what is a nuc box and do i need one?

[Dookie]

I was reading the other thread and i realised i dont know what a nuc box is. Sorry if thats a really simple question. Also do i really need one?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

A nuc is basically a half size hive - same size frames but only holds five or six.
When you buy bees there is a good chance it will be in a nuc as you would be better off buying a young colony so your experience can grow with the bees. A nuc is handy if you want to isolate the queen, make increase or even for conducting a kind of artificial swarm if your bees are preparing to go.
Not an essential bit of kit - but very handy

 

[Plenty of honey]

I always say you can never have too many! jenkinsbrynmair is absolutely right and i would add, if you intend to keep bees for a couple of years at least, meaning not intending to give it up , then you WILL need one or two.
Their so adaptable and have many purposes but portability is a big reason why their so useful. You may well get a swarm, or get called to one. Once your a known beekeeper, someone will call you when your not expecting it and you can leap in to action with your new nuc!!
Boy scouts and stuff, bee prepared!!

 

[B+.]

i dont know what a nuc box is. Also do i really need one?

A "nuc" is, quite simply, a "nucleus" (or a small colony). It will contain a mated queen, a small number (i.e. 2-3) frames of brood depending on the time of year, and at least 1 frame of food (honey and pollen).
You don't absolutely need one to start off but, as others have already said, this is probably how you will acquire your bees if you buy them. They are handy things to have but you can live without them at the beginning.

 

[Dookie]

Thanks for the help, i will search the web for one now

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

If you are going to buy - go for a poly nuc - Maisemore's do a good one at a reasonable price - if you are going to one of the conventions they are usually on special offer.

 

[Plenty of honey]

Thanks for the help, i will search the web for one now

Make one, you will learn a lot about your hives, bee space etc. Its not difficult!! just follow the plans. all hive types have plans for Nucs. or simply look on the forum under the search section, top bar in-between New posts and Quick links.
Sure you will find something.
If you do buy one, be away their sometimes not finished to how you might want them. I have Dadants and the ones i can buy ready finished are pretty different to the ones i use. same cavity space but different feet, lid etc. just to your aware.
Have fun!

 

[madasafish]

I made three five frame Lang jumbo nucs from Celotex..Cheap and easy..

http://www.michiganbees.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Styrofoam_Nuc_20100813.pdf

 

[charlievictorbravo]

I made three five frame Lang jumbo nucs from Celotex..Cheap and easy..

http://www.michiganbees.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Styrofoam_Nuc_20100813.pdf

The dimensions in the link are for a Langstroth nuc. If you're making a nuc for any other type of hive, you start with a brood frame and build bee-space all around it out of Celotex. Sounds simple but needs a bit of thought.

CVB

 

[Poly Hive]

Given that Nucs are baby colonies and that they on that basis need all the help they can get.

I totally agree about making nuc boxes from scratch as a useful exercise in dimensions and so on but...

A thin plastic or wood construction is not the ideal for what can initially be a very weak and vulnerable unit.


A poly nuc will serve the bees far better for the simple reason it is warmer for them especially if an insulated dummy is employed too.

A dummy is a frame filled with a solid material to act as a temporary side wall. An insulated one is one fitted with warm material, and so that much better for the bees.

PH

 

[For want of a better word]

Watch out for Maisies rotating entrance disc on their polly fish box
The spacing for the queen excluder are incorrect ( may have changed them?)
Also needs a pin to prevent dics from spinning closed !!

Yeghes da

 

[B+.]

The spacing for the queen excluder are incorrect ( may have changed them?)

The German ones are correct (item 4918 - EWK Fluglochrosette http://www.holtermann-shop.de/index.php/cPath/70_66/category/einwabenkaesten.html)

 

[bontbee]

I made three five frame Lang jumbo nucs from Celotex..Cheap and easy..

http://www.michiganbees.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Styrofoam_Nuc_20100813.pdf

Thanks for the link maaf. I got quite excited reading that, thinking that maybe I could have a go with my trusty bread knife - then I got to the bit about the table saw and a radial arm(???). I know I have a radius in my arm, but, erm, perhaps I should leave it there....

 

[charlievictorbravo]

Thanks for the link maaf. I got quite excited reading that, thinking that maybe I could have a go with my trusty bread knife - then I got to the bit about the table saw and a radial arm(???). I know I have a radius in my arm, but, erm, perhaps I should leave it there....

You don't need the table saw for any heavy cutting - it just produces square, straight cuts every time. You can do it with a "trusty bread knife" but I found it difficult to ensure square cuts. I ended up using a bit of 4x4 timber as a straight-edge so that the height of the straight-edge also acted as a knife guide. I cannot tell a lie - it was not entirely successful. Even with the guide, the flexibility of the knife meant I did not always get a good cut. I suppose if you use enough gap-filling glue, it does not matter too much!

CVB

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Just use a hand saw - they're cheaper than bread knives nowadays and give you a better cut

 

[user 6228]

nucs work because they improve the Mass conductance ratio (MCR). They do this by reducing the hive heated surface area for a small colony and thus reducing the thermal conductance. That reduction in conductance increases the Mass Conductance ratio and that has a direct effect on the hive internal temperature and Honeybee stress (average metabolic rate).

If you are going for a NUc why not go the extra step in improving the MCR and have one made out of higher performance materials e.g. poly.

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Or you can dummy down a brood box with celotex

 

[bontbee]

You don't need the table saw for any heavy cutting - it just produces square, straight cuts every time. You can do it with a "trusty bread knife" but I found it difficult to ensure square cuts. I ended up using a bit of 4x4 timber as a straight-edge so that the height of the straight-edge also acted as a knife guide. I cannot tell a lie - it was not entirely successful. Even with the guide, the flexibility of the knife meant I did not always get a good cut. I suppose if you use enough gap-filling glue, it does not matter too much!

CVB

Just use a hand saw - they're cheaper than bread knives nowadays and give you a better cut

Thanks for the encouragement, gents. I did make some insulation boards from a sheet last year, with said bread knife. As you say, cvb, the flexibility of the blade meant that the cuts wandered all over the place, in both planes (I tried using a metal rule as a straight edge, but....)

I also tried with a handsaw - better, but not enough to not need lots of gap filling glue. Now, that's an idea!!

 

[Plenty of honey]

Thanks for the encouragement, gents. I did make some insulation boards from a sheet last year, with said bread knife. As you say, cvb, the flexibility of the blade meant that the cuts wandered all over the place, in both planes (I tried using a metal rule as a straight edge, but....)

I also tried with a handsaw - better, but not enough to not need lots of gap filling glue. Now, that's an idea!!

if you struggle with the cutting, Some DIY shops may well cut the main pieces up for you. It will mean all your edges are straight and square. Most Nucs have 7 main pieces, two sides, two ends, two handles and a floor section. roof is whatever you can find.
We were discussing this on another tread talking about rip saws versus jig saws.
If you want to make a few, work out a cutting plan and give it to the store,!

 

[Cussword]

If you are going to buy - go for a poly nuc - Maisemore's do a good one at a reasonable price - if you are going to one of the conventions they are usually on special offer.

+1 for Maisemore, it has a top feeder, think it's called a Miller type. Bear in mind what 'hopit said, I filed the QE out a little. Not a big job,but worth it.
Just ordered my third.

.