# Mike Palmer 4 Frame nucs



## Riskybizz (Mar 12, 2010)

For those of you either purchasing or making your own 4 frame nucs to place on top of standard 10 frame deeps am I correct in thinking that those nucs are 8- 1/8" wide? Do the nucs simply sit on top of the 3/4" divider by resting on 3/8" (one half) of that division board? I wanted to make a few up.


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## orthoman (Feb 23, 2013)

Yep - mine are 8-3/16


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## AAIndigo (Jun 14, 2015)

8 1/8 wide but I used a 1 1/2 divider on the bottom deep. This is how Brushy Mountain has it set up. Better bee looks to use a 3/4 divider

Check this link out and click additional photos
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/Resource-Hive/productinfo/432/

Betterbee
http://www.betterbee.com/nuc-boxes/dnb-double-nuc-box-complete.asp


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## Slow Drone (Apr 19, 2014)

I make mine 8 1/8 half the width of my deeps. I have many uses for them besides overwintering them.


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## AAIndigo (Jun 14, 2015)

One of the big bee box guys had a winter over screen for the double nuc set up. The plan is to set the 2 smaller hives over a larger production hive, separated by a doubled screened bottom. I did a quick drawing and might try fabing a few next week. Scouring the web now to refresh my memory


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## Clayton Huestis (Jan 6, 2013)

I divided the bottom deep box with regular 2x stock (1 1/2"). The half sized boxes are 8 1/8. The 3/4 or even 5/4 doesn't work well with small cell bees just to save anyone working in that area some headaches.


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## northernborder (May 21, 2014)

They are 8 1/8" wide when Mike measures and squares them up correctly. Trust me I know. They also sit on a divided deep with a 3/4 " board.

In northern Vermont those screened nuc dividing boards separating the nucs from the full size hive adds a bunch of extra humidity into the nucs. Why would you want to add more humidity into the nucs? Hopefully you got a good top entrance to push it all out.


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## photobiker (Mar 23, 2015)

Did a quick search and didn't see anything. What is the purpose of a 4 frame nuc, where are we going with it?


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## AAIndigo (Jun 14, 2015)

photobiker said:


> Did a quick search and didn't see anything. What is the purpose of a 4 frame nuc, where are we going with it?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW7CPXLClmY&feature=youtu.be


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## BeeTeach (Nov 10, 2005)

I am going to build some of these this Winter and was planning on constructing the divider out of 1/2" plywood with a slotted piece of 1 by material at the top for the nucs to rest. My thoughts are that the thinner material will allow for better thermal transfer between the colonies.


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## AAIndigo (Jun 14, 2015)

photobiker said:


> Did a quick search and didn't see anything. What is the purpose of a 4 frame nuc, where are we going with it?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7tinVIuBJ8


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## Dave1958 (Mar 25, 2013)

I used 1/2, need 3/4.


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## KevinR (Apr 30, 2010)

Are you talking about making mating nucs or standard nucs that you stack onto an existing hive?

I'm sure Palmer has both, but since I believe he's more into the queen rearing business. I associated his 4 frame hives, with the divide compartment mating castles with the sliding divider feeder.


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## capitalbeesupply (Jul 28, 2013)

Riskybizz said:


> For those of you either purchasing or making your own 4 frame nucs to place on top of standard 10 frame deeps am I correct in thinking that those nucs are 8- 1/8" wide? Do the nucs simply sit on top of the 3/4" divider by resting on 3/8" (one half) of that division board? I wanted to make a few up.


We make them 8-1/8" wide and with a single 3/4" divider in the bottom box. However we will be experimenting on our own bees this year with a new frame design from overseas that serves as the divider in the bottom box but allows the workers to mingle side to side (we typically test stuff out at least a couple years before we decide whether or not to add it to our product line). We envision the result will function something like a horizontal two queen system but that is just speculation right now.

Rich
Capital Bee Supply
Madison, WI


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## Riskybizz (Mar 12, 2010)

Thanks for all the info guys. I'll make them up at 8-1/8" wide and use a 3/4" divider board in the bottom deep. My original question was geared towards overwintering (2) 4 frame nucs sitting on top of a standard deep hive body. I guess you also need to notch the ends of the 3/4" divider board so that it sits down inside the frame rest dado as well.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

Riskybizz, I have done a similar construction and decided it was much easier to cut a pair of fillers 3/4 " by 3/8 by 5/8" and fasten in the frame rest rabbets with a finishing nail. Sure simplifies cutting out the divider!


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## AAIndigo (Jun 14, 2015)

Riskybizz said:


> Thanks for all the info guys. I'll make them up at 8-1/8" wide and use a 3/4" divider board in the bottom deep. My original question was geared towards overwintering (2) 4 frame nucs sitting on top of a standard deep hive body. I guess you also need to notch the ends of the 3/4" divider board so that it sits down inside the frame rest dado as well.


Or you can build something like this. http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/Overland-Nuc-Wintering-Board/productinfo/612/

NorthernBorder has a good point about condensation. You could eliminate the bottom entrance and put a upper entrance on


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## capitalbeesupply (Jul 28, 2013)

Riskybizz said:


> Thanks for all the info guys. I'll make them up at 8-1/8" wide and use a 3/4" divider board in the bottom deep. My original question was geared towards overwintering (2) 4 frame nucs sitting on top of a standard deep hive body. I guess you also need to notch the ends of the 3/4" divider board so that it sits down inside the frame rest dado as well.


We have several customers that are wintering these 4 frame nucs setting on divided deeps. In many cases they have two 4 frame nucs on each side (so there is the divided deep and then 2 4 frames above that on each side.


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