I purchased a 5 frame nuc from one of the main internet retailers. After assembly I noticed about 1 1/8 inches of space between #5 and the wall.
this seems like a lot of extra space especially for overwintering.
I realize the comb is built out past the top of the frame but I didn't realize it was this much space.
This is my first nuc, i don't remember so much extra space in my supers. Is this extra space correct?
In the old days a five frame nuc was a ten frame box cut in half with a 3/4" side added on. So they were 8 7/8" wide. Most of the ones I've bought in recent years were 9 1/4" wide which means a one by ten makes a perfect cover. A 14" eight frame box (the size Mann Lake etc. sell) has 1 1/2" left over when you put eight frames in it. A typical 9 1/4" five frame nuc has 7/8" left over. A typical ten frame box has 1" left over. There is no exact number that is "correct" but anything less than 3/4" left over is probably "incorrect".
I build all my 5 frame Nucs 9 1/4 inches wide.
6 frame Nucs 11 1/2 inches wide
8 frame hive 14 inches wide
10 frame hive 16 1/4 inches wide
>I build all my 5 frame Nucs 9 1/4 inches wide.
That's what I do, but if a one by ten was 9" wide, I'd probably make them 9"...
Quote from: capt44 on April 28, 2015, 11:47:41 AM
I build all my 5 frame Nucs 9 1/4 inches wide.
6 frame Nucs 11 1/2 inches wide
8 frame hive 14 inches wide
10 frame hive 16 1/4 inches wide
Quote from: Michael Bush on April 28, 2015, 12:02:28 PM
>I build all my 5 frame Nucs 9 1/4 inches wide.
That's what I do, but if a one by ten was 9" wide, I'd probably make them 9"...
are these inside dimensions or outside dimensions? Using Rough Cut lumber I only care about the inside. 8 1/8" inside is wide enough to squeeze 5 1.25" wide frames plus a 1 3/8" frames.
>are these inside dimensions or outside dimensions?
Inside.
>Using Rough Cut lumber I only care about the inside. 8 1/8" inside is wide enough to squeeze 5 1.25" wide frames plus a 1 3/8" frames.
The math is pretty simple. Take the width of the frame (standard is 1.375") times the number of frames and add .375 (3/8") for the beespace starting off and that is the MINIMUM size you can make it for that many frames. You can be as much as a full inch more and it's not a big problem. So by that measurement the inside of a five frame nuc should be between a minimum of (1.375" * 5 frames) + .375" = 7.25" and a maximum of (1.375" * 5 frames) + 1" = 7.875". But if I'm using 3/4" boards the inside is pretty consistently related to the outside and the outside is where the wood ends when I'm making it... So that would make the outside measurement an additional 1.5" which would be 8.75" to 9.375"
The extra 3/8" is what I am lacking but the bees haven't complained yet. It might be an issue for clustering in the winter however.