# Bee Brief Nucs



## Riskybizz (Mar 12, 2010)

Thinking about ordering a few of the plastic NOD "Bee Brief" 4 frame nucs. Anyone using any or have any comments?


----------



## Honey-4-All (Dec 19, 2008)

I had a couple a long time back. Unfortunately they burned up in our shop fire and I never have replaced them. If I recall correclty they were well designed but the pricing was way out of line when compared to the payback efficiencies. Since I usually buy a few to test them to see if they would be helpful in our operation the must have not sparked my long term interest. They are way better built than say the Jester 5 frame nuc but when one pays 4 or 5x the price it gets a little fuzzy.


----------



## grozzie2 (Jun 3, 2011)

I've got a stack of them out back. They are purpose designed for transporting nucs in quantity, and for that task, I think they are very good. Strong, bee-tight, and well ventilated when stacked 3 or 4 high, just leave the plastic cover on the top row, and use only the screened section for everything underneath. They interlock well, and once strapped down, they stay put.

For just about anything else, they are a bit of overkill, but I do find them useful, and use them because I have a couple dozen handy already. I wouldn't buy them specifically for anything other than longer distance moving, but once we had them, I do end up using them. I like them for mating nucs, but I'm not using the smaller frames etc. Just put two frames of bees in with a couple new frames, and a cell, then set them down anywhere, no stands required. It's easy to pick up 4 at a time with the built in handles, and walk them away.

Once you have a bunch kicking around, when not in use to move bees, it's surprising how many other uses they have. In a pinch, they make a good temporary sawhorse. When the ground is wet, two bee briefs make a good temporary hive stand for a couple days.

I've got a couple dozen in the pile today, and will probably get more when we have finished scaling up nuc production here. We will buy them for one specific task, and that's to load a hundred or more on the trailer, then drive a thousand kilometers up the road with them. For that task, I think they will be hard to beat, but we do intend to use them over multiple seasons too, drive away full and return home empty. It would be really hard to justify the expense if they were a single use item. Whole different story if we can get 10 years use out of them, and I see no reason why not with the ones we have already.


----------



## Honey-4-All (Dec 19, 2008)

Thinking about the Briefs a little more last night. 

I recalled that the big issue that I had with them was the LACK (as in 0 mm) of space below the frames and the bottoms. No room for squished bees to escape and even less for any burr comb coming out of a split to have any room to hide unless one spent the time scraping all the bottoms of the bottom boards on every frame.. :scratch:

Thats what took them off the "gotta buy more of these" cash pile. I even called NOD and told them so. I am not about to scrape the bottom of every frame when doing splits...... No time for that in the Spring....

Obviously they are overkill or other people thought the same as I see many of the suppliers no longer carry them and NOD is discontinuing their sale. 

Kind of sad cause a few tweeks would make this thing a very useful product.inch:


----------



## Riskybizz (Mar 12, 2010)

Honey-For-All 

Thanks for the solid input. Yes NOD is discontinuing them so the price is right. Wondering if you could possibly shim the frame rests to allow more room under the bottom bar? I might just order 6 to try them. Really appreciate your input.


----------



## grozzie2 (Jun 3, 2011)

Honey-4-All said:


> I recalled that the big issue that I had with them was the LACK (as in 0 mm) of space below the frames and the bottoms. No room for squished bees to escape and even less for any burr comb coming out of a split to have any room to hide unless one spent the time scraping all the bottoms of the bottom boards on every frame.. :scratch:


Yup, that's the biggest drawback for sure. I did have to scrape frame bottoms putting them in, completely slipped my mind until you mentioned it. I didn't find it overly onerous because I'm handling the frames anyways, and spending a bit of time checking to make sure I dont have a queen when putting the frames into them, so it just became part of the process for me. Doing a dozen or less at a time, it wasn't a show stopper, but, I guess it could become quite irritating doing a much larger number.


----------



## Tim KS (May 9, 2014)

Riskybizz said:


> Honey-For-All
> 
> Thanks for the solid input. Yes NOD is discontinuing them so the price is right. Wondering if you could possibly *shim the frame rests* to allow more room under the bottom bar? I might just order 6 to try them. Really appreciate your input.


I'm not familiar with the box at all, but I think shimming the frame rest will do away with the bee space at the top......better to shim the bottom.


----------



## Honey-4-All (Dec 19, 2008)

Tim KS said:


> I'm not familiar with the box at all, but I think shimming the frame rest will do away with the bee space at the top......better to shim the bottom.


When there is no room on top also you are going to have ONE HARD time trying that trick. The slack tolerances are zippo.


----------



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I bought several a few years back. The biggest thing is how HANDY they are. You can pick up four of them empty easily and haul them around (two in each hand) the handles are wonderful. If only they came in mediums I'd buy more. They are great for splits and hauling bees around. I often use them (with mediums of course) to haul a few frames of bees from here to there or a small split from here to there. You can stack up a truckload of them and they are not only easy to haul, but easy to stack up and not suffocate the bees. So far they have weathered well and I use one for a toolbox. Which could also be used to hive a small swarm in a pinch.

There does not appear to be any easy way to change the depth...


----------



## Riskybizz (Mar 12, 2010)

I ordered 12 of them yesterday. The thing I really like about the from what I've seen is the screen cover that closes off the entrance also. Guess I'll just be aware to scrape the bottom bars before making up splits. The price is less than half of what they originally sold for. Mine are being shipped from their Reno location.


----------



## Maddy (Jan 20, 2014)

Dragging this thread back up...

I am Spring Dreamin' (kinda like California Dreamin' but more bee focused...) and these are still being sold at Discontinued Prices, $100 for 6 from http://nodglobal.com/shop/bee-brief-nuc-box/

I want to make them into Swarm Traps, as opposed to the time, effort, and expense of making Nuc boxes for that purpose, like these:
http://www.telwoodworking.com/images/nuc-hive-3.jpg

My reasoning is that I will be able to use the handholds to help strap them to trees, and they will be easy to transport and reuse.
But, Lil' Miss Clueless here is still learning about about Bee Space, and Swarms...
I'm thrilled to understand the considerations and shortcomings in this thread so far!

So, at this price, shortcomings taken into consideration, while not necessarily all that great for actual Nuc/Queen Breeding boxes ---
Would you think a half dozen of them functional enough as Swarm boxes?
Or would I just be better off making my own from plywood?

~M


----------



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

They are kind of small for swarm traps. They are very handy. I like them because I can pick up four of them and walk off with them very easily when moving nucs around. I wish they came in mediums...


----------



## Maddy (Jan 20, 2014)

Mr. Bush, you have been my 'guiding light' since we first started trying to self-educate on beekeeping. Thank you for ALL your advice, across the forums on the Web, and for your visit to Colorado Springs last year!

I have seen swarm traps that were Office Printer Paper boxes with one frame of comb stuck in diagonally...along with the fiber pots, and various cobbled together boxes of all sizes, shapes, and quality.
The NODs do seem a bit small, being only 4 frame...
Would you suggest mediums for Swarm traps, as opposed to 5-frame Nucs, just for the ability to better hold a large swarm?

Since I will be practicing my woodworking skills, making a bigger box is not a big deal, I am just wanting an effective, yet 'convenient' way to collect swarms that is better thought out than a Printer Paper box...

Thank you!
~M


----------



## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

Haven't they been discontinued?


----------



## Riskybizz (Mar 12, 2010)

I used the ones I purchased last year to make up a bunch of 4 frame splits. As mentioned the deep frames sit flush with the bottom of the nucs. There is no room whatsoever which is at times aggravating. I'm sure that MB has no problems putting his medium frames in there for some bee manipulations. Its really too bad that NOD didn't allow for some standard room at the bottom of the frames because they are very well made and handy to have around. I would not recommend them for swarm traps. I have used 8 frame deep boxes for my traps made out of misc. lumber, plywood etc. That seems to be a good size for bees to want to inhabit. In addition it would have been nice if Bee Brief would have provided some type of a knock out circular hole for a feed jar. I suppose I could always drill my own. These would have been great boxes if they were 5 frame and allowed for some space at the bottom bar. Initially they were a little pricy.


----------



## Maddy (Jan 20, 2014)

jwcarlson said:


> Haven't they been discontinued?


They still are as of this morning. Evidently even at 6/$100, they are not all that popular.
In Europe, you can buy plasticized corrugated paper fold-out Nucs. But, just like foundationless plastic frames, there is no US equivalent that I have found.
Oh well, good practice with the table saw.
~M


----------



## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

Maddy, consider D Coates style plywood nucs if you haven't already. Easy as pie to build and with Titebond III and a pneumatic stapler... I don't see mine having any trouble lasting for years. I made supers for mine too which requires a little bit of plan modification, but they work well..

http://www.beesource.com/build-it-yourself/5-frame-nuc-d-coates-version/

You can make 4 and some change out of a single sheet of plywood which comes to about $6 each once you add in glue and staples. Some time to assemble and paint, but you're doing that with any box you buy.


----------



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>I have seen swarm traps that were Office Printer Paper boxes with one frame of comb stuck in diagonally...along with the fiber pots, and various cobbled together boxes of all sizes, shapes, and quality.
The NODs do seem a bit small, being only 4 frame...
Would you suggest mediums for Swarm traps, as opposed to 5-frame Nucs, just for the ability to better hold a large swarm?

I typically use old ten frame boxes (since I don't use them in my apiaries) for swarm traps. I put medium frames in them because that's what I want the bees on, but if they build some comb off the bottoms because I'm late finding them, I just cut the combs off and rubber band them in.

>Since I will be practicing my woodworking skills, making a bigger box is not a big deal, I am just wanting an effective, yet 'convenient' way to collect swarms that is better thought out than a Printer Paper box...

A five frame deep box doesn't work too badly. So the D Coates plywood nuc isn't bad, but a ten frame deep box is better and an old one is even better...


----------

