Hi All
 
I have arranged with a beekeeper/carpenter friend of mine to make such a Nuc
based on a standard National Brood Box.
 
By trawling through various bee books, I learned of some ideas which I am
incorporating.
 
1. I have permanent mouse guards on each entrance consisting of zinc coated
nails driven vertically 5/16 in. (8mm) apart in each entrance.
 
2. E B Wedmore's book 'A Manual on Beekeeping' recommends that 3mm holes
should be drilled in the separator boards, to mingle the scents of the Nucs.
Thus if you wish to move a comb from one Nuc to another you will not have
any problems, since the bees will all have the same scent.
 
3. The separator boards are not rebated into the floor. They are a tight fit
and I believe that they will stay in place because of the pressure of the
frames. Tests carried out support this but I cannot say what changes may
occur to the wood dimensions in the Nuc. (I hope I am right about this!). I
have done it this way to enable me to have three nucs if required. (This
part is pure experimentation).
 
4. I have incorporated metal sliders in each of the entrances to give
flexibility in setting the size of the entrance, and also to close off one
of the entrances when the arrangement is being used for 2 Nucs rather than 3.
 
5. Wedmore also recommends that a hole be drilled in the base and fitted
with wire gauze on both sides to allow warmth to rise from the colony below,
and not to allow the bees to make contact.
 
I should be grateful for feedback, as my friend has just completed the Nuc
and I can have changes incorporated.
 
Thanks for any input, and I hope the above proves of some benefit.
 
Sincerely
Tom Barrett
49 South Park
Foxrock
Dublin 18
Ireland
 
e mail [log in to unmask]
Tel + 353 1 289 5269
Fax + 353 1 289 9940
 
Latitude  53 Deg 16' 12.8" North
Longitude 06 Deg  9' 44.9" West
3 miles - 5 km from the Irish Sea
 
Mild winters - cool to moderately warm summers.
Being Ireland, it rains a lot!