2 nucs in one brood box?

[mattiker]

Hi,

I'm putting together a swarm control plan for this season. I've got 4 hives now.

I'm thinking about doing traditional artificial swarm control, but take 3-4 frames of brood + 1 queen cell into a nuc box - which will be situated a few meters from the original hive.

To save on equipment I was thinking about using 1 brood box and splitting it in to 2 x 5 frame nuc compartments like this:

Google: 'National Bee Hive Split Board' - see Dave cushman.

So I will need 2 brood boxes to house 4 nucs. I plan is to use these nucs for either re-queening, selling the folllowing spring, or re-uniting.

I'd appreciate you comments - let me know if this is a crazy plan. I know it lacks a bit of detail.

Thanks,

Matt

 

[biglongdarren]

hey ye, i know very little about keeping bees but will the bees that you have to cover and look after the 3/4 frames of brood not just fly back to there original hive,given that there only a few meters away?
Darren

 

[drstitson]

BLD - flying bees will but nurse bees won't. neither will any new emergers. can always shake frames clear of foragers then proper shake to dislodge house bees into nucs.

 

[biglongdarren]

i really did know that but never thought to be fair..silly me.
Darren

 

[RoofTops]

You can certainly split a brood box and run it as two nucs - it helps with the retention of warmth but it is essential in my view the entrances are on opposite sides. You could fashion a new floor but simpler just to block off one side of the normal entrance and drill a hole in the back wall of the brood box. You could go the whole way and split the brood box into 4 with entrances on all 4 sides. You should have room for two 3 frames nucs and two 2 frame. Ideal for queen mating.

 

[weatherman1200]

When making nucs put 1 frame of sb 1 frame of eggs and one frame of food on top of big hive for 6 hours and thier move to new site

 

[drstitson]

since you're going to need a grooved divider along the middle of the floor to ensure division board fits properly you might as well cannibalise a standard floor - cut a rear entrance out the back wall and transfer the spare piece to the other end of the floor (so in the end you have an S shaped frame on top of the mesh).

if making floor from scratch you can design it so varroa tray slides in the side rather than rear although IMHO not worth the bother as trays can easily be inserted when suited or at night.

 

[winmag270]

I made one of these when i first started, instead of making / buying 2 nuc's.....

it worked, but here's a list of the shortfalls

1) you'll need to adapt a floor with an entrance at either end and a central "divide" beteen the two halves.

2) you'll need to make a split crownboard, one to cover each half, then make sure they dont both lift when you take the roof off.

3) removing the bees is difficult, cos you cant shake the remaining bees out of the box into whatever brood box you've moved the frames into if the other half is still full

4) positioning is not that easy, having two entrances to consider

give it a go if you wish, but take the above into consideration first.

personally i took mine apart, used the BB as a normal BB and made / bought some nuc boxes