Commercial To National

[Mersea Bees]

I have been looking through the Forum but cant seem to find the imfo on what im looking to do.

I have a Commercial Nuc and wish to put in to a National Brood is this Possible will they Fit Or Maybe a 14x12 which would be best?

Many Thanks

Stuart

 

[Mike101]

A "Hamilton Converter" will allow 10 com brood frames to fit into a Nat brood box.

About 8 quid from Thornes.

 

[RoofTops]

You won't get commercial frames to fit into National without a very large hammer - the top bar length is the same but the commercial frames are much wider so won't fit. The converter referred to is I think to get Nationals to fit in a Commercial box.

It might be possible to bodge something up so the commercial frames fit diagonally across the National box but I am not sure how many you could get to fit. You might just get 5 to go but this seems a bit of a faff when there is a better way.

The easiest way would be to get/borrow a commercial brood box and put the nuc frames in this, pushed up to one side with some sacking or even just scrunched up polythene sheet/bags to fill in the gap where the other frames should be. A dummy board would help if you can get one - even a National one would be better than nothing. Then put the national brood box on top full of frames of foundation. Add a feeder if possible and stand back and wait for them to go up into the National. When the queen is laying up there slide a queen excluder between the two and remove the commercial box after 3 weeks.

 

[RoofTops]

I take back the above - should have checked my facts ! The Hamilton converter does the job - haven't seen one but I guess it holds the frames at right angles to the way they would go in a National. I forgot the National box is square so although commercial frames won't fit in place where National frames would go, they will fit if turned through 90 degrees. The converter gives the extra depth required and a ledge for the frames to rest.

 

[Heather]

I have just done shook swarm today getting 3 Commercial colonies into 3 Nationals. They are at a teaching apiary and the lugs on Commercials make for a dodgy handling for new people when examining a frame.

 

[RoofTops]

They are at a teaching apiary and the lugs on Commercials make for a dodgy handling for new people when examining a frame.

Odd that, if its true, as the rest of the world uses short lugs.

You just have to change your grip on the frame. If you try and hold a short lug frame as you might a National, you can struggle.

If the beginners are having problems their teachers are showing them the wrong technique.

 

[susbees]

If the beginners are having problems their teachers are showing them the wrong technique.

Or they are wearing gloves that are way too big....Sainsbury's pink washing up gloves are slim fingered and ideal. The only commercial we have a bit of trouble with is very very sticky with propolis (we are going to harvest propolis from this hive so no, we don't want to breed it out).