small tip if you have nucs

[Tremyfro]

So if I use fondant instead of liquid feed for the paynes nuc....I just have to roll the fondant into a thin sheet to fit in the bees pace on top of the bars below the clear plastic sheet? That would be easy. At the moment they are busy bringing in nectar...on the balsam. Some bright orange, black and yellow pollens. We are getting really stressed waiting to see if they are making Queen Cells out of the test frame or not. You can through the plastic sheet that they have been pulling out the wax on the last frame.

 

[Teemore]

Did you buy the eke for your Paynes Poly Nuc? If so, use it: drill a feed hole in the plastic crownboard and put the fondant above the crownboard. Use a plastic butter/spread tub with a hole in the bottom of it to hold the fondant. I find this less messy than wrapping the fondant in clingfilm and placing this on the hive. The eke would also allow you to use a rapid feeder.

 

[itma]

Fondant over the top bars of all frames means that isolation starvation becomes very highly unlikely.
Much more easily possible with fondant above a crownboard hole (whether in a nuc or full hive).

 

[Bosleeu]

There is no need to complicate the use of these nucs for yourselves.

It's easy. Put the eke on top, coverboard over that, you can feed fondant or syrup on top of the frames to your heart's content without any problems. The extra space does not seem to be a problem. I winter a few nucs that way every year.

See http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=30665

You can also very easily do it with a 12x14 - just add another eke on top.

 

[Madge]

Fondant over the top bars of all frames means that isolation starvation becomes very highly unlikely.
Much more easily possible with fondant above a crownboard hole (whether in a nuc or full hive).

...The extra space does not seem to be a problem. I winter a few nucs that way every year. ...

I think it depends where you are and how sheltered your bees are. I would not leave a huge gap above their heads up here on my hill in Aberdeenshire - and definitely not in a Paynes nucleus box. I surround the feeder with extra insulation.

Itma's point that the feeding hole might become out of reach of the cluster is, of course, true - but I think that is more a problem in full hives rather than nucleus hives.

 

[Tremyfro]

We have an eek for the paynes nuc box. Also a rapid feeder....although not feeding ATM as there is still a flow going on here. There are a lot of bees in the nuc at the moment...not sure if we have a Queen or not yet. Still waiting on seeing what they do with the test frame. Have been toying with the idea of fitting a nuc size super for them....instead of filling the brood frames with nectar....we have some drawn comb.....they could fill a few super frames....that would act as insulation too.....

 

[maddydog]

I've removed the feeders (with a saw) from my paynes polynucs. Turns them into 8 framenucs that i can kingspan dummy as required and a frame feeder that's removable and easier to clean than the integrated one. I've also made kingspan cosies for over wintering

 

[Tremyfro]

Cool....I might do that with ours next year...when it isn't occupied.

 

[Bosleeu]

I think it depends where you are and how sheltered your bees are. I would not leave a huge gap above their heads up here on my hill in Aberdeenshire - and definitely not in a Paynes nucleus box. I surround the feeder with extra insulation.

Point taken - it is much colder up there, so I understand where you are coming from. Wouldn't they just cluster on top of the frames if they get cold? Just wondering.

 

[Swarm]

I can't see the reason for making an eight frame nuc.

 

[REDWOOD]

I have a 7 frame 14x12 nuc that should have been 6 frames but I can't count, I nearly smashed it up after constructing it but I'm glad I didn't, it came in very handy this year

 

[pargyle]

I have a 7 frame 14x12 nuc that should have been 6 frames but I can't count, I nearly smashed it up after constructing it but I'm glad I didn't, it came in very handy this year

Actually, I've built a 14x12 7 frame 'maxi nuc' which isn't in use yet - it came about as the timber came from the remnants of my last Top Bar Hive and these were the maximum dimensions I could get out of what I had left - seemed a bit pointless just cutting the size down to conform... but you wouldn't expect anything else would you ? from me ... ?

It's a double skin construction with a polystyrene core so still well up on the insulation front .. haven't made a roof for it yet .. but I've been skip diving and the materials are now available !

 

[Tremyfro]

Recycling. Well done.

 

[Jimy Dee]

The nucs I made this year were 6 frame commercial. I thought they would be a better size to over winter a small hive - if they got up to cover 6 frames. I was also looking at this from the point of view that if the year came right I would be able to run double 6 frame nucs and at the end of the summer it would be easy to move the 12 frames into an ordinary hive. My year didn't allow such experimentation.

 

[maddydog]

I can't see the reason for making an eight frame nuc.

Not a wish for an 8 framenuc per se, merely a consequence of removing the (imho) pointless feeder. An 8 frame 14*12 does make a useful bait and swarm collecting box.

 

[Madge]

Point taken - it is much colder up there, so I understand where you are coming from. Wouldn't they just cluster on top of the frames if they get cold? Just wondering.

I doubt it. I think they'll stay huddled between the frames with just the heads of the top layer of bees poking out.

Do you have a plastic cover boards? As your bees have that empty eke space above their heads (or candy), go and have a look on a very, very cold day, and tell me.

Kitta

 

[Bosleeu]

I doubt it. I think they'll stay huddled between the frames with just the heads of the top layer of bees poking out.

Do you have a plastic cover boards? As your bees have that empty eke space above their heads (or candy), go and have a look on a very, very cold day, and tell me.

Kitta

Yes I use the clear board that comes with the Nuc. Will do, and let you know. I'm going to try and put a thermometer in there as well.