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  • Maisemore Poly Nuc Mesh Floors.

  • Bee Hive building & a place to share howto's on equipment
Bee Hive building & a place to share howto's on equipment
 #11668  by Steve 1972
 08 Aug 2021, 15:30
For some reason open mesh floors on newly made up nucs just don't seem right to me..i hate looking down at day light when inspections are being done ..also i suspect wasps and robbing bees hawk around underneath more as the smell from inside the nucs will be stronger through the mesh floor..my remedy for this like i did with my paynes poly nucs is to make inspection boards out of for sale signs and strap them firmly to the underside of the nuc's..to me this gives the bees a more natural dark chamber with the option of removing the inspection board during mite treatment.
 #11670  by NigelP
 08 Aug 2021, 16:06
I do pretty much the same but only for the winter. I find nucs are more susceptible to heat loss and eat way more than their share of fondant to maintain their heat.
 #11671  by Alfred
 08 Aug 2021, 18:05
I think the maisemore polynuc is a pretty well thought out and highly versatile system and the range of parts available provides almost everything a full size hive can offer.
But it is puzzling why they didnt do a shutter under the floor as its entirely possible.
Ive got an auxiliary floor too and that hasnt got one either.

Another whinge is they give you a nice feeder on the off chance you may need it but dont supply a crown board that you really do need- you buy that separately.
 #11672  by Steve 1972
 08 Aug 2021, 21:40
I don't like the feeders so i purchased 14x12 converter to use as ekes..i also quickly made my own made clear crown boards...if anyone wants five Maisemore miller poly nuc feeders for free give me a shout..
 #11673  by Steve 1972
 08 Aug 2021, 21:55
NigelP wrote:
08 Aug 2021, 16:06
I do pretty much the same but only for the winter. I find nucs are more susceptible to heat loss and eat way more than their share of fondant to maintain their heat.
It is not so much the heat loss issue for me this time the year..the attraction by wasps and robbing bees under the mesh floors concerns me..i would rather not invite a problem with bought in Queens in nucs if i could..
Alfred ..i find these maisemore poly nuc's substandard compared to Paynes..i have had to shave a bit of every frame runner as no top bee space is available resulting in squashed bees on the top bars every time the miller feeder is stuck back on ..
 #11674  by Steve 1972
 08 Aug 2021, 21:56
Steve 1972 wrote:
08 Aug 2021, 21:55
NigelP wrote:
08 Aug 2021, 16:06
I do pretty much the same but only for the winter. I find nucs are more susceptible to heat loss and eat way more than their share of fondant to maintain their heat.
It is not so much the heat loss issue for me this time the year..the attraction by wasps and robbing bees under the mesh floors concerns me..i would rather not invite a problem with bought in Queens in nucs if i could..
Alfred ..i find these maisemore poly nuc's substandard compared to Paynes..i have had to shave a bit of every frame runner as no top bee space is available resulting in squashed bees on the top bars every time the miller feeder is stuck back on during inspections ..
 #11677  by Alfred
 09 Aug 2021, 06:44
Steve 1972 wrote:
08 Aug 2021, 21:55

Alfred ..i find these maisemore poly nuc's substandard compared to Paynes..i have had to shave a bit of every frame runner as no top bee space is available resulting in squashed bees on the top bars every time the miller feeder is stuck back on ..
Thats odd Steve Ive had to put metal runners in to reduce the space.
When Its on double brood they weld the upper and lower sets to oblivion,and tearing brood apart doesnt fill them with joy.
Perhaps is the second broodchamber that carries the frames too high?

I prefer the maisemore design because you can ditch the feeder altogether
I used one once with some poorly mixed thymol syrup which began to melt the resevoir. :oops:
I havent needed the miller otherwise.
I have overwintered two with fondant on the frametops,a board that fits inside the super and a thick bung of insulation to fill the deadspace.Worked just fine.
 #11679  by AdamD
 09 Aug 2021, 09:15
I used one for a while - a piece of correx or something over the mesh floor might not be a bad idea as they appear quite open.
 #11680  by Alfred
 09 Aug 2021, 11:26
If you wanted a board for mite counting then I think its especially an ommission on the design but for just exposure reasons you could simply stand the nuc on a flat surface and wrap something like a twisted bin liner wholly or partially round the base.
If I home a swarm/split/ailing colony I do this for a day or so with an old bath towel as otherwise the following morning theres a big clump of confused bees under the mesh.
Ive duct taped a shaped piece of card over the mesh when using the kit as bait hives too,apparently recreating the darkness and security they are supposed to prefer.
Seems to work.