14 x 12 nuce box conversion

[Gribbee]

Hi there,
I am new to beekeeping and about to pick up my first colony this weekend.
Recently my wife has very kindly bought me a nuke box (no bees) but it is made for 14 x 12 frames.
My question is, can I convert it to 14 x 8 frames by inserting a new floor at the correct depth or being a coplete novice am I missing something.
Any advise will be really appreciated.
Steve

 

[FreeFall]

Do you already have a hive that takes the smaller frames? I'm only in my second year but if I had my time again I would use 14x12 BB instead of brood+half.

Just a thought...

BTW - lots of posts recently regarding the conversion of one to the other.

Nick

 

[itma]

... about to pick up my first colony this weekend.
Recently my wife has very kindly bought me a nuke box (no bees) but it is made for 14 x 12 frames.
My question is, can I convert it to 14 x 8 frames by inserting a new floor at the correct depth or being a coplete novice am I missing something.

Welcome to the forum!

Not many made only for 14x12. What exactly is it? Knowing that might enable some specific advice from someone.
14x12 seems a good way to go. But if you are getting standard National frames of bees and a matching hive, you may not want to go changing direction before you start. Changing the hive from std nat to 14x12 is really very easy. Converting frames that are in-use is less easy ...

 

[johnnythefridge]

Hi Steve, you can stick national frames straight into a 14" X 12" brood box no problem, the bees even help out by gradually extening the frames down to fill the box. Just be carefll how you handle the frames in the warmer weather, so that you allways keep gravity from trying to fold them in half. Regards, John.

 

[REDWOOD]

Hi, Welcome to the forum, When you get your bees they are in a traveling nuc ready to put in to a hive. A nuc is a lovely gift and will come in handy when you are up and running. you have to decide what size you are going to keep bees on 14x12 or standard, I would go for 14 x 12

 

[drex]

As above you can put standard frames into a 14x12, and the bees will build comb underneath. If you are lucky it will be hanging straight off the bottom of the frame, unlucky and they will put it all over the place.

Handling unframed comb can be quite tricky and I would not recommend it to a newcomer. You could always just bung in a block of wood to fill most of the void, depending on the type of floor.

I assume your soon to arrive colony will be coming on standard frames, and that is the size hive you have decided to operate. Recent threads on here debate the pros and cons of 14x12.

If you are to stick with standard National hives then yes you can just cut the excess off the 14x12 nuc. How easy it will be will depend on the type of floor, is it fixed? is it open mesh?

Please note that standard National deep side bars are 8 1/2" long, not 8" as you posted.

Keep the bits you cut off and they will form an eke, which can come in handy for feeding etc.

Enjoy your bees

 

[MuswellMetro]

Post a photo of the Nuc....several different styles and measure the depth, top of box to floor inside And the distance from the top of the box to the top of a frame ( ie if it is top or bottom bee space)

i use dual 14x12/standard Nuc that are top bee space 317mm deep which gives only 6mm under the bottom of the 14x12 frame when using a top entranace

or as a BS national standard Nuc, I use a bottom entrance and this gives a space of 60mm under the 14x8 frames bottom to floor...a normal hive has 28 mm frame bottom to floor

This allow me to use them as dual 14x8 BS national frames or 14x12

I could reduce the depth to around 28mm if i added added a 2x18mm block of ply with a grove cut to allow them to exit but I don't because most have mesh floors

The bees on 14x8 frames don't make much wild comb underneath like they do in the 6mm + 89mm+ 21mm space in a 14x12 main hive and it is easy to cut off wild comb to transfer frames to a smaller 14x8 hive...in fact I just cut it off at each inspection..mainly drone comb

 

[Gribbee]

Thanks everyone for the advice, I forgot to mention in my original post that in my haste to get started I had allready purchased last year three new std national hives.
Would it now be wise (or not) to use the hives as they are until I gain more experience and then gradually convert to 14 x 12's or start with the larger frames?

 

[itma]

Changing because of the nuc would be as remarkable as cutting down the nuc and then extending it!
Work out where you are going first of all!

Do many people locally run 14x12s? Have you handled one? Do you intend shifting bees to out-apiaries, pollination, heather, etc? What investment do you have in standard frames and foundation?
Different people will have different considerations, and thus come to different but (for them) equally correct conclusions.

 

[Gribbee]

Don,t quite know where cutting down the nuke and then extending it came from! in my original post I simply asked if placing a false floor in the nuke at the correct thickness was ok to do. A reasonable question for a complete beginner I thought.

 

[drstitson]

of course you can add a block into the bottom of the nuc - just don't forget to leave 8mm space at front to allow access down towards entrance!!!!!

 

[Davidwd]

for swarm prevention would it be better to have 2 x standard BB and change them over from top to bottom every 2 weeks?
i read somewhere this lessens the swarming instinct?

 

[REDWOOD]

for swarm prevention would it be better to have 2 x standard BB and change them over from top to bottom every 2 weeks?
i read somewhere this lessens the swarming instinct?

I am not sure about moving BB from top to bottom it could be a little confusing for the bees and cause stress to you and the bees but giving the bees extra room to expand and draw comb will lessen the need to swarm.
The double BB is another topic which is used for certain needs by the beekeeper, but just by adding a super will discourage the bees to swarm.

 

[tawny]

I too started with National Deep brood boxes, but just made an eke to convert them to 14 x 12's. As for frames start buying 14 x 12 for the future or if frames are unmade just buy the longer frame sides.

No need to throw away what you have as existing frames will eventually be worked out of the hive and can be used in a standard Nuc box when you end thinking, I need another nuc box. You will.

 

[oliver90owner]

As for frames .... if frames are unmade just buy the longer frame sides.

I wouldnt bother doing that. 14 x 12 frames normally have the wider top bar, so any savings are really only the bottom bars. Passing any new frames to another beek is a better option.