B.S Nuc box

[planbee]

Will bees chew "ordinary" polystyrene?

I was thinking that it would be quite straightforward to make up from, say, 25mm polystryene sheet, [for indoor overwintering in my shed].

It could be clad round with another layer, for good measure, if needed, and an open mesh bottom wouldn't be too difficult to engineer.

John

 

[Poly Hive]

Yes they do which is why it pays to buy the proper stuff. It's hard enough to be unchewable.

PH

 

[planbee]

OK Poly, thank you for that, so, your starter for 10 points, "Where do you get it from?"

And a bonus point if you can tell me what it's called?

I presume that if it's hard enough to stop 'em nadging at it, then it's machinable, or, put another way, can I make it obey my will, by beating it with routers, saws, drills etc?

John

 

[DrNick]

any way to zoom in? my eyes are failing me

Control and scroll wheel zooms in and out.

 

[Poly Hive]

YOu cant get it in sheets that I know of as it is injection moulded. It comes as an item. Like Canadian nuc boxes

PH

 

[planbee]

Ah! Shame, it was worth asking.

There's more that one way to skin a cat, they say, although I've never tried it...

Is there anything that is impervious enough, but safe enough, to spray on ordinary poly; after cutting it, and before assembly?

John

 

[planbee]

Poly, or anybody, do we know what density of poly is used for beehives?

John

 

[Poly Hive]

I will look it up its 100 per something.

There is a way of using easy to work insulation board but it has to be inner faced with ply. I would suggest 6mm. Then you can have the advantage of the warmth whilst denying the bees access to the insulation which they WILL chew to bits. Been there tried it.

Used to be called floormate, made by Dupont.

Found it: Had a reply from Swienty Density is 100gram /1 (where one is a square metre. PH)

Regards
Wynne jpnes

PH

 

[planbee]

OK, thank you, it will work out at 100kg per cubic metre, I think, pretty dense stuff.

It really boils down to using the extremely dense stuff to stop 'em eating their way out, or using the lighter weight, home insulation, with a barrier to stop 'em.

Normally, the choice of density would be to obtain a suitable thermal insulation value, but in this case, the requirement for mechanical strength is the overriding factor.

I'll see if I can get a few hours in my workshop, with some ply and poly next week - I should be able to fashion something that the ladies should be happy in during the Winter, particularly as it's going to be sited in a shed.

John

 

[rowbow]

If you have a spare brood box, fix in a splitter board make afloor with matching splitter bar one side front entrance other side rear, crown board with splitter bar feed hole both side's, use standard roof.
The uses are unlimited.
John

 

[beesrus]

I found this plan to be wrong

Hi,

I had this box made up exactly to these plans at a local timber merchants and as far as i can tell its made for smith frames but there is no room for a DN1 frame as its too big for the hive body which leads me to believe its all wrong...

There is a chance i have assembled it incorrectly so would appreciate any feedback as its a wasted box of wood right now.

Marc

 

[m100]

Hi,

I had this box made up exactly to these plans at a local timber merchants and as far as i can tell its made for smith frames but there is no room for a DN1 frame as its too big for the hive body which leads me to believe its all wrong...

There is a chance i have assembled it incorrectly so would appreciate any feedback as its a wasted box of wood right now.

Nope, it's almost correctly sized for national frame and I have made up half a dozen or so. I found that with closely fitting joints and with wood sized exactly as the drawings there wasn't enough clearance outboard of the ends of the frame lugs. The runners 'L' profile therefore had to be made with a bigger cutout in the horizontal direction.

I've posted on this issue either here or 'elsewhere' but this post by 'Hombre' details the problem

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showpost.php?p=17000&postcount=7

 

[Hombre]

M100, it's nice to know that I've been noticed - Thanks.

Bad luck Beesrus. The Nuc plans by Martin Adams shown at the head of the thread are for a British Standard National not a Smith, although I do believe there is some similarity; not something I have felt necessary to follow up on.

Maybe I will publish the methods I use to make nucs and boxes, the tools I use and why.
I'm a bit busy at the moment, but will work on it.

 

[m100]

The way I read it the original poster was struggling to fit a DN1 which is a BS National frame with parallel side bars. A Smith frame is identical in dimensions to a BS National, except the top lugs are shorter so it would always fit, albeit with massive clearance outboard of the lugs.

If the nuc box has already been glued together as the original poster implies then a router could be used to expand the L cutout to what it should have been sized to in the first place. Then National frames will fit what is supposed to be a National Nuc.

Pity the plans couldn't be redrawn as I'm sure many people will come up against this problem again and again.

I've modified my nucs slightly in other areas too. I've scooped out wide half moons on the roof support bars so that a standard rapid feeder fits, some I've fitted with partial mesh floors, and one change I will make on mine in the future is to move the entrance to floor level and make it a slot rather than a hole and fit a pivoting entrance block.

 

[PuckUk]

Hi,
I'm still a little confused!! I've been busy this weekend building two Nuc's to these plans, came across the issue described regards the space being tight for the lugs. However, as I taped together the components before glueing I was able to rectify.

Once assembled, I find there is about a 5" (125mm) space to the bottom of the frames, wont this simply encourage wild comb or Drone cells? I can't help but think the plans were meant for another frame other than a National? But then I am a newbee so what would I know.

Also, where is the OMF, the plans call for a solid floor!! Time for some modifications me thinks.

Will be showing my handywork off at the weekly Out Apairy meeting for further feedback, but would welcome any comments on the issues above?

Cheers.

 

[beeboybee]

which meeting are you attending puck?

also double check what frame type you have

 

[PuckUk]

It's the Ormskirk & Croston Branch.

I think I have Nationals frames, DN4's as this was all that was available at the Stoneleigh Tho**es Sale, these were kindly picked up for me by another Club member.

I keep hearing 14x12's, my thoughts are that these Nuc's are perhaps for these extra deep frames. But i'm thinking this might give probelms when transferring the Nuc to a brood bax at a later date?

 

[langdonphill]

Many thanks
Is the p;an above for reg national nucs or 14x12s?

 

[langdonphill]

I would be grateful for a pic. Is this for standard national frames or 18x12?