NUC 90% complete

[Craig1961]

Hi all,
Thanks for your info this morning.
Here is the Nuc so far. Need 18mm padding to correct side bee space and felt on the roof.
Interested in what you all think.
Craig

 

[Tom Bick]

Its looking ok but you will have to pack out the inside so that you will have the correct beespace 7-8mm at the ends of the frame side bars.

Also if you plan a 2nd it may be a good idea to not make the width exactly to fit 5 frames and give it an extra 10mm.

 

[Craig1961]

Yes, next time I will add a little as the 5 frames are too snug a fit.
Thanks.

 

[Tom Bick]

If you have Hoffman frames they will fit in with a slight gap as they are slightly slimmer than the narrow plastic ends.

It’s a good job keep going

 

[Craig1961]

Good tip. Thanks.
Craig

 

[Skyhook]

Hi Craig

Looking good, but seems quite a large entrance. Are you planning some provision for reducing/closing/ mouse guards?

 

[VEG]

Agree with the above looking good but entrance too large in height. And dont forget to make a crown board.

 

[Craig1961]

Yes, will be making a reducer.... Probably in the shape of an adjustable Mouse guard. No photos of that until I have the patent... LOL.

Thanks Craig..... Crownboard totaly slipped my mind.

 

[BKF Admin]

If you have Hoffman frames they will fit in with a slight gap as they are slightly slimmer than the narrow plastic ends.

That was my thinking when I looked at the pic,was just about to reply when I viewed your post.

 

[Marvin]

Hi. Good workmanship; well done! (better than mine)
Agree about the entrance.
Also for the second edition, think about how you will feed them. I use a small contact feeder but the sides of the lid aren't deep enough to cover the feeder plus come down over the sides.

 

[Arfermo]

I used a small contact feeder this year on a 5 frame nuc and suffered badly when the heat of the sun expanded the contents and made it leak everywhere attracting wasps etc.

Better imho to make 6 frame nucs with a high roof to accomodate the common type rapid feeder so that it fits inside the roof on top of the coverboard/crownboard and can be filled with syrup without letting bees out and without spilling or leaking.

A variation is to use a normal B/B with 5 or 6 frames in and with dummy boards either side (home made to fit right down to the floor), packing the void out as necessary with eg Celotex/Kingspan taped on the edges to stop bees chewing it. This method is a substitute nuc with the advantage that it allows for the expansion as the colony grows. Using an OMF also allows for testing varroa drop which is often not the case with standard nucs.

 

[Hombre]

The standard internal width calculation is 35mm for each frame plus 10mm.

I only have 5 frame nucs, but will make 6 frame nucs in the future.
I use 14x12 frames and the nuc is filled with 4 frames and two frame feeders when there is a need to feed. One litre each.

Constructed from 3mm ply and slit 12mm by 32mm (2 x 15.5mm) and lugs (bit fragile) cut from the same stock. I imagine that a Standard National version would hold approx 2/3 to 3/4 litre.

 

[Teemore]

The Nuc is looking good. When you make up another one, make the roof a little oversize so that you have a bit of space between it and the body of the Nuc when it is in place - when the bees are in the Nuc it will take in a little moisture and expand and make it difficult to remove the roof. Rain exacerbates the problem....