# What type of Mini Nuc to use



## Brooklyn (Nov 14, 2009)

I am going to try and raise some queens this year.
I am going to try the cloake method.

I would then like to use mini mating nucs.

I have looked at making my own. But can not cut a straight line. I do not have any wood working power tools. With Velberts help I am going to give it a try. I will also take a trip to see the fatbeeman and have him show me.

I have also seen some made of Polystyrene.

Bee works $16.60 plus shipping
Mann Lake $15.00 free shipping

Are there any other polystyrene or wood mini nuc's out there for sale at a reasonable price. If you make them how do you make the frames and put the comb in?

I want to start with 10 to 15 boxes, because I know I will make mistakes.
first time grafting also.oh by the way this is going to be my second year beekeeping.

Any words of wisdom will be helpful.
Brooklyn


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## scdw43 (Aug 14, 2008)

Why use minis, you can divide deeps or mediums and you don't have to cut frames. You can divide 2 ways, 3 ways or four ways. Then the frames can be used in your regular hives. Below is a divided deep with a movable feeder. But I also have divided mediums 2 ways up to four ways with and without feeders. 

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h10/dave_sc/nucs/100_1536.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h10/dave_sc/nucs/100_1532.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h10/dave_sc/nucs/100_1539.jpg


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesqueenrearing.htm#matingnucs

Using mating nucs that take your standard brood frames simplifies things tremendously. Then all you need is a frame of honey and a frame of brood and you have a mating nuc. At the end of the season they all fit back in your regular boxes. Several can be combined to make one colony, or just a few to make a nuc to overwinter.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

I like the 4 way mating nucs that I build. While they aren't a standard size frame, once made they make it easier to find the queen...especially if you have to catch hundreds in a day. They can be wintered even in the north, which eliminates set up in the spring. Also wintering gives you mated queens early in the season with few resources devoted to the project.


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## gennetika (Aug 31, 2010)

Brook

I guess you will rear a few queens or enough queens for your operation, i manage 500 MINI mating nucs in Mexico because i sell mated queens most of the year, so i have to get the most of them, for 10 or 11 months, and you need some special managment for them, i'm not saying it's impossible to manage them, just takes some time to work them out properly. I would listen to Michael and try to produce them with standard equipment, the fact that you can winter them is so important and many times the key for a succesful winter operation is having mated queens ready to use plus a nuc that can boost your weaken hive. Every winter i get many orders of unorganized beekeepers trying to get new queens because they don't have nucs for replacement in winter, and they figth each other for the few queens available in winter.

good luck.
omar


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## jeff123fish (Jul 3, 2007)

Michael Palmer said:


> While they aren't a standard size frame,


Mike,
are those half length deep frames?


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Yes, deep. The top bar is 9 1/4


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## HVH (Feb 20, 2008)

Michael Palmer,

What is that fabric cover made from? I know I read somewhere on this forum that a landscape or ag. cloth of some kind can be used and is cheap but I can't remember.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

I use plastic seed bags I buy from a grass seed company. [email protected] Grain bags work too. I guess anything like bags or landscape fabric would work.


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## rrussell6870 (May 14, 2009)

We use vinyl that we got from a "friend of a friend" that works in a GM factory... comes in huge rolls, lasts a long time, and helps to mask the scent of queens in duplexes and fourplexes.


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## tarheit (Mar 26, 2003)

I don't use a mini nuc. I stick with a standard 5 frame nuc or possibly a single box divided 3 ways (3 standard frames each). I do use all medium frames however.

Easy to populate, plenty of space for queens to lay and for initial evaluation, and are easy to combine for the winter. Also lets you keep queens in them for awhile if they aren't sold right away.

Typically I make them up with 2 frames brood, 1 frame honey and 2 new frames, so they aren't overly strong to start out with. But by the middle of summer they also typically grow to the point I'm pulling honey or brood out of them. 

-Tim


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