Nothing to do with the bees and too warm today to do anything else so i pulled my two homemade nucs out of the shed and give them a make over..these are both six frame nucs with open mesh floors and inspection trays..
Made from 3/4 exterior ply with deep roofs ..both of which have 50mm of kingspan /celotexin each roof..
My make over was to put handles on front and back/give them a lick of strainer and change the black butyle pond liner on the roofs for stick on metal (a bit like aluminum tape but a lot thicker and more durable..
Apart from the hot weather with not much to do the reason that kick started me into this little project was the price of poly nucs these days..i bought a few Paynes six frame nucs several years ago that are still going strong but the price has nearly doubled..
I only need the things for making new colonies each year with bought in Queens that go into national brood boxes before the weather cools for winter..some like over wintering Nucs in six frame nucs but i find them too much hassle with constant checking and feeding in the depths of winter..if i can get them into full brood boxes before the day light hours start to slow down i can give them plenty of thymol syrup to get them over winter with the odd top up with fondant..that does not always happen or work but most times it does..here is my bodge it and scarper anyway..
Made from 3/4 exterior ply with deep roofs ..both of which have 50mm of kingspan /celotexin each roof..
My make over was to put handles on front and back/give them a lick of strainer and change the black butyle pond liner on the roofs for stick on metal (a bit like aluminum tape but a lot thicker and more durable..
Apart from the hot weather with not much to do the reason that kick started me into this little project was the price of poly nucs these days..i bought a few Paynes six frame nucs several years ago that are still going strong but the price has nearly doubled..
I only need the things for making new colonies each year with bought in Queens that go into national brood boxes before the weather cools for winter..some like over wintering Nucs in six frame nucs but i find them too much hassle with constant checking and feeding in the depths of winter..if i can get them into full brood boxes before the day light hours start to slow down i can give them plenty of thymol syrup to get them over winter with the odd top up with fondant..that does not always happen or work but most times it does..here is my bodge it and scarper anyway..