Overwintered 6 Frame Poly Nuc

Description

** Maisemore nucs are only available for collection, if you would like a 5 frame nuc posted then please visit the product page here. **

Please be sure to pre order your 6 frame nuc early to avoid disappointment.  If you have any queries or concerns then please get in touch using the contact details at the bottom of this page.

We provide everything on standard British National sizing and these nucs are Maisemore poly, there are alternative options for 5 frame correx nucs which can be found here.  The poly nucs are exceptionally hardwearing and can be used for swarm management or collection and are ideal for overwintering small colonies.  The poly nucs include a Brood Chamber, built-in Open Mesh Floor, Miller Style Feeder and Lid.

The frames are British National DN1’s and will be spaced using plastic spacers.  These frame sizes will only fit National hives but can be used in 14×12 short term to allow for migration, adapting to fit Langstroth is relatively easily if needed and guides can be found in abundance via Google.  We are currently investigating options for supplying our nucs in multiple formats but are not able to do so at this time, watch this space.

Traits of our 6 Frame Nucs

As a bee farm we our of course trying to attain genetics that are beneficial to hobbyists and other farmers, as such we’ll select our breeder queens on the basis of the following factors:

1. Temperament
   Nobody likes grumpy, aggressive bees.  There’s anecdotal evidence that suggests the more aggressive bees provide the greater amount of honey but this doesn’t hold up to be true to the evidence.  We just don’t want to see excessive stinging.
2. Calm Under Inspection
   Bees that remain calm under inspection and are not running around the frames are ideal and make inspections so much easier.
3. Good Laying Pattern
   Queens that lay in a tight concentric pattern on the comb is a good sign of a strong healthy layer who will produce good numbers and make good use of space.  Anything that differs from this can raise concerns around the viability of the queen or concerns around disease and general health of the colony.
   Propolis
   Some bees have traits that favour propolis, a lot.  Whilst some don’t consider this a negative others really struggle with the mess and difficulty in prying frames apart.  It’s a tricky one as propolis also sits hand in hand with good hygiene so we search for a happy median.  Propolis yes, excess propolis, no.
4. Resourceful
   Resourceful bees that manage their stores well through the winter are ideal and less likely to fall foul of starvation.
5. Tendency to Swarm
   Obviously bees that are less likely to swarm are favoured but in the end bees swarm, we try to select for good behaviour but in the end your bees will swarm and they’ll need to be managed with that mind.
6. Hygiene
   Clean bees are happy bees so for that reason we regularly test for hygienic traits following the COLOSS testing method.
7. Stores Honey in Excess
   Of course we like bees that store lots of honey.  This benefits us with a larger harvest and benefits the bees with more stores for their winter rest period.