# Mating nuc - modified



## bikebum3 (Aug 10, 2008)

I PLAN TO RAISE MY FIRST QUEENS NEXT JUNE. FOR MATING NUCS, I PLAN TO DIVIDE A STANDARD 9-FRAME DEEP IN HALF. CAN ANYONE EXPLAIN HOW I SHOULD MODIFY EITHER THE BOX(ES) AND/OR MY BOTTOM BOARDS SO AS TO CREATE SEPARATE ENTRANCES ON OPPOSITES SIDES OF THE MATING NUC?

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ADVICE.

Doug


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## affreux (Apr 10, 2011)

undo the caps.


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## Daniel Y (Sep 12, 2011)

Ditto the caps, many people find them rude/ equal to yelling. Doesn't bother me personally but sometimes people are nto so polite in telling you to not do it. that does bother me.
watch this video it might give you some ideas on the nuc design.
http://vimeo.com/20348621


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## bikebum3 (Aug 10, 2008)

I don't understand what you mean by "caps"???? Please explain.

Doug


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## canoemaker (Feb 19, 2011)

He means using all capital letters, so undo your "caps lock" key. Reserve your caps for special emphasis or the first word of a sentence.


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## valleyman (Nov 24, 2009)

I don't understand what you mean by 9 frame deep. The standard is either 10 frame or 8 frame. If you have a 9 frame super spacer in the box that is the first thing you do to divide it. Get rid of the spacer.
I simply routed a grove down the center of the ends of the boxes that I wanted to divide in 2 sections, and made a piece of luan to fit it. As far as what to do to keep them seperate with the bottom board and inner cover/top you never said what you were using. For sure they can't intermingle.


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## Flyer Jim (Apr 22, 2004)

I don't understand what you mean by 9 frame deep.---its a deep that holds 9 frames. lots of Q breeders use them


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## valleyman (Nov 24, 2009)

Sorry, I can't help you as I've never heard of a 9 frame deep that was built as such. Also sorry I've never heard of anyone using such a configuration for a nuc of any kind. But I'm not saying that they don't exist, I just never heard of it. Good luck!!


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## johng (Nov 24, 2009)

Either way you can divide the box in half with a spacer board. Either route a groove to slide the board into or just screw one in the middle. Put your entrances on oppisite ends. Then if you ever want to use the box as a regular deep again just take the spacer out. I have saw people divide a ten frame box into 3 three frame nucs for mating purposes.


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## bikebum3 (Aug 10, 2008)

Sorry for mistakenly using the "9 frame" term --- yes, I should have clarified a division of a standard 10 (ten) frame deep box!

Placing strips of shingle or tarpaper should do well on the top bars to prevent intermingling but I am still puzzled as to how best to modify my bottom boards so as to create two separate entrances on each side of the deep box. 

Can you give me any insight or suggestions on this??

Thank you very much.


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## Specialkayme (Sep 4, 2005)

You can either create a bottom board that has two entrances, or drill holes on either side of your box. If you drill the holes, you can use the disks that betterbee has (I think it's called dial-a-entrance).


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## kilocharlie (Dec 27, 2010)

Hi, Bike bum! For what it's worth, I use a standard 10 frame with 3 slots routed vertically in the short sides. These can be divided into 3 separate 3-frame mating boxes, a double 5-frame nuc, or a queen excluder partitioned isolation box as per the thread that Old timer hosted regarding rearing queens without grafting (Cut Cell method). I make special, skinny inner covers for the 3x3 configuration, for the 2x5 configuration, and a regular one for the Cut Cell and regular 10 frame configurations. 

I make a bottom board for each configuration. The 3x3 has 3/4" x 3/8" strips on the floor bordering the partitions, and entrances all point different directions - the center one out the front, the right one exiting right at the rear of the right side, the left one exiting left toward the back of the left side. I also keep a burlap flap handy if I need to inspect them.

The 2x5 configuration has an entrance opening forward and the other one opening back. The queen isolation configuration uses a regular screened bottom board with an entrance reducer the size of about 4 frames on the side the queen is isolated in.

My partitions are lauan or 1/4" ply, and my queen partitions are 1/4" ply with an excluder cut into thirds and attached over a hole a half inch smaller than the piece of excluder. 

Try the 3x3 floor first. You can mate a lot of queens that way on existing resources (deep frames). You don't need the inner covers - you can make separate commercial lids or just use 2 flaps of burlap. Good luck.


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## Steve10 (Nov 19, 2008)

Hello Doug,

Here's another variation on the theme. I make & use 3/4" wide, movable division boards in standard 10-frame boxes. I use screened bottom boards that only have sides (I removed the rear lip and save it. Very handy for Cloake board use too.) Then I rip 2x4 scraps into 3/4" x 1 1/2" strips long enough to mate up with the bottom of the division boards. I slide these strips under the location of the division board, effectively sealing off the compartments. 

As far as entrances, I make a number of, what look like entrance reducers, to use between the front and rear of the box and the bottom board, and drill 1/2" holes in the sides of the bottom boards.

For inner covers, cut up feed bags or 4 to 6 mil plastic to fit each compartment size. Then use any outer cover you like.

This all gives me the flexibility of making 2 or 3 compartment mating nucs (tried 4 with lauan, but too tight). The real plus for me is be able to make double deep overwintering nucs at the end of the breeding season because the division boards can be lined up in the upper and lower box to seal the compartments. The lauan always warped on me and I'd get a mixing of the colonies with the eventual death of one of the queens. At the end of the season, I can fit about 18 of these division boards in an empty hive body and all the entrance reducers and "inner" covers in a rubbermaid tub. I don't have a lot of space being taken up specialty woodenware, and all a lot easier to take to the bee yards. 

The only drawback I've found is with one division board, it's too tight to fit 10 frames in the box. Four frames on each side, spaced out seems to work fine. You can always slide the division board and the 3/4" x 1 1/2" strips a little, and put 5 frames on one side and 4 on the other. On the other hand, using two division boards to make three 3-frame compartments is a perfect fit.

As a side note, take a look at making mini-mating nucs out of your 10-frame boxes. They are a lot of fun!

Hope this helps,
Steve


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