Maisie's poly nucs

[pargyle]

Just as well to put them in a bigger box and add the extra two or three frames, and call it a ten or eleven frame nuc.

Don't they call that something else ?

 

[mbc]

Just as well to put them in a bigger box and add the extra two or three frames, and call it a ten or eleven frame nuc.

£30 for a floor, roof and a 10 or 11 frame brood box would sell like hot cakes I reckon.
It makes a lot more sense than people buying six frame equipment and supers in three different sizes and cutting out the feeders from each one to make 8 frame equipment which doesn't fit anything else on the market.
Remind me, why do we need detachable floors?

 

[alanf]

I used a multi saw as it then only takes a few minutes. Did use a small hand saw but it took ages.

I've only tried a couple so far, overwintering nicely with 8 frames. A home made hot wire cutter wasn't fast, but leaves a smooth finish, including for the wedges cut from the old partition to extend the lug shelf. Bathroom acrylic sealer fills the cracks as well as anything else and is only a couple of quid a pack.

 

[jezd]

I think some of you are missing the point re what Paynes are doing and or what other manufacturers may do too.

Using nucs is nothing new, but these add ons will help manage your nuc population pure and simple. Slap em into a hive? no, thats not the point, the idea is to maintain, build and support your nuc setup. This is alongside your production kit.

If you dont get it, or dont like the feeder then dont buy em. Or (and I am being serious) go one better, design, invest, develop, trial and then produce your own versions?

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, 5 years ago there was only one supplier producing a poly nuc full stop, a trailblazer even - they hardly get a mention now. Can you name em?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Slap em into a hive? no, thats not the point, the idea is to maintain, build and support your nuc setup.

Put another six frames on and it's no longer a nuc is it? just slap them in a full size brood box

and be done with

 

[alanf]

£30 for a floor, roof and a 10 or 11 frame brood box would sell like hot cakes I reckon....

You're probably right. Problem at the moment is that the existing poly hive makers have geared for limited volumes selling at 60-80 quid. If someone tried the volume approach and sold the basic brood/lid/floor at, say 3 for 100 quid delivered, maybe 15 for a super/eke you'd see them everywhere.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, 5 years ago there was only one supplier producing a poly nuc full stop, a trailblazer even - they hardly get a mention now. Can you name em?

Park?
I had one

 

[jezd]

Park?
I had one

Yeh Park, I have a soft spot for them (long story)

 

[itma]

Park?
I had one

Me too, and one of the lessons that should have been learned from the Park is to have an Ashforth rather than a Miller, if the feeder is "shallow".
The sloping bottom of the new Paynes feeder is a recognition of the concern, but (I personally suspect) not the simplest or most effective means of making the problem 'go away'.

There is now a 'gap in the market' for a product to 'fill the gap' in all of the Paynes modules ...
The absurdity is that - because of the bottom box 'National' feeder side entry - the 'chimney' above that level is wasted empty space, inviting wild comb drawing.
With the 14x12 eke, the 'hole' allows the possible (re)filling of the feeder, but I don't see anyone doing that with a double brood or bigger - especially with the availability of a top feeder. That space should have been solid on the new brood box AND the super (surely no feeding with a super in place!)

Super - but no QX? Or is it for making brood-and-a-half nucs?



Personally, I'm wondering if a 2x6-frame double-brood 14x12 might be a practical QC starting/raising unit. But, other than for a Demaree, I'm really not sure about the point of that super.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Personally i don't see the point in buying a nuc box with built in feeder, and then chopping it out, but then I'm one of the ones that like the inbuilt feeder, so i suppose i wouldn't. Five or six frames is big enough for a nuc... for everything i need them for anyway.

 

[itma]

Yeh Park, I have a soft spot for them (long story)

Was the soft spot anything to do with the choice of poly moulding density?

 

[mbc]

I have some of the park half Langstroth double mating nucs still in use, a bit battered and chewed, but with a bit of fixing with car body filler still serviceable.

 

[itma]

Personally i don't see the point in buying a nuc box with built in feeder, and then chopping it out, but then I'm one of the ones that like the inbuilt feeder, so i suppose i wouldn't. Five or six frames is big enough for a nuc... for everything i need them for anyway.

Well, if I was in the market for nucs today, I'd be able to choose a poly 14x12 without an integral side feeder.
But when I was shopping, if I wanted a poly 14x12 (in harder poly than Park's), I had to have the integral feeder. And I've chosen to just close it off and not use it.

The question now is whether to invest further in the Paynes 'system' (feeders, a brood and more ekes for winter roof insulation) and or to take the cost of swapping to Maisemore.
I'll likely get a couple of Paynes feeders and a brood box to play with, and a Maisemore one to see how it is in practice. And try and limit this years spend to that! Or at least hold off more spending until later ...

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yeh Park, I have a soft spot for them (long story)

Removeable floor
I box could be BS Nat, 14 x 12 or Lang.
Mice ate through the floor one winter....an empty box though....I might add.

 

[jezd]

Was the soft spot anything to do with the choice of poly moulding density?

no, it was my reintroduction back into the subject matter and the guy had a Park poly nuc, I remember it so well

 

[alanf]

...The absurdity is that - because of the bottom box 'National' feeder side entry - the 'chimney' above that level is wasted empty space, inviting wild comb drawing.
With the 14x12 eke, the 'hole' allows the possible (re)filling of the feeder, but I don't see anyone doing that with a double brood or bigger - especially with the availability of a top feeder. That space should have been solid on the new brood box AND the super (surely no feeding with a super in place!)

Super - but no QX? Or is it for making brood-and-a-half nucs?

Personally, I'm wondering if a 2x6-frame double-brood 14x12 might be a practical QC starting/raising unit. But, other than for a Demaree, I'm really not sure about the point of that super.

I suspect it's a (relatively) cheap blanking and modifying of the existing eke mould that leads to the various depth options while still having the "chimney". If they did take the option of a complete 8 frame system without the side feeder I could see a market for that as "lightweight" variant of the full National. Possible advantages for those who struggle with the weight of full size boxes. Could also be good for those with access restrictions - roof hatches or narrow doors perhaps. Queen excluders can be cut down from full size steel or plastic.

 

[Tim1606]

I think some of you are missing the point re what Paynes are doing and or what other manufacturers may do too.

Using nucs is nothing new, but these add ons will help manage your nuc population pure and simple. Slap em into a hive? no, thats not the point, the idea is to maintain, build and support your nuc setup. This is alongside your production kit.

This is exactly what we do. The new Paynes addons will make it better for us to use the nucs as brood factories as per Michael Palmers technique. Currently using split Nationals at the moment so these new bits will be ideal for our setup. Cutting the feeders out will mean we have more brood combs to use and our honey production equipment will remain as it was intended for.

 

[thebeeman]

 

[Itchy]

That's better

 

[domino]

I like the new paynes stuff, I'm just blanking out the feeder slot.