can I use deep box instead of a nuc box?

[funbee1]

Is there any reason I can't take a deep 10 frame box, take out 5 frames, leave the other 5 all the way to one side and add a board to act as a divider and essentially reduce the 10 frame to a 5 frame nuc? Seems to make more sense than building a nuc since they will end up in a hive in the end anyway. As they need more room I can just move the divider board and add another frame or two.

[iddee]

It will work as long as they can't get into the other side. Keep in mind, they prefer to hang wild comb to using foundation. If they can get to the other side, they will likely use it.

[AliciaH]

Absolutely no reason why you can't.  But make sure the divider goes all the way to the bottom board and all the way up to the cover, then block the entrance to side you don't want them to use. 

Iddee is right, if they get to the other side before you are ready to pull the divider, they will build whatever they want.  So, to that end, it's not a bad idea to leave four or five frames in the other side, just in case there is a way for them to get in there that you didn't know about.

[funbee1]

That is a great idea, I also thought about making it a double nuc, would that be dumb having two queens sharing a wall?

[AliciaH]

Nope, it works pretty well.  I did this a lot when I had more deeps available than nucs.  But I also modified the bottom boards with a dremel tool so that the entrances to each side of the deep were on opposite sides of the bottom boards.

The trick is making sure the divider reaches from the bottom board all the way up to the cover.

[funbee1]

Yup, that's where I'm at, have deeps but not nucs.

Great idea of putting entrances on oppisite sides.

Thanks a lot!

[Jim134]

Is there any reason I can't take a deep 10 frame box, take out 5 frames, leave the other 5 all the way to one side and add a board to act as a divider and essentially reduce the 10 frame to a 5 frame nuc? Seems to make more sense than building a nuc since they will end up in a hive in the end anyway. As they need more room I can just move the divider board and add another frame or two.

 I do this all the time put 5 frames, leave the other 5 out and put in 1 follower board I put a wad of newspapers on the opposite side .


    BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

[windfall]

The divided deep gets used lots and lots around here. Mike Palmer and Kirk Webster have been big local proponents of the system and overwinter their nucs in that configuration...do a search and you will see the way they tweak the bottom board for division. They also sometimes build a special divided frame feeder. Mike palmer will stack 5 frame "supers" over each side if the colony is building fast and winter them that way.