They are also great for making a timing box so you can get just hatched larvae for grafting. Cut a plastic queen excluder the same size as the divider, place it in the middle, put your breeder queen in one side with just drawn out frames (no eggs/lavae), in a well stocked nuc box, four days after closing them up you know that all hatched eggs are the exact age you need, none will be too old.
Only been beekeeping for a year and I've just bought one of these 2in1 Nucs for the versatility they will give me when expanding. They were a good price so glad your review is so positive. Looking at the comments, smearing Vaseline in the dividing groove and a plywood replacement for the corex are great tips. Thanks.
I like the winter feeding solution - but having used a couple of double nuc wooden boxes I won't be rushing to use a poly one. Maybe I would if I needed to produce more nucs. Once the boxes have bees in they become harder to use. What I would say is to move laying queens out asap especially if they don't both mate at the same time.
Hi Patrick. How do they become harder to use once they have had bees in? Are you referring to the divider not going in properly or something else? Bees will thrive in poly and wood, its very much beekeeper preference I suppose. Definitely right about the queens. As soon as one is mated, they get rehomed or requeened. You cant leave two mated queens in the same nuc for a lengthy period.
@@BlackMountainHoney They get gummed up. But if the divided is left alone it's OK - but taking out one half and expanding the remaining half by removing the divider is not so easy. I think I would use them for housing two removed 'old' queens on two frames with a blank frame each. That would buy me a little time.
@@patricklaslett Fully agree. This is my major grumble with them. Will try the vaseline tip next time and see if that helps. Ply dividers also resolves the issue
I have always selected from the best of my own stock for breeder queens but was wondering if I should buy an island mated buckfast this year, I understand that you had problems last year, do you have any advice on this?
@@markjohnadams1293 I think both are valid methods. I know it's a matter for huge debate. My preference is a selected F0 breeder queen, preferably AI mated, but certainly selected. It depends what your ultimately after. If it's all about the honey and you get good weather and flows, it's hard to beat an F0 selected breeder queen, in my opinion.
@@BlackMountainHoney They look very expensive compared to the Island mated ones, would you say its justified? Do you sell queens or just use the offspring for your own hives?
I recently got 2 14x12 versions of this Nuc. Loved the idea of stacking the maisemore brood box on top to make it 12 frame with that little modification. Do you think it would work if I got a couple of 14x12 ekes from BS Honey Bees and the bodies from Maisemore? Thanks for the videos as always Lawrence 👍🏼
