# Styrofoam nuc box plans?



## timgoodin (Mar 10, 2007)

Finally found it although it was for mini mating boxes not nucs.

http://nordykebeefarm.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=46&PN=1

Anyone have anything like this for standard 5 frame nucs?

Tm


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## honeyman46408 (Feb 14, 2003)

Tim I would think you could just ues the Styrofoam insted of wood but if I were doing it I think I would use 1" foam.What U thinking a nuc to winter in?


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## timgoodin (Mar 10, 2007)

honeyman46408: 

I would not mind trying to winter one just to compare it to the regular wooden 5 frame nuc boxes I'm using from Dadant. I have 6 wooden nuc boxes.

But I was actually trying to think of a way to make some "cheap" boxes to use from say May/June to September/October (next year) then transfer them into a 10 frame standard hive (around October to winter on top of existing hive) with a frame feeder and four additional frames. The Dadant boxes are $21 plus shipping. I figured a sheet of foam with aluminum backing would probably not cost much more than one box. I feel relatively sure the thermal quality would be there but not too sure about ventilation and durability. I can keep them in a protected area so some fragility can be tolerated. 

I had thought about dividing some deeps down the middle with a removable board of some sort and making two nucs from one box. I tried that on a medium but unfortunatley my building skills leave much to be desired and the queens ended up together until one was dead.

I may try some plywood boxes and see how I can do with those. Since I'm only using them 50% of the time and they are in dry storage the other 50%, with a little paint they should last for several years. Of course I'm sitting around just like a farmer looking forward to next year and counting my hives before they swarm!! Tim


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Bee sure to use a hard, dense Styrofoam. Bees eat thru soft Styrofoam. A strong swarm ate thru this fish shipping box in about four weeks.


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## timgoodin (Mar 10, 2007)

Those little devils...I've heard of eating yourself out of house and home!


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## Steve in PA (Jan 26, 2015)

What are the chances anyone has the plans for styrofoam minis mentioned on an 11 year old thread? The original link no longer works.


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## msl (Sep 6, 2016)

link is long gone, it inspired me years ago, but was a bit over complicated in my book and I never built any 

I remixed a Ukrainian concept and did about 50 of these as give away kits for the local clubs this year https://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?360603-2-foam-mini-mating-nuc


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## Deepwoods (Jan 9, 2019)

Tim,

Here is a set of plans using 2" extruded foam insulation board-
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...20100813.pdf&usg=AOvVaw3XLEzngZ1xFjG_1Q-LZPA0
The plans include a cut list for 5, 8, and 10 frame boxes.


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