Single Nucs or Split brood boxes

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Queen Bee
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Location
Hampshire uk
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National
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I am about to start making some Nucs for next year.

Does anyone use split brood boxes as double nucs ?
Do you have the entrance on the same side ?
 
You have the same thought and plans as me!

I think the split broods just have too many potential problems for them, regardless of which way the entrance is.

I plan to just run with my brood but use dummy boards to take up the space.

Have you thought about the Correx nuc boxes? Great for the summer period and also means you can post the nuc out.

"These boxes sell as flat packs of 10 @ ?5 90 each! =?59.0. A Single box is ?6.50 each box + Post is extra ?4.50 for one. ?£18 for 10 according to your address UK! "

I am not sure if I can name the supplier on this forum? I know I can not on the British Beekeepers Association forum!
 
Does anyone use split brood boxes as double nucs ?
?

I have used them whole my life but they are bad alternative compared to solitary 5 frame nucs. You split with table saw poly store and make missing wall from 30 mm polystyrene insulating board. It is quick to do and nice to handle.
 
I have no problem with it Jim, we are very easy going here,Without links to products members cant get a good deal and find stuff etc.

It would be nice if members said they followed a link on the forum,that way we could push for a member discount at a later date.

Having said that I dont think a member linking to any products from Bayer corps would be a good idea.

I cant see us selling BBKA tshirts any time soon either!
 
Its very tempting to modify a brood box and make two, or four nucs out of it.

However.......................................................................................

In my experience admittedly a brief one, I found that with out exception it ended up as a one queen unit and so was a 50% failure.

If you want to while away the time then make up nuc boxes to take 6 frames. Yes it means you have to make a roof for them but they are at least guranteed not to fail on the basis of queens fighting or colonies putting queens to death.

Why 6 frames? Because you can have a frame feeder in there until they are at 5 frames strong and then you can add a frame of foundation, get it part drawn and they are ready for a full box or to be split and so on.

Frame feeders are far preferable to these little pots to sit above the dreaded hole in the crown board...

PH
 
Used a split brood earlier in the year , fine 3 queens mated and laying . then the problems start, how to transfer all the bees from a section ? not easy, if only a few, then they can be left to fiddle their way into remaining colonies . If the bees are from a runny strain you have to resort to spooning them out.
However these divided boxes come into their own when over Wintering Nucs.:).

John
 
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I have mating station 3 km away. It is very handy when I make nucs or I join them to each other. Half or 1/3 brood store is easy to move in sedan. They are easy to pile over each other.
 
I modified two national BB's this year by splitting carefully before assembly making sure the floor and roof was also split. Had no problems with the queens or colonies, all now overwintering in their own BB's. As long as the split is carefully constructed there shoudn't be a problem.

Peter
 
Hi all

No problems with double nuc's I have about 50, provided they are well made no issues with queen losses.

You can even run them with a joint super and let the bees mingle.

http://picasaweb.google.com/ianmdavison/DbNuc#

And yes they do Winter well.


Regards Ian
 

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