I have one of those in my lab... I know how warm that is...
A properly made and coated straw skep can be as warm as some polystyrene hives...
which surprised me when i made the measurements.
Yes, it is marvellous that British people advice Finnish in insulating.
What is the difference with British and Finnish, if the beehive is moist. We add a little bit heat in the box and British open windows and ventilate heat off.
The British do not understand that the meaning of box is to keep bees warm. NO, they think that keeping them dry is the most important.
Even if they buy Finnish polyhives, they ruin the insulation properties with ventilation. Mesh floor has 10 fold ventilation compared to solid floor. Then they say that there is no difference with ply and polystyrene.
But knowledge level on this American forum is not better.
And when then somebody insulates something, he is like mad with his ideas.
.But I can tell that beekeeprs in Finland are not all wise. They have strange ideas which have nothing to do with facts.
I can only say that honeybee stands many kind of beekeepers.
If the hive is alive, it does not mean that the beekeepers is right.
I know those odd guys several. They are allways right. They have no problems with beehives,
but their annual yields are modest. ..
They are proud about their systems, which produces minimum results.
Bluebee and Derekm, what about your annual yields?
What it tells about your beekeeping skills
.
..