Managing a Poly Nuc

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Joined
May 26, 2021
Messages
246
Reaction score
66
Location
Salisbury
Hive Type
WBC
Number of Hives
5
I have a split in a poly nuc. I checked them today and all is well, the new queen is mated and has starting to lay (eggs seen but no brood yet).
However when I lifted the top of the poly nuc (it's one of the National Bee Supplies ones with a two-level lid/feeder) three of the brood frames had become firmly stuck to the inside of the lid, meaning that all three came out.

Is there a clever way of preventing the frames becoming stuck this way? I was tempted to rotate the lid on lifting it in order to break off the frames. Does anyone else do that?
 
One of these?
Polystyrene Nucleus Box with Frames and Foundation (beekeeping.co.uk)

They are top bee space so you shouldn't have this issue. There's a 5mm+ gap between the top of the frames and the top of the brood box, right?

Scrape any brace comb off the top of the frames and the underside of the feeder/roof of course.

I use plastic coversheets with polynucs like this which means it can't happen (it also allows quick inspections without disturbing them). But it shouldn't anyway.

E.g. National Poly Nucleus & Parts - Maisemore Apiaries (bees-online.co.uk)

Is it possible that they are too packed in there now, and are building comb in the space between frame and feeder? Time to hive them?
 
That's the badger...

I scraped off the brace comb from both before replacing the top and so I hope it doesn't happen again. But that plastic coversheet looks like just the ticket. Thanks.
 

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