This premium grade 10-frame nucleus hive platform is a great tool to raise queens, bank queens, create splits or boost weaker colonies. Mike Palmer uses this setup as a multi-storey brood factory, where he stacks multiple pairs of nucs on the base box to rapidly raise brood. It is also a great platform for overwintering nucleus colonies. It has four key components: solid bottom board, 10-frame hive box with divider board, into two nucs, two 4-frame nuc boxes, and two inner covers. Details below:
Solid Bottom Board: This bottom board is set up to have opposite-end entrances for the two colonies to avoid drift.
Dividable 10-Frame Hive Box: On the bottom board sits a 10-frame hive box with a center divider board so that you can set it up to host two 4-frame nucs. The frames do not come with the box.
Nucleus Hive Boxes: Above the lower 10-frame box sits a pair of 4-frame nucleus hive boxes.This setup enables you to over winter a pair of colonies in double-decker nuc hives than share a common wall so share heat. Frames do not come with the boxes.
4-Frame Inner Covers: A pair of 4-frame inner covers allow you to separately manage each nuc side without disturbing the other colony
Overwintering Nucs: If you want to overwinter nucs, divide the lower box with the provided divider board, then put a nuc colony on each side of the divider. Then put some honey frames in the 4-frame nucs above, and let the colonies migrate up. Alternatively, use the upper box as a feeder cavity for a jar feeder or bucket feeder. In this setup, the nucs can share a wall which greatly increases their heat management. Wrap the hive to improve survival rate and reduce honey consumption.
Queens rearing and queen banking: This platform is really convenient for queen rearing and banking. The lower box can be the source of queen cells, brood and nurse bees (crucial to queen rearing and banking) that you can supply to one or both nuc hives above. You will need to put a queen excluder between the lower and upper boxes.
