Nuc Box, floor mesh or solid floor

[wightbees]

Hi all
I'm making up nuc boxes but I'm in two minds whether to cut out floor for mesh! I have over winter with both but not with the amount I'm in the process of making and need to get the best results I can really. So, would you advise solid floors or it simply does not matter?
Thanks all

 

[Beefriendly]

You have a different climate to me, so what I do may not be necessary for you.....but I seal off all my poly nuc's open mesh floors with flexible insulation material for overwintering. Comes off in the spring/summer...otherwise the debris build up encourages wax moths.

 

[Newbeeneil]

I make my nuc boxes like mini brood boxes so I have the floors separate. I can choose whether to have OMF or solid as I need. Making them like that allows me to go double brood on the nucs.
I have over wintered on both floors with similar success.

 

[Murox]

I make my nuc boxes like mini brood boxes so I have the floors separate. I can choose whether to have OMF or solid as I need. Making them like that allows me to go double brood on the nucs.
I have over wintered on both floors with similar success.

That is an interesting option. Do you use some form of toggle latch/clamp to hold things together or just use a strap system ?

 

[Murox]

Hi all
I'm making up nuc boxes but I'm in two minds whether to cut out floor for mesh! I have over winter with both but not with the amount I'm in the process of making and need to get the best results I can really. So, would you advise solid floors or it simply does not matter?
Thanks all

I think Beefriendly's suggestion is right. Where I live the wind is a problem so when I build stuff I make it so that wind cant gain direct access; in other words adapt to your situation. I suppose a solid floor is easier and cheaper to make, but a strip of mesh will provide good ventilation.

 

[Newbeeneil]

That is an interesting option. Do you use some form of toggle latch/clamp to hold things together or just use a strap system ?

I have used a latch system but it means every piece of equipment needs to be identical which is not easy unless you have a good manufacturing system.
Straps work, especially if I'm moving a double brood but have now found it's just as easy to screw the floors on when I decide what I need.

 

[Millet]

The last two Nucs i made have open mesh floors with a slide in inspection tray..the floors are separate like the standard national floors which can be screwed to the nuc when moving bees..

 

[Newbeeneil]

That is an interesting option. Do you use some form of toggle latch/clamp to hold things together or just use a strap system ?

I just found this picture of one of my nucs showing the floor connected using a piece of mesh floor across the junction and a couple of screws. This works on a temporary basis but if I'm doing it long term I normally screw it on from the bottom.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Hi all
I'm making up nuc boxes but I'm in two minds whether to cut out floor for mesh! I have over winter with both but not with the amount I'm in the process of making and need to get the best results I can really. So, would you advise solid floors or it simply does not matter?
Thanks all

Doesn't really matter I think is the closest to a correct answer. I used to make my own nucs from plywood offcuts and, summer or winter were on solid floors - I always made them with full width entrances so transportation ventilation was no problem as I just put a piece of OMF mesh across the entrance.
I've only moved to poly nucs as they are low maintenance, light, reasonably priced and overwinter well - although if I had a choice I would have preferred them all with solid floors.

 

[eltalia]

Construction finals for insulated 6frame nuclei attached.
4.5mm ply floor and outer skin to lid. 50mm screened vent with 50mm
entrance opposite.
Aside from sub -20C constants or 45+C peaks this design would work
anywhere - no condensate possible so no OMF required.

Bill

 

[madasafish]

My nucs are made from 50mm insulation board. All have a small central floor mesh - with a sliding boards. But the mesh is level with the 50mm thick floor so reducing draughts when open..
In winter I usually place on a flat plank of wood or insulation board - there are 10mm runners at the floor bottom - to reduce windflow under the hive..(and strap down well...)

 

[wightbees]

Thanks EVERYONE. My Nucs boxes are all screwed and nailed solid so far but I will make some with floor's that can be taken off.
I have thought about using insulation board of some type, still thinking on that... My main concern was condensation, I'm using disc entrance with 8 mm hole, this would be the only air in. These Nucs are made heavy with 45mm front/back and 18mm sides, with 10mm floor and bubble insulation under the roof!
I'm not moving these about and made them heavy on purpose so I don't need to strap them all down in the winter, plus I got tons of 45mm planks to use up

 

[eltalia]

"My main concern was condensation"

Rightly so as water is certain bee death, in sufficicnt quanity.
However Ventilation is as important and designed well the two
can be covered staticly with no work by you the b'keep.
It is the lid and the upper reaches of the box that design
focus needs to be - any casual examination of thermal
processes within a bulding envelope will help in understanding
basics. Understanding how bees set airpaths is then able
to be applied.

Bill