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Author Topic: 3 or 4 way deep divide for mating nuc?  (Read 14484 times)

Offline Yuleluder

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3 or 4 way deep divide for mating nuc?
« on: January 02, 2011, 11:49:19 am »
I am curious to know what some of you think about dividing a deep into a 3 way or 4 way mating nuc.  My first plan was to dado the front and backs of the deeps for a 4 compartment standard frame mating nuc.  There would be an entrance on each side of the deep hive body.  Is anyone else doing this.  

My second thought is to divide them into 3 compartments with 3 standard frames, this way I can throw some frame feeders in when the season approaches mid July.

Currently I have a bunch of 5 frame deep nucs that I divided into 2 compartments with 2 standard frames.

Any thoughts?
« Last Edit: January 02, 2011, 03:32:50 pm by Yuleluder »

Offline VolunteerK9

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Re: 3 or 4 way deep divide for mating nuc?
« Reply #1 on: January 02, 2011, 12:26:20 pm »
Personally, I dont see a problem with any of it. I plan on doing several splits this year myself, so I built a bunch of 5 framers.

Check this out though if you havent already.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesnucs.htm

Offline Robo

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Re: 3 or 4 way deep divide for mating nuc?
« Reply #2 on: January 02, 2011, 01:51:22 pm »
I've been using a bunch of 4-ways for a few years now.  I'm pretty happy with them.  The only thing is with 2 frames, they can get pretty congested rather quickly if you don't keep the queens moving. 

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,16515.0.html
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Offline BBees

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Re: 3 or 4 way deep divide for mating nuc?
« Reply #3 on: January 02, 2011, 02:36:29 pm »
I used the same setup your speaking of, last year. (Deep divided into four, 2-frame nucs) Had about 65% make it from queen cell to laying queens. A problem I had was a few queens managed to get between the screen and the corrugated panel of my SBB. This year I was going to staple the bottom board to eliminate any gaps. Also might try to paint each side a different color or just tape different geometric shapes on each side (if I get around to it) to help the queen find her home after her mating flights. Open to any other ideas too. I really like using deep frames to keep my equipment standard.
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Offline Yuleluder

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Re: 3 or 4 way deep divide for mating nuc?
« Reply #4 on: January 02, 2011, 03:31:25 pm »
I've been using a bunch of 4-ways for a few years now.  I'm pretty happy with them.  The only thing is with 2 frames, they can get pretty congested rather quickly if you don't keep the queens moving. 

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,16515.0.html

What is your acceptance rate, what percentage of cells became mated queens?

Offline Robo

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Re: 3 or 4 way deep divide for mating nuc?
« Reply #5 on: January 02, 2011, 04:54:50 pm »
What is your acceptance rate, what percentage of cells became mated queens?

I can't give you a finite answer because there are many other variables that affect the mating rate, with the biggest one being weather.   I can say that I see no noticeable difference in the 4x2 verses my 2x3 or standard 5 frame nucs.  Biggest difference, as said before, is you need to stay on top of them lot of space to grow.
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Offline Yuleluder

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Re: 3 or 4 way deep divide for mating nuc?
« Reply #6 on: January 02, 2011, 05:57:23 pm »
I have used the divided 5 frame nuc the past few seasons.  Just kind of curious what people were seeing while using the 4 way divided deep before I go and run dados through 20 deeps. :)

Offline AllenF

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Re: 3 or 4 way deep divide for mating nuc?
« Reply #7 on: January 02, 2011, 06:08:34 pm »
They are nice to be able to pull deep frames from your hives with queen cells on them and put them into the 4 way queen castles.   

Offline rdy-b

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Re: 3 or 4 way deep divide for mating nuc?
« Reply #8 on: January 02, 2011, 07:06:16 pm »
  I did it with a bunch of 6 5/8 boxes -ran them as 4 way pocket boxes-
 not that there was problems-but i am currently running half frames in
mini nucs and feel as for mating purpose these are the way to go -these
in combination with grow boxes-the full frame pockets needed alot of atention
Is there a reason why you want deeps -they would work good in a rotation for nucs -RDY-B





Offline hardwood

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Re: 3 or 4 way deep divide for mating nuc?
« Reply #9 on: January 02, 2011, 08:37:12 pm »
rdy-b, I need to talk with you some more on this. I've tried mini mating before but wasn't happy with transferring over to deep nucs. I know there's a system to it (unless you're just producing mated queens) but I just got frustrated and gave up. I now use deep nucs, each with an entrance hole, and can stack them. Makes future splits really easy.

Scott
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Offline rdy-b

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Re: 3 or 4 way deep divide for mating nuc?
« Reply #10 on: January 02, 2011, 09:39:42 pm »
 ah the condo method- :lol: theres no syestem just pick the queen and introduce in a queen cage
 JBZ -california mini -what ever-I always keep plenty nucs going -any problems just plug in a nuc and up and runing-
 lots of peple try to use a mesh cage 4x4 made from hardware cloth -and thats PITA-what was the down fall when introducing
 the queens- :) RDY-B

Offline hardwood

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Re: 3 or 4 way deep divide for mating nuc?
« Reply #11 on: January 02, 2011, 11:04:20 pm »
No downfall to introducing queens, just was needing to let the colonies expand and couldn't bank the queens. If I were to be in it for just the mated queen trade it wouldn't be a problem.

Scott
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Offline rdy-b

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Re: 3 or 4 way deep divide for mating nuc?
« Reply #12 on: January 02, 2011, 11:36:03 pm »
  something i do alot is start them with one frame of brood-no need to bank
my queen rearing is probaly more for my BEE FIX than any thing -if i need Queens
or cells -I have no quames about buying whatever i need-but can always keep 10-15
nucs going-so its easy -when queens are handy- :) RDY-B

Online Michael Bush

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Re: 3 or 4 way deep divide for mating nuc?
« Reply #13 on: January 04, 2011, 02:41:53 am »
Mine are four way mediums.  If I were doing it again, I'd use 1/4" luan instead of 3/4" boards because four is a bit crowded with the 3/4" boards, but there is the issue of inner covers so they don't spill over into the next nuc when working on them...

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Offline Yuleluder

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Re: 3 or 4 way deep divide for mating nuc?
« Reply #14 on: January 04, 2011, 12:39:32 pm »
Hey michael!  I was planning on using burlap as a inner cover to prevent the bees from spilling over.  I currently use burlap on my two way nucs.  I was also thinking about making inner covers with divisions, using some 1/4" x 1/2" cut pine to prevent spill over.  However it will be a lot more work building divided inner covers then just cutting burlap :)

Offline ronwhite3030

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Re: 3 or 4 way deep divide for mating nuc?
« Reply #15 on: January 15, 2011, 04:45:26 am »
Yule if you want you can dato all you boxes but I use some 1/4" metal brackets I just hammer into my queen castles so that i can remove them and use them as regular spacers, I will look on the box tomorrow and get their technical name.

Online Michael Bush

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Re: 3 or 4 way deep divide for mating nuc?
« Reply #16 on: January 15, 2011, 10:56:07 pm »
The burlap works fine.  But I have 3/4" boards for dividers so it's easy to staple it to them.  When I go to the luan, I'm trying to figure how I'll staple it to the 1/4" wide board...
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Offline specialkayme

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Re: 3 or 4 way deep divide for mating nuc?
« Reply #17 on: January 15, 2011, 11:25:10 pm »
Why not just use the luan for dividers and as four separate inner covers?

Online Michael Bush

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Re: 3 or 4 way deep divide for mating nuc?
« Reply #18 on: January 16, 2011, 02:44:42 am »
>Why not just use the luan for dividers and as four separate inner covers?

That was basically my plan for next time.  The 3/4" board crowed the four way a bit and the luan should buy me the room I want.  I'll also probably do them out of eight frame mediums next time as that's what I've standardized on now and they will be easier to pick up.
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Offline Yuleluder

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Re: 3 or 4 way deep divide for mating nuc?
« Reply #19 on: January 18, 2011, 12:44:03 am »
I read, Rearing Queen Honey Bees by Roger A Morse on the plane from Philly to San Fran this morning and found a four way mating nuc pictured in the book.  They cut the divider boards so they sat a 1/4" above the top of the deep.  This way four 1/4" thick covers could be used on each compartment.  Then a regular cover can be placed over the four smaller covers.  I think I may do this.

I did cut dados in all 20 deeps, assembled and painted them.  Sunday I cut all the pieces needed for the bottom boards.  These bottom boards will have a small strip of #8 hardware cloth running between the boards used to ensure the dividers sit flush on the BB.  I will post pics once I have some assemble because I'm sure my description stinks, :)

 

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