Most Nucs are Deeps but I have all medium equipment...

[Stone]

or you can put some mediums in the rest of the box with some 2" thick styrofoam cut to fill the gap and when they have brood on the mediums move them and the queen above with an excluder and wait three weeks for the brood to hatch...

You guys give a lot to think about!

Michael,

I've been thinking about your suggestion above and the more I think about it, the more it appeals to me.  Let me see if I understand it right. Are you saying to put that styrofoam layer right up flush to the bottom of the bottom bars of the mediums?  And to let the deep frames between them hang down into the space of the extra empty medium below?  Got a photo of what you mean?

[bailey]

some of us are making medium nucs for those who want to use only medium gear !
if i had the idea im sure others in your area have as well. some should be doing medium nucs.
bailey

[Stone]

Sounds logical, Bailey.  So if 5 frames make up a deep nuc, how many frames should we expect to make up a medium nuc? - eight like someone previously expressed?

[Michael Bush]

It comes back to what you want a nuc for.  Is it for a split?  Queen mating?  Wintering? Queen bank?  An eight frame medium is the exact same volume as a five frame deep, so if that's your goal, an eight frame medium is what you want.  But if you want something to mate queens in, I'd go smaller.  If you want something to do splits in, I would go bigger as I don't think five frames is really as big as I would like.

[BBees]

Stone,
Thanks for the explanation. There are remedies for each of those ailments, but that should be another topic. Good luck, lots of good advice here.

[Stone]

It comes back to what you want a nuc for. 

Michael,

I just want to start some hives. And if I have the opportunity to split them, I will.  I don't have enough experience to raise queens.

Of course I'll be asking the nuc sellers these questions myself, but it's nice to know what possible answers to expect beforehand.
1. From your experience, and those of others, will nuc sellers actually provide the 8 frames in a medium super for interested parties?
2. Or will they just adjust their prices downward accordingly for a 5 frame medium? (As was said, this doesn't seem like a lot of bees to start off a colony with.)

[bailey]

for all around effectiveness i went with 5 frame med nucs for myself.
they can be used for swarm traps, splits for making new queens, mating nucs, whatever.
here in louisiana 5 frames of bees brood and honey is more than enough to get a spring honey harvest
if i make them up last of feb first- of march.

others might not like the idea of only 5 med frames but it does work for us here.
bailey

[Stone]

Bailey,

Sound right for La.  Up here in Delaware County on the western side of the Catskill Mountains, things don't start rolling until mid to late May - at best.  I actually plan on starting them out in suburban NYC - about 150 miles south and at sea level - and then bringing them back up at about that time, so things just might work out.  This is a first so we'll see how it plays out.  Mediums might work for me in this case.

[T Beek]

We don't have "local" NUCs available up here till 4th of July "usually."  Its all about location.

thomas

[Jim134]

It comes back to what you want a nuc for.  

Michael,

I just want to start some hives. And if I have the opportunity to split them, I will.  I don't have enough experience to raise queens.

Of course I'll be asking the nuc sellers these questions myself, but it's nice to know what possible answers to expect beforehand.
1. From your experience, and those of others, will nuc sellers actually provide the 8 frames in a medium super for interested parties?
2. Or will they just adjust their prices downward accordingly for a 5 frame medium? (As was said, this doesn't seem like a lot of bees to start off a colony with.)

The cost of 5 deep frames and 5 medium frames in small lots are about and same.  From my experience  8 frames medium hives cost more then 5 frame deep nucs


     BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

[Stone]

I just found out where to get my medium nucs locally.  I am a member of the Long Island Beekeepers Club and was able to get locally raised mediums with marked and mated queens- MN hygienic -  4-5 frames for $120.  Very reputable supplier. Doesn't sound too bad.

[gardeningfireman]

If you have deep nuc boxes but everything else you have is mediums, then put medium frames in the nuc and fill up the extra space under them with lumber cut to the inside box measurements. Then drill a 1 inch entrance hole above that. :-D