Mating hive

[Marty68]

I'm looking to start a mating hive and need some help getting started with what need to prepare for. I have the hive picked that I want, just need info to get started.

[jb63]

It's getting kind of late in the year Marty.

[Perry]

I just took some old deeps, divided them into 4 two frame compartments with an entrance on each side. I keep one in most big yards and if I come across a hive with some capped queen cells I use those frames.

[Marty68]

Ty for the photos perry. Looks like I have to give it a shot. I was thinking ahead for next year john. Just trying to get things lined up is all

[Yankee11]

Marty, here is a picture of one I built.

I did not get to try it this year (got to busy) but a friend of mine made one just like it and said all of his queens made it back and went into the
correct bay they left from.

[Marty68]

that looks nice yankee. what are the dimentions for that.

[tecumseh]

I call these split deep boxes 'queen castles'.  by and large I like the one most that are split 3 ways < basically any division greater than this means trying to pick up a queen from the side or bottom of the slot is just about impossible and with three you can still install a frame feeder if necessary.

[Finally Home]

I call these split deep boxes 'queen castles'.  by and large I like the one most that are split 3 ways < basically any division greater than this means trying to pick up a queen from the side or bottom of the slot is just about impossible and with three you can still install a frame feeder if necessary.

Good thought.  I made mine with 4 but haven't used it yet.  Got me thinking!

[robo]

I've tried a lot of different mating nucs over the years, but found the 4-way mating nucs like Perry's work best for me.
Plans can be found here ->  http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/downloads/

[G3farms]

Is that coroplast (campaign sign) for the dividers?

Those look really good.

[robo]

Is that coroplast (campaign sign) for the dividers?

Yes they are....  they don't work the greatest as they get distorted after a while.   I ended up gluing small blocks of wood on the floor to keep the centers n place.

[tecumseh]

so Robo do you leave both holes in each end of the slot open or do you screen one end?

not certain of your own dimensions in the mating boxes shown in your photos Robo?  but I am guessing the material is plywood < some specification of quality or kind of plywood might be helpful since at least here some plywood holds up well and some not so much. 

I should also mention that at least here in the southern US you do need to have some clearance built into the box so the bottom bars of the frames are not right up against the bottom (ie a bottom board which looks more like a outer cover in Robo's picture) < failure to allow about a 1/2 inch gap here can lead to first small hive beetle and wax moth problem and the very real potential that you may squash a queen upon any inspection.... some of the early two piece cardboard 5 frame nuc boxes very much had this same flaw but the newer one piece 5 frame nuc boxes seem to have remedied this problem.

[robo]

The 1" holes near the top are both screen.  The entrance is a 1/2" hole near the bottom.  Robbing is a big issue here and the top vent holes help tremendously.  They lure the robbers away from the entrance.

They are made out of 3/4" plywood.   They actually hold up pretty well when painted as they are in storage during the worst weather (spring, fall, & winter)

Here are some details,  complete details are in the attached PDF.

[Marty68]

those are very nice boxes there. think i might have to try one out. thanks for showing how to make them