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Author Topic: Double Nuc, screen bottom?  (Read 3995 times)

Offline greenbtree

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Double Nuc, screen bottom?
« on: July 12, 2011, 11:52:16 am »
I have built a couple of double nuc boxes that I plan to Winter on top of another full size hive.  There is a bit more than an inch of space between the bottom of the frames when you put them in and the bottom edge of the walls.  Can anyone think of any reason I should not just staple 1/8" screen on to the bottom of these?  They are going up on hive stands.

JC
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Offline BlueBee

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Re: Double Nuc, screen bottom?
« Reply #1 on: July 12, 2011, 01:32:45 pm »
With an inch of space on the bottom they may extend the frames down a bit if they get really packed with bees, but I wouldn’t worry too much about that.  Having some extra space on the bottom may be a good thing in the winter since it gives room for dead bees to accumulate without blocking the entrance.

So the plan is to share heat from a full sized hive with the nucs?  Heat flowing out the top of the inner cover of a full sized hive and into the screened nuc bottoms?  This sounds good in theory but I think I read someplace that Michael Palmer in Vermont has decided that configuration allowed too much moisture from the bottom hive to enter into the nucs.  You might want to research what he has written if you’re going to go that route.

I use electric heat and plenty of foam for my nuc wintering.  The electric heat keeps my nucs as dry as a bone and warm enough that even 2 frames of bees came thru winter fine in Michigan.  If you have a double nuc of bees, just an insulated hive should result in them staying warm. 

Offline greenbtree

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Re: Double Nuc, screen bottom?
« Reply #2 on: July 12, 2011, 05:01:05 pm »
Wasn't thinking of allowing the air to flow up through the whole structure, just setting it on top, insulating it with some foam board and wrapping the whole thing with tar paper with holes for the entrances.  Lost a lot of hives this last winter to too much moisture (I didn't have top entrances, adding them this year).  Just figured I wouldn't need a separate bottom board for the nuc.

JC
"Rise again, rise again - though your heart it be broken, or life about to end.  No matter what you've lost, be it a home, a love, a friend, like the Mary Ellen Carter rise again!"

Offline BlueBee

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Re: Double Nuc, screen bottom?
« Reply #3 on: July 12, 2011, 06:06:34 pm »
So the 1/8” screen bottom is just for summer ventilation?  Are going to block that off for the winter?

There is always a lively debate over the best configuration for winter ventilation.  I used a top vent that was about 1” x 3/8” in my nucs last winter and that worked well for my bees.  My nucs did not have a screened bottom board. 

Offline greenbtree

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Re: Double Nuc, screen bottom?
« Reply #4 on: July 13, 2011, 11:43:14 am »
Yeah, just for Summer, it would be blocked in the Winter by setting it on the other hive.  Did you have a bottom entrance on your nucs in addition to your top entrance?

JC
"Rise again, rise again - though your heart it be broken, or life about to end.  No matter what you've lost, be it a home, a love, a friend, like the Mary Ellen Carter rise again!"

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Double Nuc, screen bottom?
« Reply #5 on: July 13, 2011, 01:12:30 pm »
When I've tried overwintering a nuc over a strong hive over screen the nuc died from excess moisture issues.  When I tried it with a small screened hole in an inner cover between them they still died from excess moisture issues.  I went to solid boards between them before it worked.
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