quite thin for native bee boxes and is on the extreme end for poor insulation. Many people would be horrified at the thought but this will make for a great comparison to text against other thicker boxes. The bees will be fine as they can be monitored for temperatures.
Photos: Boxes complete and painted white.
Below: Temperature probes installed and I’ll get bees in towards the end of the year – 2023.
It took a while to get bees in to this box because of the poor weather conditions but we finally have a colony in during early 2024.
Without the foam cover there’s no insulation of the 12mm marine ply box. The brood temperatures are still good though as the bees create the insulating structures around the brood.
Article: https://www.nativebeehives.com/foam-covers-for-insulation/
January 16, 2025 – Summer – Temperature Test
36c ambient. The box was in full sun from 7am to 12pm with no roof. Brood got to 35c and honey pots to 36c so it’s pretty much sticking around the ambient temperatures. While it doesn’t show much insulation from heat, it’s pretty impressive for full sun and no roof. See more in the Test section of this website.
