poly nuc

[beesknee]

hello every one, looking for your opinions on maisemore 6 frame poly nucs, I have paynes poly nucs and have found them ok but I do not like the internal feeder and have mine blocked off so find it is a waste of space.
Any opinions on maisemore nucs would be most welcome as I am thinking of buying 5 for queen rearing and hopefully wintering queens to replace any winter losses.
Thanking you all in anticipation.

 

[peteinwilts]

Feeder section cut out to make a 7-8 frame nuc.

Almost loses the point of a nuc, but can be dummied when small, left in there overwinter with plenty of stores or can go straight in hive when bursting.

 

[Tremyfro]

I bought a number of Maisemore nucs...some with ekes.
They are good...easy to use. They don't have top bee space though...which I really don't like as when you put the lid on...you can't help squashing bees.
I have made clear plastic flimsy covers...to make bees go down...but it is still difficult to make all the bees get off the frames. So I have cut some very thin short pieces of wood. These lie along the edges of the box...and the lid fits on them...problem solved. There is a small bee space and the plastic flimsy stop them building comb on the lid. Some people have said the circular entrance is faulty.....that the queen excluder part is too small for any bees to get in or out....I don't know as mine have been open all the time.
Otherwise.....I thought the price was good...they were well made and the feeder can be topped up without opening the Nuc. I also have a paynes Nuc ...like you I haven't used the feeder as it can't be emptied without taking the bees out. I have been thinking of cutting it out to add extra frames. I like the idea of being able to stack another brood Nuc box above...and add an eke for feeding. Hope that helps.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

trialling about a dozen at the moment, I see no issues with them, not had a problem squashing bees under the roof as long as you put the roof down gently (there is a little space between the roof and the top bars) if you are concerned just buy a few feet of the soft terram you get in garden centres lay a piece of that over the top bars and the bees will go down before you put the lid on - this will also stop any chance of the bees sticking the lid to the top bars but to be honest thus far I've been running them without anything over the top bars to see what happens and they have made no attempt at all in propolising the roof down onto the bars and I haven't killed any bees (and people will confirm I don't spend ages pussyfooting around with clearing bees out of the way). The one thing I have noticed though (and this also goes for the Paynes top feeders as they don't have beespace under them either) is that the bees will start waxing up the space around the slot up into the feeder which means when you lift up the feeder the frames come up too - I just lift them up enough to clear the rim and twist through 45 degrees as I would with supers - they do drop down a little sharply but it's only half an inch and would only be an issue if you had queen cells in there although I must admit that those who still insist on using DN1 frames may have difficulty in doing that.
More I use them the more I prefer them to my Paynes ones and I think over the winter i may be converting them to eight frame nucs as I do find them good for swarm collecting, the Maisie's ones are also good value for money.
But be aware that the queen excluder setting on the circular entrance cover also excludes bees, I don't see it an issue as I find it's a superfluous fitting - but it's handy to know

 

[Obee1]

I have some Maisie nucs and like them. Agree with the other comments though. I have also made a clear plastic inner lid and the QE entrance is faulty - it's more of a BE entrance. - or an extra ventilation hole if shutting the bees in. I think their plus points are the top feeder which means no need to disturb bees when feeding and they are good value for money.

 

[itma]

Still happy with my Paynes ones.
Still amazed at the flexibility the optional double brood provides.
Still haven't used the top feeders ...

// Oh and the extra width of the feeder provides extra stability when doing double brood 14x12 ...

Having tried rails (losing top bee space), I'm finding it simpler without - not least when putting the other boxes on top!

And next time I have a can of filler-foam on the go and an empty nuc to hand, the feeder is going to get stuffed.

 

[Finman]

Feeder section cut out to make a 7-8 frame nuc.

Almost loses the point of a nuc, but can be dummied when small, left in there overwinter with plenty of stores or can go straight in hive when bursting.

That is really strange. Nuc is almost normal size box.

.

 

[user 6228]

Still happy with my Paynes ones.
Still amazed at the flexibility the optional double brood provides.
Still haven't used the top feeders ...

// Oh and the extra width of the feeder provides extra stability when doing double brood 14x12 ...

Having tried rails (losing top bee space), I'm finding it simpler without - not least when putting the other boxes on top!

And next time I have a can of filler-foam on the go and an empty nuc to hand, the feeder is going to get stuffed.

I have built nucs as half width hives ( i.e separate solid floors) and we use them in the "double brood" configuration. This means a the smaller colony has the warmth and the space to expand.

 

[Finman]

I have built nucs as half width hives ( i.e separate solid floors) and we use them in the "double brood" configuration. This means a the smaller colony has the warmth and the space to expand.

That is really handy. Build up is good in those tight hives.

 

[Spadaman]

I have used ( borrowed) Paynes polynucs and find they are okay but like others I don't like the built in feeder. Not a fan of frame feeders anyway.

I recently bought 5 Maisymores polynucs and think they are really good. Yes there is the issue of bee space but a good puff of smoke usually gets the bees down and any squashed bees are far fewer than drowned bees in the frame feeder of the Paynes version. There is a lip on the frame lug supports which if removed would give additional space ( at the expense of space under the frame lug). Not sure if I'd bother to do this though.

The top feeder is good and has sloping bottom so all the feed runs to the centre.

I have n't used them for the originally intended use of queen rearing as they have all been pressed into use for swarms / AS.

I have also used the thornes version ( with the loose floor) which is not so good as either of the other two in my opinion.

Overall I much prefer the MM version over the Paynes. Hope this helps.

 

[oliver90owner]

I see you are on 14x12. Have you considered the Mod*rn beekeeping jumbo langstroth? I use them modded, to take National frames, and like them. The split feeder available allows two small colonies to be raised in tandem, but I know not if this raises any issues with National frames. The hives are very robust - just a shame they don't do a National version. I had half a dozen - until one got stolen last weekend.

RAB

 

[domino]

I'm a big fan of the the paynes poly nucs. I don't like the feeder slots and only really use them with fondant because I find any liquid feed and they drown.

I recently picked up some of the new broad boxes and feeders, they are now super flexible.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I like the Paynes....sans feeder....
Their new top feeder is excellent. I have put a strip of plastic QX where the bees go in to it as I once shook out a queen from an empty rapid feeder
Just blocked off. One has been cut out altogether and converted to an eight frame nuc.

 

[Hivemaker.]

One has been cut out altogether and converted to an eight frame nuc.

And with a second mutilated deep on top they can be used as a sixteen frame nuc.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

And with a second mutilated deep on top they can be used as a sixteen frame nuc.

What next? supers for your 6 frame poly nuc? can't understand this obsession with extending nucs all the time - if your colony is strong enough to need more than six frames, move it into a full sized box.
Saying that, converting the pains nuc to an eight frames gives you a handy swarm collecting box (but a useless nuc)
I have just emailed Paynes actually to enquire if they know where I can obtain a poly eleven frame nuc - I think there could be a market for it.

 

[Erichalfbee]

And with a second mutilated deep on top they can be used as a sixteen frame nuc.

I might put one of your queens in one.

 

[Tremyfro]

I suppose that adding a second brood box on top of the Nuc....that will be 12 frames ....allows you to expand the Nuc without having to hive them...if they expand quickly and you don't have or can't at that moment afford, another hive. A Nuc brood box is a lot cheaper that a full size hive.
If you did that...and then separated the two boxes...would a Nuc be big enough to raise queen cells...to make another Nuc?

 

[itma]

...
What next? supers for your 6 frame poly nuc? can't understand this obsession with extending nucs all the time - if your colony is strong enough to need more than six frames, move it into a full sized box.
...

I haven't bought any of their six-frame supers ... yet.
However, having had a nuc swarm when it first met OSR, I can understand how a super might provide a useful safety valve for expansion. May not have the super, but I do have the QX though ...

It has proved extremely useful to have a spare second brood box, in the absence of a full set of spare full-sized brood, roof, coverboard, floor and stand ...

Things I envisaged as being uses were Bailey comb change on a small colony, nuc uniting, and spare drawn brood comb production. I do still envisage them as being forthcoming uses!

 

[beesknee]

Thank you to every one who replied some very helpful replies
Many thanks all

 

[domino]

I suppose that adding a second brood box on top of the Nuc....that will be 12 frames ....allows you to expand the Nuc without having to hive them...if they expand quickly and you don't have or can't at that moment afford, another hive. A Nuc brood box is a lot cheaper that a full size hive.
If you did that...and then separated the two boxes...would a Nuc be big enough to raise queen cells...to make another Nuc?

The broad box has been useful for me when I had to get them onto 12x14 frames. I guess they are also handy if you run out of full hives.

Not sure I'd ever need a super, but too many options is never a bad thing.