DIY Second Story for Nucs

[Perry]

Once you have those D.Coates 5 frame nuc boxes done,


 and you've got 'em filled, why not build a second storey and try to overwinter a few?
Basically use the same plans, but because you will not need a bottom or top for the second storey box, you can get more out of the same sheet of plywood.




I got started too late this year and they never really built up enough into the second box to do much good so I broke them back to single nucs. I still have 4 of 6 alive as of this post.

[DLMKA]

you have to make the second story shorter to get the correct bee space between boxes, I can't remember how much I had to take off the height.

[Perry]

you have to make the second story shorter to get the correct bee space between boxes, I can't remember how much I had to take off the height.

Great point. 

[Finally Home]

Thanks Perry.  I just built this nuc last week. Hope to build a few more since I'd rather stay warm right now. Think I'll have to try this upper half.  Nice job Sir.

[LazyBkpr]

Once you have those D.Coates 5 frame nuc boxes done,


  I guess I am unfamiliar with the design?  I build my nuc's the same as I build my boxes.. 6 5/8 depth..  what is the difference in the design that requires the second story to be shorter?

[Perry]

If you think of it in terms like this:
A deep is around 9 5/8" to 9 3/4" deep. A frame is 9 1/8" deep, leaving a gap from the bottom of the frame to the "floor" of at least a 1/2", much larger than bee space.
If you built your second story with that gap between the bottom bar and top bar of the box below it, you would end up with a mess.

[DLMKA]

Once you have those D.Coates 5 frame nuc boxes done,


  I guess I am unfamiliar with the design?  I build my nuc's the same as I build my boxes.. 6 5/8 depth..  what is the difference in the design that requires the second story to be shorter?

The original design uses the box height to compensate for just having a plywood bottom to give clerarance under the frames. You don't want that same clearance on the "super". They'll make a mess of burr/bridge comb in that gap.

[LazyBkpr]

ohh, it doesn't use a removable bottom board with 3/4 inch space.. now that I look at the picks again that makes perfect sense.

[Zulu]

I did the same as Perry! then put some play dough on top of the frames in the nuc, and pushed down the frames in the second story..... Measured and then just ran the second story through the table saw to remove the excess....

[tefer2]

I like my bottom boxes to have 3/4 below the frames.
Never know when you have to place a frame with a swarm cell on it.
Second and third story same depth as hive bodies.