Best Poly Nuc for a new Beekeeper

[Boston Bees]

The nuc Abelo sells is the maisimore nuc.

Abelo are on my doorstep. The national nucs they sell are maisemores

We are in danger of confusing the OP here.

It's true that Abelo do list Maisemore national nucs on their website (as do lots of firms).

But the Abelo nuc that the OP is asking about is the Abelo 6-frame hive.

Abelo National Poly 6 Frame Hive - Welcome to Abelo's Beekeeping Supplies

I have several of these and they are excellent. They are more expensive than other brands, but there's a reason for that. With the separate poly crownboard, the space for a dummy board, and hard plastic runners and surfaces, these are more like small hives than nuc boxes.

Having said that, the advantages are most evident if you plan to stack the boxes on top of each other (which is where the plastic surfaces really come into their own). If I just wanted a nuc box that was never going to have a brood extension on top of it (or just one) I would be perfectly happy with a Maisemore or BS Honeybees nuc.

 

[Ian123]

As others have said I prefer the BS. Avoid the thornes cheap poly Nucs as the bee space is not correct on side bars leading to lots of brace comb.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Looking for national hives ideally 14 by 12 as my hive and future hives planning on being deep nationals.

Clarity needed before confusion creeps in: a shallow National holds SN frames, a deep National holds DN frames, and a 14x12 National is a box that holds 14x12 frames.

 

[beeboybee]

I have a Mixture of Paynes & Maismores...
Paynes... good points = I like being able to use it as a 14x12 then add a few of ther super & Eke to create another layer of 14x12 essentially a Baily frame change in a Nuc - i do this to get colonies onto a fresh foundation before transferring to full-size hive. --- bad points THAT feeder! so i cut that out!! then its a 7 frame Nuc = i add correx inside to create a 4 frame for smaller swarms etc...
Maismores - Good points find the Poly a better density, BAD BITS you can only use them as a Standard or with an Eke into a 14x12 - after that you cant add extra Supers or Eks to create more space - this is because of the Lugs on the moulding... again i chopped these out but create an Area for bees to hide inside the Nuc.

BAD POINTS on both !!! still don't understand why the Roofs are so thin, not only for insulation but strength when using a strap to tie them down.

 

[Foxylad]

I maybe wrong but i have supers and QE for my Maisemore Nucs.
I much prefer 6x6 then on to a full hive. The supers i use a ekes and when i have no deep frames made up. They take standard national frames.

 

[Angry_Mob]

We are in danger of confusing the OP here.

It's true that Abelo do list Maisemore national nucs on their website (as do lots of firms).

But the Abelo nuc that the OP is asking about is the Abelo 6-frame hive.

Abelo National Poly 6 Frame Hive - Welcome to Abelo's Beekeeping Supplies

The OP is from June 2019 at that stage I don't believe Abelo nucs were on the market? Thread was bumped this morning.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I maybe wrong but i have supers and QE for my Maisemore Nucs.

You're not wrong, and I usually run a few double Maisie's nucs through the winter rather than move a nuc over into a a full eleven frame brood box if they are getting a bit overcrowded towards the end of the season. I have a stack of extra brood boxes that fit over a standard Maisemore's nuc.

 

[beeboybee]

ooh, i am going to check this out... i inherited the NUCS with a bunch of other stuff so not had time for a proper look.

Thos Ablo NUCS look like the Rolls Royce of NUCS - do they do an EKE to make 14x12 i couldn't see on the website.

 

[Boston Bees]

Thos Ablo NUCS look like the Rolls Royce of NUCS - do they do an EKE to make 14x12 i couldn't see on the website

No

 

[Wilco]

ooh, i am going to check this out... i inherited the NUCS with a bunch of other stuff so not had time for a proper look.

Thos Ablo NUCS look like the Rolls Royce of NUCS - do they do an EKE to make 14x12 i couldn't see on the website.

BS Honeybees do though.

 

[Erichalfbee]

BS Honeybees do though.

Nowhere near the same though

 

[Ian123]

The lack of a feeder with the abelo must be a drawback and the built in feeder is a pain in the rear. It’s all very well being able to stack them but surely if they out grow a nuc they go in a hive, to top it off the poly nuc boxes are more expensive than a National brood!

 

[Markthebuilder]

I have 1 of each the Payne’s I cut out the Side feeder to make 8 frame and bought their miller feeder. works well and makes a convenient step up from nuc to full hive ( you can modelfie supers or additional brood boxes as well.)

the bs and maisemore nucs parts are interchangeable the bs 2 x 3frame is a good idea and works well .
I prefer the bs Roof to my maismore one.

If I was spending again I wouldn’t bother with the honey supers and would just extend with an additional brood box. …. Then I might want a separate floor to make splits

 

[Boston Bees]

The lack of a feeder with the abelo must be a drawback and the built in feeder is a pain in the rear.

Not sure what you mean by the built in feeder, but the crownboard on the Abelo's makes feeding easy using one of these:

Mini Ashforth Feeder 2.4L - Welcome to Abelo's Beekeeping Supplies

surely if they out grow a nuc they go in a hive

That's the standard approach, but it doesn't mean it's the only one. Any space can be a "hive".

the poly nuc boxes are more expensive than a National brood

Oh sure, this isn't the cheapest option. But I am not a bee farmer, thank goodness, so I don't have to worry about maximum cost efficiency.

 

[Ian123]

Not sure what you mean by the built in feeder, but the crownboard on the Abelo's makes feeding easy using one of these:

Mini Ashforth Feeder 2.4L - Welcome to Abelo's Beekeeping Supplies



That's the standard approach, but it doesn't mean it's the only one. Any space can be a "hive".



Oh sure, this isn't the cheapest option. But I am not a bee farmer, thank goodness, so I don't have to worry about maximum cost efficiency.

Some company’s do a built in frame type feeder for the polys many cut them out. Bees can build in them or if it gets cold syrup can end up sitting in there, if you don’t use thymol it’s can ferment and it can produce extra condensation. I’ve had it happen!
yes it has a crown board and I’ve seen the feeder, but then you need to buy a feeder and a box to house it? Adding that to the standard nuc price means you could buy 2 BS Nucs for the same price.
Yes indeed any space can be a hive and playing with odd hives can be fun. But I think the OP just wanted a good nuc box. As to cost bee farmer or not just think of all the other fun bits you can buy, hell you can even buy bee gyms

 

[user 20297]

Not sure what you mean by the built in feeder, but the crownboard on the Abelo's makes feeding easy using one of these:

Mini Ashforth Feeder 2.4L - Welcome to Abelo's Beekeeping Supplies



That's the standard approach, but it doesn't mean it's the only one. Any space can be a "hive".



Oh sure, this isn't the cheapest option. But I am not a bee farmer, thank goodness, so I don't have to worry about maximum cost efficiency.

Another thumbs-up from me in favour of the Abelo nuc/mini-hive.
Feeding is a doddle because, as with the Abelo Mk 2, 11-frame hive, the purpose-designed, mini Ashworth feeder fits in a tailored recess in the crownboard and under the roof. You could also easily place fondant under there or in the feeder with the barrier taken away.

The nuc is well design for transportation as the sections lock together. There is plenty of optional choice for ventilation both top and bottom, which is reasonably likely to be needed with a nuc. I just used one with one of the crownboard and one of the roof ventilation plugs removed when uniting two boxes over a couple of very hot days and nights.....I didn't have any matchsticks.

All Abelo kit is comparatively expensive, but as someone already said, it's (probably), in many ways, the Rolls-Royce approach.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I maybe wrong but i have supers and QE for my Maisemore Nucs.
I much prefer 6x6 then on to a full hive. The supers i use a ekes and when i have no deep frames made up. They take standard national frames.

Same for me here the extension brood chamber for the maisemore 6 frame nuc comes in for uniting nucs and then hiving up.
Most of my June, July queen's had this configuration then hived up into single brood ready for the Heather.
I will also be wintering on double 6 frame nucs instead of hiving up.

 

[Boston Bees]

Some company’s do a built in frame type feeder for the polys many cut them out. Bees can build in them or if it gets cold syrup can end up sitting in there, if you don’t use thymol it’s can ferment and it can produce extra condensation. I’ve had it happen!
yes it has a crown board and I’ve seen the feeder, but then you need to buy a feeder and a box to house it? Adding that to the standard nuc price means you could buy 2 BS Nucs for the same price.
Yes indeed any space can be a hive and playing with odd hives can be fun. But I think the OP just wanted a good nuc box. As to cost bee farmer or not just think of all the other fun bits you can buy, hell you can even buy bee gyms

Oh right. No, I have never and would never use a frame-feeder. Looks like an invitation to drowning.

No, the Abelo feeder (£5.75) fits inside the Abelo roof. No need for an extra box.

Completely agree. If all you want is a good solid nuc box, with no plans to do something odd with it like extend it upwards significantly, the BS is a great option. I have two myself.

 

[Swarm]

After shaking out a failed nuc yesterday, I decided I'm not fussed on the BS feeder. I removed the 'windows' and shook the little gang into the bushes with their mates, heard something heavy and thought .. Eh? Just as it dawned on me what it was. The bung!!!!
I would never have expected that to come out so easily. Of course I couldn't find it either.

 

[Swn58]

Some of the Maisemore's I bought early this year were badly moulded, so I won't be buying them again. I have a few BS ones that are excellent and will buy more at some point. I know nothing about about the Abelo ones, but judging by the quality of their twelve frame hives, I would reckon that they are in the 'Rolls Royce' league!