Waxed Cardboard Nuc

[czman11]

Does any of you guys have any experience with cardboard nucs?

[Michael Bush]

I have had some coroplast ones from Mann Lake (poor fit for the frames, nice handles and nice and siff) some coroplast ones from MDA (too flimsy, but perfect fit), some straight cardboard MDA ones (are not water proof but nice for selling nucs) some waxed cardboard MDA ones, which were kind of water proof and good for a year or two outside before they started to deteriorate.

[JP]

In a jam they are great, but consider them disposable unless you can keep them out of the weather. As Michael stated great for selling nucs. I much prefer wooden ones.


...JP

[bee-nuts]

You can build a nuc box cheaper than you can buy a cardboard nuc box before shipping.  Build your own and charge a deposit for the box if selling nucs or have ones that last years for yourself.

[caticind]

I have some and use them for transport and hiving splits and swarms when I get caught out.  They survive downpours just fine without the bees getting wet, and hold up well.  I've never used one for more than a couple of weeks at a time, but a neighboring beek with more experience says he's kept nucs in them for a year or two at a time with no degradation of the cardboard.

You can build a nuc cheaper, but they can't be beat for quick, lightweight, foldable backup bee housing, IMO.

[cam]

I bought some nucs this year in the Mad Splitter cardboard nucs. The bees chewed them pretty bad in 2-3 days.