Poly Nucs and Hives

[Winker]

Been there, done that ... and it works very well. I wouldn't want to use it through a cold snap, but the 20mm or so clearance works just fine for Apiguard. I've also fed a thin slab of fondant using the same type of eke.

Necessity (poor design and £13 for a poly eke ) is the mother of invention

(URL won't translate ... the Scottish Beekeepers Association forums ... fixed with bit.ly)

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fatshark

Your eke looks to be about the right size. I would put the fondant in the feeder at the side rather than on top though. As for the apiguard i just put half a tin on some grease proof paper, job done

 

[fatshark]

That's half a portion of Apiguard on the foil lid ... the other half is in another nuc I'm not entirely happy feeding fondant from frame feeders or the integral feeder on these nucs. The last time I did it the bees built a load of brace comb which was a nightmare to remove.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

As for the poly BB i cant find one that does a 14X12. I only see a need for poly BB nothing else, the super/roof/floor can be wood/ply

http://www.beehivesupplies.co.uk - not seen myself to recommend or otherwise though

 

[oliver90owner]

As for the poly BB i cant find one that does a 14X12.

beehivesupplies

I went the other way - Modern B**keeping, two shallows, screwed together, with a 20mm eke below (below, because being at floor level it won't compromise the all-important insulation properties). same footprint as a timber National (not 40mm larger as is the other one above, possibly needing a different size for ancilliary boards, etc) and far better value for money IMO.

MB hive is top bee space, though, which is what I run on all my hives, anyway.

RAB

 

[Erichalfbee]

Sorry to hijack
RAB, how have you screwed those boxes together? (sorry I am a diy numpty)
I have one MB hive on the stand with just the boxes sitting on top of eachother. It is to be united with a nuc whose "big" hive I haven't put together yet so it would be useful to join the two supers together permanently.
Do you think the eke is necessary? Mine seems OK without.
Thanks.

 

[oliver90owner]

Erica,

how have you screwed those boxes together?

With longish screws 'on the tosh'. I actually used four 100mm x 6mm (which are expensive if purchased in small lots). I get them from Jewsons by the box of 100 at little more than the cost of twenty, from the likes of the T*xas H*me Care(?). 70 or 80mm is likely adequate.

Do you think the eke is necessary?

Certainly not if you are never going to remove the full brood box from the floor (if not, you could even screw the floor on, too!).

The jumbo frames project about 10mm below the two shallows, so if the brood is likely to be removed from the floor and set down on any flat surface, some of the frames are likely to be displaced. So not necessarily a problem, and you will be OK as long as you remember that 10mm protrusion, if you ever want to move the box.

There is a fairly large distance between frames and the plastic mesh supplied (circa 40mm) if an eke is used to leave -2mm frame clearance at the bottom. I have not decided whether to screw on the floor or not, as yet.

The colony which is going in it is still foraging reasonably strongly and would not easily fit in the brood box just at the present time. In my usual fashion, I am prepared to wait for the bees rather than e them into a new home

Lots of things are a compromise and I am very happy with the hive as it stands here, awaiting use.

I am going to make up a larger stand (c. 495 x 520mm) than the Nationals, as it seems so different/awkward, if stood at floor level.

Oh, and that 'plastic floor mesh' will likely be metal mesh by the time it is colonised.

Regards, RAB

 

[fatshark]

Oh, and that 'plastic floor mesh' will likely be metal mesh by the time it is colonised.

Is there an issue with the plastic floor? I was just assembling two of these MB boxes yesterday but have yet to secure the floor.

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fatshark

 

[drstitson]

the plastic floor does have more "flat" surface area for mites to land on vs a traditional metal mesh.

for those who haven't seen one - it's like a soft plastic QE or travel screen with slits.