# 9 hole mating nuc condo and fence hanging mini



## Lauri (Feb 1, 2012)

Check out the slideshow for assembly of the box's and to understand what I am talking about below:

http://s425.photobucket.com/albums/...w&current=6faef8fd.pbw&mediafilter=slideshows

Here's how the condo came out. A few changes will be made on the next one:









I'll make the bottom board of the condo like the fence hanging mini. Solid with 3 1/2" screened holes for ventilation in each compartment. Will avoid all those 1x2 bottom pieces and the dividers could be just follower boards. 










Holes are offset from one side to the other for maximum distance. But even though the entrance reducers are different colors, I fear they all are the same shape and will have to add something additional to each one to further identify them for the queens to return to the correct hole.
Any suggestions are welcome-won't feel you are critical.


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## wheeler88 (Mar 6, 2011)

Looks like a good job to me, as far as the queen not returning to the right hole I think that is always a problem with a condo type setup no matter what you do...hope it works for you......always interesting to see new ideas


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## gone2seed (Sep 18, 2011)

If that were mine I would stencil some different shapes just above the entrance discs.Make some white circles,hash marks, crosses,triangles etc.


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## Ted Kretschmann (Feb 2, 2011)

Did a good job....Nine hole..hmm sounds like a round of golf!! good luck, let us know how it works out. TED


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

Wow! Nice work. Perhaps some type of odd shaped physical object tacked to or even leaned against it for them to orient to at least during the prime mating days in addition to your different colors might be helpful for queen orientation. Where did you come up with the multi colored disks?


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## Lauri (Feb 1, 2012)

Hi Jim, I bought them at Better Bee in Canada
here's the link:
http://www.beeworks.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=4
I paid $26 for a box to ship with 40 of the disks and several other items.

Brushy MT also has them, but they are more $$ and more shipping $$
Heres Brushy Mt's link.
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/Nuc-Disc-Entrance/productinfo/676DE/

I wish I could have found smaller ones. I looked all over the internet and just could not find any.

They all came black. I primed them with white fusion plastic spray, then the colors I wanted. Need to be sure to do a light spray so the excluder part doesn't get thickened up with layers of paint. Seemed to work OK.










here's a close up of the white primer:


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

Kelley has two types of entrance disks. See:

https://kelleybees.com/Products/Detail/?id=33323332333733343337 This is a 2 inch plastic disk.

https://kelleybees.com/Products/Detail/?id=33323332333033393332 This one is similar to the ones you're using except it is made from galvanized steel.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

I think most would think you are pushing the envelope on your design. Most folks start up trying the close quarters castles and end up with single small mating nucs for a reason. I wish you well and you are a real craftsman. Instead of four entrances on one side, you might consider one entrance on each end and one on each side to avoid confusing queens returning from mating flights.


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## Lauri (Feb 1, 2012)

I argee it is pushing it. I am thinking about hatching out my queens in the incubator and putting two virgin queens in each section. May help my mated return percentages. I have already found two queens when introduced at the same time are pretty easily accepted. Not 100%, but what the heck, I'll try it.
But this unit may very well be better used as a queen castle.(If that term is correct)
I have all my hives on a bench side by side. Thats why I didn't put an entrance on the ends.

Thanks for the links to Kelly Bees. Their web site will not work for me? I'll call them next week to see how much shipping will be. I like those metal ones. 
Thanks for all the responses everyone.


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## lakebilly (Aug 3, 2009)

Lauri,

Why two virgins in each section?


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