Paynes or Maisemores Poly Nuc

[Hedgerow Honey]

I have been trying to buy a few nuc box's over last few weeks, in the end we have had a full pallet of 32 BS Bess 14x12 nuc's.
I have to say they are very well made and the extra material used in the manufacture really shows, I would say they probably match timber for toughness.
I will still be having some from park as well as the flexibility of having five and six frames box's is convenient.

 

[Ian123]

I have been trying to buy a few nuc box's over last few weeks, in the end we have had a full pallet of 32 BS Bess 14x12 nuc's.
I have to say they are very well made and the extra material used in the manufacture really shows, I would say they probably match timber for toughness.
I will still be having some from park as well as the flexibility of having five and six frames box's is convenient.

I would just go with the bs nucs every time if your worried about the space stick a dummy or extra frame in. I saw some of the first polys park produced and quite frankly they should have just burnt them. Ian

 

[beeboybee]

i will also try the BS version soon,
Having real problems with My Miller Style feeder on the Paynes - bees drowning,
have painted the inside and roughed up the area where bees feed. just added a cut down bottom bar inside the gap to see if that works.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

I too found the feeder in the Paynes nucs poor - so I cut them out and converted them them 8 frame nucs. As the boxes are originals with the entrance slot in the bottom corner, rather than the drilled hole and the rotating doo-dah as an entrance, they are looking rather tatty now.

 

[ericbeaumont]

I would just go with the bs nucs every time if your worried about the space stick a dummy or extra frame in. I saw some of the first polys park produced and quite frankly they should have just burnt them. Ian

BS produce the best box all round and the division is very useful; only drawback is the Correx division board itself, which has to be perfectly straight to engage with the groove in the feeder ceiling. BS acknowledge the issue and are working on a metal/plastic composite board which ought to remove that problem.

Park were one of the first (if not the first) to produce a poly nuc and recent competition shows up its drawbacks: no rotating disc to make closure easy; softer poly; leg corners can break if the box is dropped; parts not available separately. Despite that, I've been using them for at least ten years and they're giving good service.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Didn’t they make one that was an all-in-one Nat/14x12/Lang? I had one but mice chewed through the bottom one year.

 

[Jimmy]

i will also try the BS version soon,
Having real problems with My Miller Style feeder on the Paynes - bees drowning,
have painted the inside and roughed up the area where bees feed. just added a cut down bottom bar inside the gap to see if that works.

Adding some straw or additional strips of wood to the feeder slot can help. I've used twigs scavenged from the trees/hedges next to my apiaries with success. I find some colonies never get on with the feeder whilst others (the majority in my experience) have no problem. I tried putting a thin slice of fondant in the side feeder one year and that was a mistake - it absorbed moisture and turned into a sticky bee mortuary.
I prefer the Paynes poly - being able to do a quick visual inspection in the winter through the clear perspex cover is also a plus for me. With the Maisemore poly taking off the feeder is far more intrusive. I think the capacity of the feeder on the Maisemore poly could be improved by having an access slot at one end only rather than in the middle.
I have yet to try the BS version.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Adding some straw or additional strips of wood to the feeder slot can help. I've used twigs scavenged from the trees/hedges next to my apiaries with success. I find some colonies never get on with the feeder whilst others (the majority in my experience) have no problem. I tried putting a thin slice of fondant in the side feeder one year and that was a mistake - it absorbed moisture and turned into a sticky bee mortuary.
I prefer the Paynes poly - being able to do a quick visual inspection in the winter through the clear perspex cover is also a plus for me. With the Maisemore poly taking off the feeder is far more intrusive. I think the capacity of the feeder on the Maisemore poly could be improved by having an access slot at one end only rather than in the middle.
I have yet to try the BS version.

There’s no perfect poly is there?
I’ve settled on Maisemore’s though I do have a few Payne’s extended to 8 frame.
Both have 4 mm polycarbonate crownboards with a feeder hole so that I can use a 2litre round rapid feeder. Of course I have had to deepen the roof to accommodate it and use a 14x12 eke when feeding

 

[Hedgerow Honey]

I have the park boxes an love them, but couldn't get hold of any number in April & bought a pallet of the BS version in 14x12.

Overall really pleased, its useful being able to have two three frame nucs as gives the capacity to, in theory overwinter sixty four colonies.
I like the quality & the price was right & so far stood up to being abused pretty well.
The feeder is just about enough to feed two nucs.
If I was being really picky, it would be nice to be able to feed both sides with fondant.

 

[bobthecob]

Maisemore have almost nailed the poly nuc, with the thicker roof, and "frame runners" (shame they are poly). Paynes are stuck in the dark ages with their p**s thin roof and silly feeder. They need to upgrade, or be left behind completely.

Agree with above comment about using a perspex crownboard - always do with these nucs, which avoids any squashing.

BS HoneyBees nuc is very good, but with a shallower roof than Maisemore's, and I don't really need the ability to split into two 3 frame nucs. In addition, while a Maisemore brood box extension will fit on a BS nuc, there will be too big a gap between frames, as BS is top bee space and Maise is bottom bee space, so you will get a mess of brace comb.

The only caveat is that I see that Abelo have just launched a new national nuc, with plastic reinforced runners etc - expensive but looks like it might be really good. They need to offer additional brood boxes for it, but if they do, I will try one.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Didn’t they make one that was an all-in-one Nat/14x12/Lang? I had one but mice chewed through the bottom one year.

Still do: the Nat can be converted to Lang by sliding out two end poly walls. The 14x12 has an eke converter.

 

[Jimmy]

Abelo have images of their new national nuc on their website.

 

[ericbeaumont]

its useful being able to have two three frame nucs as gives the capacity to, in theory overwinter sixty four colonies.
I like the quality & the price was right & so far stood up to being abused pretty well. The feeder is just about enough to feed two nucs.

Yes, it's the most economical use of a QC - one of sealed brood, one of stores, one foundation or comb. Wasn't sure if they would overwinter well as 3 framers but had one box on a windy pub roof and both were upgraded to six frames in spring and are now in full boxes.

Seen the Abelo online but not tried it; must have great performance at that price to compete with the rest. Thing is, I want one box design only, not a variety of models.

Bob: is there a fix for the additional gap between BS and Mmore boxes? Maybe it involves a saw. Not yet bought a Mmore top box to experiment.

 

[Angry_Mob]

Abelo have images of their new national nuc on their website.

Prices as well, £54 if you buy the unpainted and £5 for the feeder is almost as half as much again as the BS honey bees box; I like Abelo hives but thats just a tad too much for me. Early days but no 14x12 option yet either.

Bob: is there a fix for the additional gap between BS and Mmore boxes? Maybe it involves a saw. Not yet bought a Mmore top box to experiment.

On BMH video he shows a maisie nuc where he has cut the runner out to make it top bee space: https://youtu.be/rW3IJzKhb9A?t=608

I've a few to be painted, may try.

 

[Erichalfbee]

On BMH video he shows a maisie nuc where he has cut the runner out to make it top bee space: https://youtu.be/rW3IJzKhb9A?t=608

I've a few to be painted, may try.

Try what I do
Use a polycarbonate crownboard with a beespace rim and screw/fasten/glue a commensurate depth eke to the roof.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Prices as well, £54 if you buy the unpainted and £5 for the feeder is almost as half as much again as the BS honey bees

A pallet of 40 BS boxes brings the price down to about £32 per box delivered.

 

[Angry_Mob]

Try what I do
Use a polycarbonate crownboard with a beespace rim and screw/fasten/glue a commensurate depth eke to the roof.

Too late now, oscillating tool made it easy but I'm guessing the frames will be constantly stuck down now.

A pallet of 40 BS boxes brings the price down to about £32 per box delivered.

Don't tempt me.

 

[Erichalfbee]

That’s why I abandoned running my Swienty hives without runners.
They all have a bee space eke glued on the top now

 

[masterBK]

Why are the top bars nailed downwards into the side bars? That could be asking for trouble. Once the frames get heavy and stuck down with propolis there is risk they will come apart when you try to lift them up.

 

[Angry_Mob]

Why are the top bars nailed downwards into the side bars? That could be asking for trouble. Once the frames get heavy and stuck down with propolis there is risk they will come apart when you try to lift them up.

I do top and sides, easy with a nail gun.