Made a simple NUC box but need some advice

[BCBEE]

HI all
I have made a sime nuc box over the weekend from a plan i found on a site in the usa and amanded the sizes for my national frames.
I havent finished it yet but wondered if you could advise me of a few points.

The original plan shows a small 10mm entrance hole. Should I consider a larger entrance say a slot 10mm high x 75mm long along the bottom of the front panel ?

The original shows a hole at the top of the rear panel. I assume this is for ventilation or is it another entrace ?.

Should i make a small crown board or is the roof sufficient. The plan doesnt show one ?


Thanks

Phill

 

[oliver90owner]

American? Metric? Doesn't add up! Sure it's not a 1" hole?

I really cannot see any point in almost 're-inventing the wheel' when there are accurate plans for the job-in-hand feely available on the net and for National frames.

I reckon the plans you found are possibly flawed.

 

[ratcatcher]

I just have a 22mm hole as an entrance, as a wine cork then fits in nicely to cap off when transporting, if bees are house for long periods, I then have a cork with a centre 8mm hole drilled in it, (one bee space) good if wasps are on the prowl
yes I made a crown board along with a deep roof, so I can feed, and yes to ventilation holes at top, Im even now going to redesign by removing a large section of the floor and mesh it, again for ventilation whilst transporting

 

[BCBEE]

I just have a 22mm hole as an entrance, as a wine cork then fits in nicely to cap off when transporting, if bees are house for long periods, I then have a cork with a centre 8mm hole drilled in it, (one bee space) good if wasps are on the prowl
yes I made a crown board along with a deep roof, so I can feed, and yes to ventilation holes at top, Im even now going to redesign by removing a large section of the floor and mesh it, again for ventilation whilst transporting

Thanks ratcatcher
I have not glued the floor on so that I can take it off for cleaning and also in case i chose so fit a mesh floor as i can rout a section out and fit some mesh later.

Thanks for the info re the entrance size - we have plenty wine corks here.

 

[george]

I used to make mine with an entrance hole part way up as you describe but have changed to a slot at floor level . This gives the bees a chance to clean house , I found a circular hole above the floor line left a lot of debris , cappings , dead bees etc on the floor which then festered and caused mould problems .

An omf will help keep condensation down . If you have used ply it doesnt 'breathe' in the same way as Cedar .

And yes use a crown board as it tends to get them tetchy if they stick frame tops to the underside of the roof and you lift it all out in one go .
And lastly I am sure I have seen plans on here for a National nuc . Saves all the trouble of readjusting your measurements from an American site .
G

 

[protheroe]

i drill a 25mm hole at the same level as the solid floor instead of higher up as it makes it easier for the bees to remove the dead bodies especially after the cluster breaks in warmer weather

 

[Little John]

A 10mm entrance hole and a 1" dia (or thereabouts) ventilation mesh would be fine for a small kieler-sized mating NUC, but not for a population of around 5 full-sized frames.

An OMF and wine-cork sized entrance holes is what I'm using - easy enough to fit a half cork, or make a rotating disk to select large or small holes for when robbing is afoot.

LJ

 

[BCBEE]

A 10mm entrance hole and a 1" dia (or thereabouts) ventilation mesh would be fine for a small kieler-sized mating NUC, but not for a population of around 5 full-sized frames.

An OMF and wine-cork sized entrance holes is what I'm using - easy enough to fit a half cork, or make a rotating disk to select large or small holes for when robbing is afoot.

LJ

Thanks to all for the replys

Regards
Phill

 

[alanf]

Have a look at the videos on here posted by Hedgerow Pete. Basic design that does the job. Simplest way to get the hole at floor level with a drill is to make the hole before adding the floor. Crown boards make the box more versatile, if the box has a top bee space the crown can be a simple sheet, a feeding hole or an insulating slab. Another feature worth trying is a detachable floor, it makes newspaper uniting or queen introduction via a nuc much simpler.

 

[youngyoungs]

I made mine using Hedgerow Pete's videos.

I cut a 15mm hole about 25mm above the floor and use a plastic disc over it (or a brass keyhole cover before that!). Never had any issues with bees struggling to get in and out. I do agree with George and Protheroe about making an entrance at floor level so that the bees can remove dead bodies.

I also used solid floors using Pete's idea of the sacrificial floor, ie when its rotten you can just remove and replace it. I made both crown boards and an eke. I used whatever ply / offcuts were to hand. Truthfully my woodwork was rubbish, but I had great fun, and the boxes came in handy when I needed to AS a colony.

 

[BCBEE]

I made mine using Hedgerow Pete's videos.

I cut a 15mm hole about 25mm above the floor and use a plastic disc over it (or a brass keyhole cover before that!). Never had any issues with bees struggling to get in and out. I do agree with George and Protheroe about making an entrance at floor level so that the bees can remove dead bodies.

I also used solid floors using Pete's idea of the sacrificial floor, ie when its rotten you can just remove and replace it. I made both crown boards and an eke. I used whatever ply / offcuts were to hand. Truthfully my woodwork was rubbish, but I had great fun, and the boxes came in handy when I needed to AS a colony.

Thanks again and for the advise on Pete.
Yes i have not glued the floor on so this is removable. I am fairly good at workword and luckily we have a model shop at work with sanders. bandsaws etc so i can finish the job off quite well. I think i will make a 3/8in wide slot along the bottle of the hive like a normal hive and i can make a snug fitting entrance block with various size gaps in.

I notice some of the boxes I have seen have no landing board but i have inlcuded one. Is there a reason that some dont have them?

Phill

 

[Little John]

I notice some of the boxes I have seen have no landing board but i have inlcuded one. Is there a reason that some dont have them?

Some folks quote the feral bee-tree as an example of landing boards being completely unnecessary. Personally I quite like 'em: somewhere for the bees to have a wrestling match when robbing is afoot; somewhere to land without drama when arriving with a heavy load of pollen; and I find it's nice to see 'em on a cold morning, all lined up like aircraft on a carrier, warming themselves in the sun before taking off.

'tis a personal choice.

LJ

 

[BCBEE]

Some folks quote the feral bee-tree as an example of landing boards being completely unnecessary. Personally I quite like 'em: somewhere for the bees to have a wrestling match when robbing is afoot; somewhere to land without drama when arriving with a heavy load of pollen; and I find it's nice to see 'em on a cold morning, all lined up like aircraft on a carrier, warming themselves in the sun before taking off.

'tis a personal choice.

LJ

Thanks LJ. I will keep mine a couple of inches or so wide. They often sway abit in the thermals on a warm day when landing lining themselves up so why make them work even harder i say. better to land on the board and walk in.

Cheers
Phill

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

HI all
I have made a sime nuc box over the weekend from a plan i found on a site in the usa and amanded the sizes for my national frames.
I havent finished it yet but wondered if you could advise me of a few points.

The original plan shows a small 10mm entrance hole. Should I consider a larger entrance say a slot 10mm high x 75mm long along the bottom of the front panel ?

The original shows a hole at the top of the rear panel. I assume this is for ventilation or is it another entrace ?.

Should i make a small crown board or is the roof sufficient. The plan doesnt show one ?


Thanks

Phill

A hole (whether 22,25, 35 mm or 1 inch) is easier to close up, personally i make mine with a 9/10mm (or occasionally 25/64 of an inch ) slot across the bottom - this has a batten (bevelled to assist water run off) fixed on the top side of it so the 'entrance' is flush to the sides and bottom - I can then either tack a piece of OMF across the entrance for transportation or stuff some foam into it to either close up or reduce the entrance.

 

[alanf]

I think i will make a 3/8in wide slot along the bottle of the hive like a normal hive and i can make a snug fitting entrance block with various size gaps in.

I notice some of the boxes I have seen have no landing board but i have inlcuded one. Is there a reason that some dont have them?

I started with a slot at floor level, 13mm drill bit hole flush to the floor, another 50mm away, turn into a slot with a jigsaw. I built a multiway block that slid into guide channels each side. Open, restricted, closed and a bit of plastic queen excluder glued in place. Looked good and I enjoyed making it. In use it was a bit too much faff, moving bees on and shaking the box sent it flying for instance. Instead I started using a bit of closed cell foam salvaged from packing. It fills the hole (secure enough to carry in the car) or it restricts it to a variety of sizes depending how it's wedged in. As long as your holes are more or less the same size, foam blocks can be interchangeable. The fancy block is on the garage shelf next to the spare foam.

If there is no landing board the bees land on the vertical surface and walk to the hole. In a sheltered spot it makes no real difference. More exposed and a landing ledge might make it slightly easier for the bees. But easier for wasps and robbers too. You pays your money...