I've mentioned before on other posts that I don't like these styrofoam cooler hive boxes. We have ordered QVC and Homeshopping Network frozen burgers, steaks, crabcakes and other stuff - these coolers sure do a great job ALONG with the dry-ice to keep the food frozen.
And no doubt they have great insulation properties, I just don't see the cost effectiveness of them - they aren't cheap, matter of fact - I have seen prices that exceed quality wood supers. I can't do more than imagine that they are NOT what I want in my beeyard - those of you who have them are all I have to go by and if you have owned BOTH wood and foam style (forgive mt generic use of the word foam here - it reminds me of a commercial one time where I read at the bottom "Now made with REAL PLASTIC!"
I wouldn't own them, I really don't see a WEIGHT SAVING issue - wooden supers aren't THAT heavy alone and I think you have a variety of ways to be CREATIVE in painting, staining, decorating with little faux shutters and doors, etc.
Maybe I'm old fashioned but beehives should be made out of the same trees bees used as homes for millions of years - call me crazy (Beth - don't you dare go THERE! - lol) but plastic foundation is about as un-natural as I would go - I don't like the idea of totally plastic cells even, and obviously the bees aren't too keen on them either. My only fear is moisture and humidity, if they are controlled in the hive then most everything else jives in the hives.
Whenever you need to force something on the bees, you are changing their mindset - being anal as bees are, their little minds get all jiggy with change. I think foam boxes is the LEAST of intrusions to their life-style, I think it's the beekeeper who needs to adjust to that paradygm - not the bees.