cardboeard or plastic flatpack nuc boxes

[Brian Bush]

I am now rapidly becoming the manic swarm officer for our association. I am getting mad calls from 30 miles away wanting me to send collectors to demolish and re-build houses.
We are experiencing the worst swarming season ever and I am rapidly losing collectors due to lack of space to house swarms.
Can anyone advise me of where to purchase corrugated plastic or card nuc boxes at a reasonable price so that we can temporarily house swarms for distribution to others at a later date.

 

[yeogi75]

fragile planet £11.99 +p&p

 

[tudor bees]

-------------------
Correx nuc box £10 or buy 10
£9:50.

 

[fatshark]

That last one might take some finding ….

However, M A N N L A K E appear to do a corrugated cardboard one for about £6. I suspect it's Langstroth, bit it would be easy to add a cross brace to support one end of the frame.

£4.50 each if you buy a couple of hundred if the swarming is really that bad!

 

[Beesand]

Solway bees do sturdy correx travel boxes that are great for swarm collecting as they are nice and light. Really good value and great as temporary hive if need be as there's an entrance that can be pushed out to let the bees fly if need be.

 

[alldigging]

Solway bees do sturdy correx travel boxes that are great for swarm collecting as they are nice and light. Really good value and great as temporary hive if need be as there's an entrance that can be pushed out to let the bees fly if need be.

Out of stick til about 27th May

 

[user 6228]

Staples do a range of cardboard boxes that approximate the size you need for a swarm. cost around £2. No provision for frames but do you need that?

 

[alanf]

There are at least two models of correx box in national size that I have seen. One is a one sheet and folds to a hinged lid, the other has a separate lid. Differences are handholds at the end and vent panels as you might prefer. They both did the basic job. Expect to use a few bits of tape if you want to clean and reuse or close up for transport. As a flat pack standby that you can leave in the garage, they can be a life saver.

Fragile Planet have been pretty efficient with deliveries in the past, 100 pounds includes postage and they have offered discounts to local BKAs if asked. A search for correx nucleus boxes turns up a few other suppliers, most around the 10 pounds mark. This time of year a phone call to check stocks might be a good idea, Solway have a warning that they are waiting for a delivery.

 

[thenovice]

great thread this one!

I just ordered some from Solway. will be another few weeks before they deliver but at least I will have them for next season...

I am aware you can not overwinter bees in these but any ideas how they do in it over summer given they do not crowd too much? What I'd like to know if there is enough time to keep them in there to do an assessment of the bees' temperament and the quality of the queen before passing the swarm on...

 

[Bates]

-------------------
Correx nuc box £10 or buy 10
£9:50.

Any chance that you were trying to write bs h oney bees? If so just wondering why its filtered yet fragile planet isnt?

 

[Terry G]

That last one might take some finding ….

However, M A N N L A K E appear to do a corrugated cardboard one for about £6. I suspect it's Langstroth, bit it would be easy to add a cross brace to support one end of the frame.

£4.50 each if you buy a couple of hundred if the swarming is really that bad!

They are indeed Langstroth. Heavy duty coated cardboard, easy to assemble. A stapler would be useful but the boxes work ok just folded.

 

[tudor bees]

Yep, should I s p a c e all trade
Names

 

[blackcavebees]

Jon from Belfast BKA makes them out of MEP election posters (correx) and duct tape - no joking! If there is not a thread on here there will be one on SBAi - he came along with one to our association a couple of years ago. BS National 5 frames