Anyone used 2 frame nuc boxes before?

[Sir Stungalot]

I am doing a massive expansion this year.  I invested a lot in 2 frame nuc boxes and am wondering if anyone has actually ever USED them. I know they will need to be managed more carefully than 5 framers but, for me, the issue  is to get the max. number of splits off of each hive. Any imput?  Thanks.....

[JP]

Modified
Wow, two framed nuc boxes! If I were to use them, which I wouldn't, I would imagine you would use them for a very small colony come winter, or for a colony that's queenless, whereby you are trying to have them make a queen. It just seems like a waste of time, and effort, no offense. I'm curious to see other feedback.

Sincerely, JP

[Old Timer]

They are most commonly used for queen breeding nucs. I use four frame nucs. One frame of honey/pollen, one frame of open brood, one frame of sealed brood, and one frame with foundation. After the foundation is mostly drawn out I'll add a second box on top. When the top is mostly drawn out I'll put the nucs into a deep. I don't think you'll like a two frame nuc much. Shortly after your queen starts laying they will need more space so you might as well start out with something a little bigger.

[Scadsobees]

Disclaimer: I've never used them.  And probably won't except for my observation hive which is 2 frames....

However, if you already have the money into them... and want lots of splits, I suppose you could make 2 frame splits with queens or even queen cells, and when they are build up enough to go into a big box (medium or deep, whatever you use) then put them in there with drawn frames and honey and pollen frames that you've harvested from the other hives.  I don't think that they'd be in the 2-framers for very long, as Old Timer says.

And of course feed heavily.

-rick

[Michael Bush]

>I am doing a massive expansion this year.  I invested a lot in 2 frame nuc boxes and am wondering if anyone has actually ever USED them.

Not for splits.  I use them exclusively for mating nucs:

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesnucs.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com/images/AssortedWidths.JPG
http://www.bushfarms.com/images/TwoByFourMatingNucs.JPG
http://www.bushfarms.com/images/TwoByFourNuc2.jpg

[Sir Stungalot]

I guess what I am actually using them for is a mating nuc (as Michael says). I do not want to put a couple frames of eggs/brood ect. into a full size box- to much space for them to have to defend ect.
Once it is full of bees (I hope pretty quick) and the new queen is laying, I figured there would be a better chance of them being able to hold their own.  Since I would only have to harvest a couple of frames per nuc box, each full size colony would yield more potential nucs.
These boxes only have a hole big enough for a single bee (MOL) to pass thru and again, would not be so likely to be ransacked by all my big colonies.  In addition to that, there is a slit to put the internal feeder (a boardman type but syrup  is located INSIDE the box) so I can feed non-stop to help get these small colonies going.  It just seemed a sensible thing to give a try. I am going to (hope) they are able to raise their own queen rather than have to purchase. I will begin this in Feb./March (in Texas brood rearing is going full tilt and this is the swarm season too). My first prime swarms usually issue about March 1st and I am trying to avoid this swarming by keeping the hives "thin" with these continual pulls of started queen cells ect.