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This will make a great insulated unit for queen rearing.
http://www.paynesbeefarm.co.uk/nuc-m...-for-poly-nuc/
Last year I was using 3 ekes to put 6 frames above a Paynes nuc.
These are very handy for making up a queenless cell starter.
I drop in a frame of grafts and then move the frame to a queenright colony above an excluder for finishing 24 hours later.
I didn't even know they did them Jon! Shame they're out of stock.
It is a brand new product which will be available shortly. There is a super as well.
Ah ok. I have a few of the ekes which are handy for overwintering with a slab of fondant on the top bars.
I just run a sheet of 25mm dense insulation through the saw, cut to size and wood glue and screw. works for me at min cost. KISS
PH
There is a rim on top of the Payne poly nucs which allows the eke or extension to fit tight. There is also a rebate where the frames sit.
The double brood allows - if a Q/Ex can be fitted - to do a Bailey Comb Exchange on a weak colony in spring; and the double box should suit a fair sized overwintering colony.
My Paynes polynucs are 8-framers now and if I need to feed I use a plywood crown board and an eke; These happen to be the same size as some plywood 8 frame boxes I had already made.
I posted this elsewhere but this might be a better place
The supplied Q/X has a plain section that is designed to cover the feed slot
If you use it that way the bees get into the upper feed slot when you are inspecting
If that happens they can't get back into the hive once the crown board goes back
So they die
To avoid that I turned the Q/X through 180 degrees so bees can get between the upper and lower feed slots
That means they can get back into the hive safely