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Thread: Using the new polynucs

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    Senior Member Kate Atchley's Avatar
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    Default Using the new polynucs

    Bought some of the new Paynes' polynucs to try this year, one of which has been occupied for a couple of weeks now. Here are some thoughts about them:

    • I noticed the bees found it hard to find the entrance at first. I'm considering painting the recessed entrance a different colour.

    • Also, I now have a board in place under the entrance which deters bees running back and onto the mesh underneath. The first night, a number of bees settled under the mesh floor where they died in the gales.

    • It's very hard to avoid squashing bees when putting on the roof or lowering frames into place (no bee space under the lugs). So I'm thinking of using some kind of crown board - cardboard probably - and fitting plastic frame runners to allow bee space under the lugs.

    • The bees had built brace comb above one frame, up to the roof, so opening up caused quite a kerfuffle and lots of unhappy bees. A crown board would deter them from this.

    • The polynuc blew over in the gales last week despite big stones on top ... it's pretty light. You may be wise to strap them down and weight them heavily.

    • I hadn't painted the inside of the feeder but there was only one dead bee in it when I went to refill it today. So it seems they can run up and down the sides fairly easily when it's empty. It takes an unexpectedly large amount of syrup - more than 2.75 lt.


    A useful piece of kit I reckon, but improved with these simple adaptations.

    Anyone else got experience of these ... more suggestions?

    Kate
    Last edited by Kate Atchley; 28-05-2011 at 11:11 PM. Reason: typo

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    Administrator gavin's Avatar
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    Hi Kate

    Its nice to see you assessing them in this way, with a view to improving the features that could be improved. I agree with several of the things you say about them. Currently I have 6 in use as mating nuclei for 2-3 frame splits.

    That feed unit is very useful and mine have up to 2kg of fondant in each, cut off a big block with a kitchen knife in thick slices and dropped down into the space. Fondant doesn't slop about in transit and bees don't drown in it. There is no need to fit a queen excluder - the thin slot in the depression between the main and the feed chambers is for a piece of queen excluder.

    Hard to find the entrance? Yes, there were some bees that couldn't work it out when I made the splits. Not that many, but my bigger worry is that queens might also struggle to make it back. Painting a different colour in the recess and perhaps around it seems wise.

    Strip under the entrance to stop bees gathering under the mesh? Yes, could help. I only lost a few that way.

    Squashing bees on the rim under the lid. Yes, one or two met their end that way. Maybe I should use more smoke in future. Can't see what you can do to help in the way of alterations except perhaps use a crown board substitute. Cardboard would work (though the bees would chew it) or perhaps a polythene sheet just laid on the top bars. That would stop brace comb too.

    It is advised that you paint inside the feeder units in poly hives to avoid mould and the seepage of syrup into the matrix. So I used a small radiator paint roller to paint inside, and added sand to the exterior masonry paint to give it a rough surface.

    Tescos currently sell a pack of two straps in their car section for £2.50. They are not ratchet straps but the gentler fastener is appropriate for polystyrene. Useful for moving hives and ensuring that the lid stays on.

    Small colonies (up to 6 frames) will probably overwinter well in these boxes. Cost £27.50 from Paynes.

    Further thought: is the entrance immune to chewing by mice? If not, what can be done?
    Last edited by gavin; 29-05-2011 at 01:03 AM.

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    Senior Member Mellifera Crofter's Avatar
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    Very helpful post, Kate. Thanks.

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    I've got a couple of these I haven't used yet.

    As for the feed unit - how is it supposed to work? Do you just put in one of these frame feeders? Or can you just put the syrup straight into the space, but with some sort of float in it?

    Colin

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    Senior Member Kate Atchley's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by colintinto View Post
    I've got a couple of these I haven't used yet.

    As for the feed unit - how is it supposed to work? Do you just put in one of these frame feeders? Or can you just put the syrup straight into the space, but with some sort of float in it?

    Colin
    Colin, the feeder is the equivalent of a frame feeder, but in situ, so you can put syrup or candy into it. (See Gavin's recommendation above re painting + sand in paint, to protect it and make it easier for the bees to scramble up and down. My polynucs came with a wooden float for the feeder - sitting in the bottom of it. If you don't have this, perhaps Paynes would supply one or you could create your own?

    Have fun with them!

    Kate

  6. #6

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    Ah - now you mention it, they did come with a bit of wood! Wondered what that was for

    So Masonry paint with added sand then? I think I have some of that lying about.

    Colin

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    Quote Originally Posted by gavin View Post
    There is no need to fit a queen excluder - the thin slot in the depression between the main and the feed chambers is for a piece of queen excluder
    I had assumed the slot was for putting a sheet of steel or plastic in for keeping bees out of the feeder when not in use. I would expect them to fill it with brace comb once empty.

    Rosie

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    Senior Member fatshark's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gavin View Post
    That feed unit is very useful and mine have up to 2kg of fondant in each, cut off a big block with a kitchen knife in thick slices and dropped down into the space. Fondant doesn't slop about in transit and bees don't drown in it. There is no need to fit a queen excluder - the thin slot in the depression between the main and the feed chambers is for a piece of queen excluder.
    Hi Gavin
    I'm just thinking of buying a few of these for overwintering. I've fed fondant and Neopoll in frame feeders before now and had them filled with brace comb. The width of the feeder on this Paynes box suggests it would be tough to remove. Have you had any problems?

    I use thick polythene on Kielers and was considering the same for these nucs, or a sheet of 2mm clear polycarbonate perhaps?

    Finally, is there an obvious way to adapt them to make two three frame mating nucs, by filling in the entrance and cutting new ones? With a divider of course.

    Cheers
    D.

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    Administrator gavin's Avatar
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    Hi there cartilaginous fellow

    They do look good for overwintering small colonies. I haven't had bees in them long enough to see the problems with comb in the feeder - and Steve may be right that the small slot is to put a small sheet in to stop them getting access to the feeder. It could serve both functions - queen excluder as in an Apidea, and bee excluder.

    The feeder tapers and is narrower lower down. If you had brace comb in it a long kitchen knife would probably free it from the sides. It should be easier to remove than in a frame feeder which has additional barriers at each end.

    Yes, thick polythene or any kind of light board on the frames may help. Haven't tried it yet.

    Kate mentioned the problem of crushing bees under frame lugs. I agree, this is a problem and plastic frame runners would help. The frames can be hard to remove without damaging the polystyrene so I've tried polyurethane varnish on the surfaces the frame lugs rest on. These boxes don't yet have bees in them so I'm not sure how well that will work.

    You could cut new entrances but if I was to do it the result would be messy! If you were to do that one side of the nucleus would not have access to the feeder.

    I have added black Magic Marker lines (like sun's rays) inside the cut-out for the normal entrance and there seemed to be less confusion when we hived a swarm in one recently.

    all the best

    Gavin

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    Senior Member fatshark's Avatar
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    Hi Gavin
    Is there space for frame runners? The photos on the Paynes site aren't hugely helpful as they neither show the entrance or whether they are top bee space. If the latter it should be possible to use some of that plastic beading you can get in 8' strips from the DIY stores.
    Regarding making new entrances ... polystyrene can be drilled pretty neatly using those 'brace and bit'-type drills. That, plus a Correx spacer might generate generate two x three frame nucs for mating.
    Cheers
    D.

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