How big an entrance on a nuc.

[Sadders]

Last autumn I knocked up a few nuc boxes in a bored moment.

I have left one in my garden and one in my parents garden as bait hives - just in case. Didn't really expect to catch a swarm and so far haven't.

What has surprised me is that there has been absolutely no interest. There usually is a bee or two hanging around my spare kit even though I keep the entrances small, but these nucs haven't even had a sniff.

My guess is that the entrances are a bit too small - 12mm.

What size should a nuc entrance be?

With thanks as always.

 

[snelgrove]

Last autumn I knocked up a few nuc boxes in a bored moment.

I have left one in my garden and one in my parents garden as bait hives - just in case. Didn't really expect to catch a swarm and so far haven't.

What has surprised me is that there has been absolutely no interest. There usually is a bee or two hanging around my spare kit even though I keep the entrances small, but these nucs haven't even had a sniff.

My guess is that the entrances are a bit too small - 12mm.

What size should a nuc entrance be?

With thanks as always.

Did you place any old brood comb in the nuc boxes, that's a big attractant for them.
Nuc boxes should have a small entrance to help,the developing nucleus defend against wasps and robber bees later.

 

[chrisb]

20 mm is about the norm, just nice size for the entrance discs you can get

 

[Sadders]

Did you place any old brood comb in the nuc boxes, that's a big attractant for them.
Nuc boxes should have a small entrance to help,the developing nucleus defend against wasps and robber bees later.

Unfortunately not. I rendered all my old comb at the end of last season. Lost a colony to Nosema (I think) so didn't want to to pass this on. Did a Bailey change earlier this season to get rid of it all.

 

[Finman]

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I have 3-frame ( langstroth) mating nucs, and they have 2 x 2 cm entrance. IT works in 30C without extra fanning. They are poly.

In direct sun shine sun heats the long wall so much that fanning may be too big.
But then you should put some board against the wall, that sun heating does not happen.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Last autumn I knocked up a few nuc boxes in a bored moment.

I have left one in my garden and one in my parents garden as bait hives - just in case. Didn't really expect to catch a swarm and so far haven't.

What has surprised me is that there has been absolutely no interest. There usually is a bee or two hanging around my spare kit even though I keep the entrances small, but these nucs haven't even had a sniff.

My guess is that the entrances are a bit too small - 12mm.

What size should a nuc entrance be?

If the box is the right size then it'll attract a swarm even though Seeley's research suggests otherwise.

What you won't do is attract swarms when there aren't any. In this area there have been very few swarms this year, maybe it's the same where you are?

 

[Finman]

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Sadder speaks about nucs and about bait hives. They are totally different issues.

And ventilation/entrance is not the biggest question in bait hive.

 

[Zante]

If the box is the right size then it'll attract a swarm even though Seeley's research suggests otherwise.

What you won't do is attract swarms when there aren't any. In this area there have been very few swarms this year, maybe it's the same where you are?

Agreed. The swarm collectors of the LBKA were commenting on how there were very very few calls for swarms this year compared to last year, and if you're in east London the density of hives is lower than average, which will add to that.

 

[oliver90owner]

... entrances are a bit too small - 12mm.

What size should a nuc entrance be?


More than one entrance (per box)? Round or a slot? Do tell us so we know what you are talking about.

There are several factors which need to be considered for a bait hive, not just entrance size.

A bait hive is for a swarm, not a nuc. Think about it a bit more.

 

[Finman]

.
A swarm bait needs a brood box size space, 40 litres. 2 kg swarm inhabit that.

4 kg swarm needs two boxes.

If you use a nuc, you get only rubbish, if you get something.

 

[bpmurray]

For a great read on bait hives, read Tom Seeley's "Bait Hives for Honey Bees".