Hi all,
Does anyone have any experience with these poly nuc boxes, and the seller selling them? Thinking they may be quite handy but never had a poly nuc before.
Thanks in advance
SB
https://www.bshoneybees.co.uk/polynuc
Hi all,
Does anyone have any experience with these poly nuc boxes, and the seller selling them? Thinking they may be quite handy but never had a poly nuc before.
Thanks in advance
SB
https://www.bshoneybees.co.uk/polynuc
The original polynuc was the Paynes one - which is OK apart from the feeder which I don't like so I have cut out the feeders in my ones to make 8 frame boxes. Others have come up with polynucs - Thornes do one for £30 (without a feeder) which, in my one at least, has some incorrect bee spaces so I would not recommend it. The BSHoneybees one does look really well thought out and if it works as well as it should, would be a good one to get. I would be interested in getting a couple myself but I have too much stuff anyway, so can't justify it.
Last edited by Adam; 30-01-2019 at 12:00 PM. Reason: typo
Yes, very straightforward. I bought one of these nucs last year but never got around to using it since I freed up my other nuc boxes early. This season it will be used. I use the Paynes and the Maisemore nucs. I dislike Paynes feeder compartment in winter, when an eke is better, love it during the season. The Maisemore feeder (poly seems a bit less robust) is fine but needs eke in winter. The BSH feeder can be used for fondant or syrup, the ability to split the nuc in two offers possibilities for getting more Qs mated or just stored so looking forward to testing that aspect.
I haven't yet bought a BS Honeybees nuc - but looking at the pictures I liked it because it gives enough space for the bees above the frames - unlike Maisemore's nucs - and it doesn't have Payne's integral feeder which I don't like and have used only once.
C4U criticised the BS nuc as having too many bits and bobs and said that the divider is unnecessary. True, the nuc would have been cheaper, and simpler without all those bells and whistles - but I might overlook all of that for the sake of the beespace and no side feeder. I don't know of any other poly nucs as alternatives.
I've had the opposite experience, I think those Stehr boxes are great. Simple box that takes frames of bees. I don't need or want anything else from them. Can't say I've noticed any issues that could be put down to incorrect bee space although I assume they must have come from the same set of moulds.
Thanks for all the advice folks. I went with the BS 2 in 1 nuc as I thought for an amateur it offers the flexibility of using it as a mating hive or a full 6 frame nuc. I'll let you know how I get on in the spring.
The Thornes box has too wide a space for the frames so comb tends to be built at the ends of the frames; maybe I got an early one and the error was corrected for as the box had been reduced down by polystyrene spacers from the original internal size; it would be easy to supply the correct spacer material.
I’ve had to adapt the inside to give them top bee space and to give my Smith frames a better fit. But the bees still have plenty of room to build brace comb. I’m going to have fun prising the frames apart on their first spring inspection!!! If my polynucs do the job I will be getting more and I’ll just put up with their niggles.
Last edited by lindsay s; 27-02-2019 at 06:36 PM.
Bookmarks