Building a 5 Frame Nuc for Bees | EASY!!!

[@rickaudirsch3151]

I enjoyed this video and also the video on the wax !! You do a great job !! Very informative !!

[@brucesbees]

Thank you!

[@johnliberty3647]

It did. I want to keep bees in my food forest and use honey as a preservative. Although I won’t be building exactly what you are building I got the inside dimensions needed to design my own hives and nuc boxes. I will likely do horizontal hives. I subscribed and started watching some of your videos last night and this morning.

[@brucesbees]

Hey that is great. I appreciate it and hope the channel can help you in your journey!

[@houstonsheltonbees814]

Down and Dirty I like it. Thanks 👍

[@brucesbees]

Thanks!

[@Beekeeper_of_All_Trades]

Thank you! This presentation is exceptionally concise. The highlight is the effective presentation of dimensions, providing a clear view of how all elements integrate seamlessly. It's refreshingly straightforward, with no unnecessary diversions or small talk. You get my thumbs up and a subscription

[@brucesbees]

Hey thanks so much. This comment means a lot to me. I am always working on trying to get better.

[@tablerockbees4266]

Bruce, I have built several of these just like yours. I started making the frame rest down 7/8" to keep from mashing bees when putting lid on, but that don't work when your adding another box, Then I started just adding a 5/16 thick strip to the underside of the lid, works great!!

[@brucesbees]

Awesome. Thanks for the input!

[@russellkoopman3004]

I like those strips also. Works well with the foamies also and gives some room for pollen patties.

[@brucesbees]

Makes sense. Patty rims work well. Quite a few of my 10 frame lids have them.

[@NaturesImageFarmGregBurns]

Good job Bruce! Good lookin boxes!

[@brucesbees]

Thanks Greg. They already have been painted and have bees in them.

[@donbearden1953]

Great looking box Bruce!

[@brucesbees]

Thanks Don!

[@markbasinger6015]

Awesome! Thanks Bruce.

[@jeffperry9900]

I made the nuc box today, thank you so much. The top material list shows 19 7/8 .... video shows 21 7/8. The 21 7/8 worked perfect for the top. Thanks again for teaching us new beekeepers in all you do.

[@brucesbees]

Glad it worked out for you. I need to fix that.

[@brucesbees]

It’s fixed.

[@TennesseeTim38451]

That’s a K.I.S.S. Box!! I love it!

[@brucesbees]

Works well for me. Simple and effective.

[@JCsBees]

Great demonstration, Bruce!

[@brucesbees]

Thanks Jason!

[@heavymechanic2]

This is a great video on making NUC boxes. Today I saw a 1/4 sheet of plywood for 35.00 and its hard to build any bee equipment when places like Dadant sells a plywood NUC for 26 bucks assembled. If you do not want to build the cover, a 12x24 ceramic tile is a low cost alternative (saw this in Mississippi from an old timer).

[@brucesbees]

Yes it is getting out of control. Thanks for the tip!

[@namentatic4978]

If you put a ceramic tile on top of a nuc, you can cook some food on it in the hot summer days. :(

[@TomBean-qf6zv]

Looks good, I'll have to try a few of them.

[@brucesbees]

Great! Hope they work out well for you!

[@bigsmile542]

I like the play on the lid. I have some that I took one cleat off. From southwest Texas hot and dry.

[@brucesbees]

It definitely helps.

[@rodneymiddleton9624]

They look good Bruce! Thanks!

[@brucesbees]

Thanks for checking in!

[@bza069]

great... im going to use this design to make an 8 frame duplex nuc box with divider down the center

[@JandHFarms]

Well done sir! I need to make some mating nucs.

[@brucesbees]

Always something to do!

[@LawsonsCreekApiary]

Nice and simple, thanks for the tutorial!

[@brucesbees]

You’re welcome. Thanks Jeff!

[@vapoureyes]

Very well explained .

[@Dr.JsBees-jeffrector]

Always good when you can build your own equipment. Thanks for the video!

[@brucesbees]

Thanks for checking in!

[@jamestownsendjrtbees3226]

Nice and easy Bruce! I actually build mine with bottom boards and top feeders so I can stack them up 5 over 5 and let them build up a while and draw comb.

[@brucesbees]

That works too. Many of my nucs have interchangeable tops and bottoms with independent hive bodies but I move mine around a lot and got tired of having to strap the bottom to the nucs. But there are many ways to do it. I will probably also build some boxes I can stack on top because I like to stack em high sometimes as well.

[@TennesseeMountainBees]

Awesome video Bruce! I'm gonna build some. Thank you!

[@brucesbees]

Thanks for checking in. Hope this helps.

[@allanm7589]

nice nuc box thanks

[@brucesbees]

Thanks for checking in!

[@jamespendley41]

On a Mission Trip in Guyana South America was telling the brothers about you. They work with Africanized Bees down here. VERY VERT Aggressive. Love to watch from north Alabama (Roll Tide)

[@brucesbees]

Yeah I don’t think I have ever experienced truly Africanized bees. Mine get feisty at times. But truly Africanized bees I think are far worse. Thanks for checking in!

[@g.morris570]

I loved those.. I build a 7 frame nuc very similar to yours but I like yours better.. !! Thsnk you for posting!!!! I will be building a few like yours..

[@brucesbees]

Thanks. Hope you like them!

[@glumbiglumson3268]

Gut gemacht 👍 all the best from Germany

[@brucesbees]

Thanks. Be safe over there!!!

[@SouthFlaBeekeepingAndMangoes]

Great video. Now I know I don't have the patience to build one.

[@dsummerscm]

Awesome tutorial Bruce! Thanks for sharing!

[@brucesbees]

Thanks Dawn!

[@esauer1014]

Looking good sir!!! Best wishes on the upcoming season!!!

[@brucesbees]

Thanks. Same to you! These boxes already have bees in them lol!

[@skinneer1]

Bought 3 apimaye after your one video. They showed up. Damn im impressed

[@skinneer1]

Keep up the good work, Bruce. Enjoy it

[@brucesbees]

Hey that’s awesome! Glad you like them! I am about to order some more as well. I am thinking about eventually having nothing but Apimayes in my backyard.

[@strugglingbeekeepermarkcot9642]

They look good buddy if it works for you that is all that matters. I have built a lot of those boxes. Thanks for sharing I appreciate it.

[@brucesbees]

Thanks for checking in and for the kid words!

[@FreeRangeArtFarm]

Great tutorial Bruce! Thanks for putting that together.

[@brucesbees]

Thanks Thomas!

[@kathybastian2272]

Bruce, I just saw this just in time to make me up some nuc boxes! They turned out perfect, I just have to paint them now. Thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge. I really enjoy your chanel❤ I wish I could have figured out how to attach a picture, we got 4 done!

[@brucesbees]

Hey that is great! I think they will serve you well.

[@johnwoofter5744]

Easy way to paint is paint the 4x8 sheet of material before you cut out your boxes. Only 5 minutes with a roller

[@brucesbees]

@johnwoofter5744 thanks for the tip!

[@lagrangebees]

Thank you for the video and plans! easy to adapt if I wanna make a removable bottom board and once wax dipped these should last a good while too. 👍🏻

[@brucesbees]

Absolutely. Thanks for checking in!

[@fuzzynuggetsbees]

Thanks for sharing! I might need to make a few.

[@brucesbees]

Thanks for checking in!

[@beekeepinggarden165]

Great job Bruce 👍👍 last year I did building 20 from the same material 6 frames. 🐝🐝🐝

[@brucesbees]

Good stuff Sebastian. Thanks for checking in!

[@michaelfike7542]

Nice and simple.

[@brucesbees]

Thanks for checking in

[@nataliemartin4721]

Good job !

[@brucesbees]

Thanks!

[@johnthomas5806]

thanks

[@brucesbees]

Hope it helps!

[@ShugPhD]

Nice work!

[@brucesbees]

Thanks!

[@HoneyStoneFarm]

Great Video

[@brucesbees]

Thanks!

[@petetracker3472]

Good Video!! Gotta mame a few!!

[@brucesbees]

Thanks!

[@dennissitter2242]

The nucs that I make with the attached bottom. I cut the frame rest 3/4" deep. The bees don't glue them down the lids as bad. And you can stack them if you have to.

[@brucesbees]

Sounds like a good idea.

[@GrammyMidwife]

Love it! Thanks

[@rpeebles]

A suggestion...consider moving your handle up to the lid...not against it, but just a small gap under it. This way you can use your hive tool to pry against the handle to pop the lid off. I learned this from Bob Binnie and it works very well, especially on my telescoping lids....no I dont use inner covers on nucs either. Excellent work! Just wish plywood wasn't so crazy expensive right now.

[@brucesbees]

Good suggestion. Makes sense. Thanks!

[@horizontalbees]

Great build Bruce!! I hope you bought that lumber before the prices started going up again.

[@brucesbees]

It was about $63 a sheet I think, or something like that when I bought it last year. I bought 8 sheets. The first sheets of this stuff I bought 2 or 3 years ago was $29 I think. Was able to get 16 of these nucs out of just over 3 1/2 sheets I believe.

[@GLuft3]

Very practical. Also need supers. I’m going to try to work out a 4x8 cut sheet.

[@brucesbees]

Should work well. I have some honey supers I made out of plywood back I 2015. Some of them have rotted but there are still several in circulation in my outfit.

[@brucesbees]

I did paint them well though. I also painted these nucs and you will see them in use in my videos moving forward.

[@hamerstixonvideo]

Hello - did you ever work out a cut sheet? I was just working on one and looks like you can cut a single sheet into 4 12” wide strips. Then get your sides, top, bottom, back and front pretty easily from that. I think you run out of length for the bottom board because of blade kerf. Instead of having the back piece rest on top of the bottom, you can move the bottom forward, and cut the back a little longer. Did you come up with a better cut sheet idea?

[@GLuft3]

@@hamerstixonvideo never worked it out, but may try it yet. Thanks for the remainder.

[@beefitbeekeeping]

Hey Bruce! GREAT video! Have you ever overwintered in these?

[@brucesbees]

Yes! I do it all the time. Singles, doubles, triples and more. The bees love them. I am not sure how they would do you north but I think they would do fine. The bees love them just explode up into them. If you stack nucs up it is super easy to split them as well. The only problem with nucs is it is tough to keep up with the bees during a flow. I usually try to graduate them into 10 frame equipment when I can but have several this year that have been in the 5 framers all year. I basically ran out of 10 frame equipment. Or came very close.

[@jasonscruggs986]

What is the thickness on the subfloor your using and how many boxes can you get out of a 4 ×8 sheet? Thanks for the video

[@brucesbees]

3/4”

[@michaelshelnutt3534]

How have these held up? Any concerns over chemicals harming the bees.

[@brucesbees]

Still using them. No issues at all. I painted them though.

[@jasonstouder]

thank you. so, how do you make the things thart go inside?

[@brucesbees]

I buy the frames. I usually buy them either already put together or one piece plastic frames but here is a video on how I put some of them together. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oKCxkoFjfd1sqrMsi=A23BVxsK4XeolAPf. It is much easier juts to buy them already put together and ready to go.

[@russellkoopman3004]

I made a couple last year that were 3/4" deeper so that I could put a frame with a big queen cell on the bottom of a frame without damaging the cell. Thanks for the video Bruce. Have you caught a swarm yet this year? We finally had a day that got up to 45 F and the bees had a massive cleansing flight. It is amazing how much they can unload after 3 months of holding it. There was a definite smell in the air. LOL

[@brucesbees]

Wow. Glad the poor little things could finally get out and about. I have not caught any swarms yet but I know there have been a few around. I am splitting fluke crazy this year so maybe won’t have the swarming issues I have had in the past. We will know soon enough.

[@KajunHomestead]

nice and easy

[@brucesbees]

Thanks. I hope so!

[@lindaferguson593]

Why not double the wall width? That would insulate for all season. Drill out vent holes that you can plug up for winter. Like your nuc box! Thank you! Do you have a simple bee frame design? Thanks!

[@brucesbees]

I just buy my frames. It never really gets cold enough here to worry much about insulation. Thanks for checking in!

[@babinsbeestopbarbeekeeping7029]

Thanks for sharing. I have mainly top bar hives but converted some to Langs last summer. I need to make a few Lang Nuks this season for splits, so I will follow your instructions.

[@brucesbees]

Good luck!

[@Thesparky36]

Good video, thanks. What would be the best way to protect the wood other than wax dipping?

[@brucesbees]

We painted them.

[@brucesbees]

And this material is fairly water resistant

[@shelleyburgess3674]

Great video! For ventilation, do you make an inner cover and use another empty box on top or what would you suggest for manipulation on bottom box as in vid for air flow out the top?

[@brucesbees]

I do not have inner covers on any of my hives but I do have some lids I use that can serve as either a bottom board or lid and they create ventilation. They work well but I like the solid untie of I have to move them. Honestly the bees do fine with or without the upper entrance. But I will say they really like that upper entrance.

[@brucesbees]

Here is the design for those other nucs that I have used with the interchangeable bottoms and lids. I still like to stack nucs up like this. The bees absolutely love nuc sized boxes and will grow into them very quickly. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bV60dneDr7prlac

[@86offroad]

Awesome!

[@brucesbees]

Thanks!

[@castlegroundsapiary5286]

Nuc Master Bruce!

[@brucesbees]

Lol. These work well

[@handcraftedconstruction438]

What is the thickness of the material he is using?

[@brucesbees]

3/4”

[@brucesbees]

The internal dimensions are what matters most

[@cluelessbeekeeping1322]

We only have Advantech (I LOVE that stuff), I get it from construction sites...all scrap, all free! That stuff costs over $100/sheet! Is the stuff you use insanely heavy? I only use the advantech as bottom board or lid.

[@brucesbees]

Not really. It’s probably about the same as Advantech. I mean it’s heavy but not crazy heavy.

[@cluelessbeekeeping1322]

@@brucesbees I made a 2-frame mating nuc (really, 2 of them) out of what I call 'the thick Advantech' (which around here, commonly found is about 1" thick) ...and good god, I can't believe how heavy they were! The Advantech, roughly, weighs twice as much as 'real wood.'

[@noahriding5780]

But one of the problems I'm having is that they are so tight and with 5 frames all together it can get really hard pulling them out without messing up a comb. Is there a fix for this? I'm doing 7.5 inches for the skinny side also. But its tight enough that I'm worried about combs getting a mess trying to get the first frame out. This happened to me last night. I like that I'm not having to lift a hundred pounds when I use 5 frames. And they are nice early build up also and to save yard space.

[@brucesbees]

7.5 inches works for me but if concerned you can make them a little wider.

[@noahriding5780]

@@brucesbees Thank you very much. That's a workable idea. Looks like you are growing a lot as a beekeeper. Thumbs up.

[@Swampsquash]

I used to make advantech nucs and lids, unfortunately in Florida they don't last 3 yrs now. I think they changed the glue bc I used to get 5yrs out of them

[@brucesbees]

Not sure but I painted these and hopefully they will last a good long while.

[@Swampsquash]

@@brucesbees ya I always painted them also. If you don't paint I found the UV breaks them down pretty quickly

[@yahsephhawkins9503]

Great video. Just have one question. Won't the thickness of the wood used change the measurements?

[@brucesbees]

It can. Internal measurements of the box are what really matter so the ends and bottom will still be the same because because the inside of the box is still 7 1/2 inches wide but the length of the box from front to back might vary a bit. The frames have to have a place to rest. It’s a good idea to have a frame or two handy as you make these things to make sure the distances and measurements work.

[@big_guy9604]

Great Job! How thick is the board? Does the glue not bother the bees?

[@brucesbees]

3/4”. No issues with the glue.

[@mattsara2802]

Nice Bruce. Is that 3/4" Plywood?

[@brucesbees]

Yes 3/4” Top Notch Orange. It’s sub flooring, much like Advantech.

[@lewisshotton3157]

I don’t think you specified the thickness of the “Advantech” it comes in three thicknesses (1/2", 5/8", 23/32") . Which one are you using. I suspect that matters. Thanks sincerely for the video

[@brucesbees]

3/4”. Sorry about that. This is Top Notch Orange, which is a similar product.

[@michaelraulerson1149]

Lumber an plywood is so high rite now. I'm wanting to make about 50 of them 😩

[@brucesbees]

We made 16 of these out of 3 1/2 sheets I believe. So if you buy 12 sheets you could probably do it.

[@brucesbees]

But yes it is ridiculous. I bought these last year. I think I paid $63 apiece for them. Previously I think they were around $29 back in the day a couple of years ago.

[@michaelraulerson1149]

Ok thanks. Great videos.

[@brucesbees]

Thanks for watching. Hope it is helpful.

[@jeffreykellum]

@@brucesbees yes and i wish i have bought a whole dang bundle of it.... I make my migratory lids out of it because it holds up so well

[@keithfaithful3989]

👍🐝

[@brucesbees]

Thanks!

[@namentatic4978]

Bees do not like the smell of that glue and compressed wood material. Could be good to apply some coat of melted wax inside. Make frame rest sides 5/8 shorter and cover them by the wider handles from outside. You do not need to cut 5/8x3/8 frame rests in this case.

[@westfarmandbees]

I was considering this also, but realize when you go to stack the boxes, there may be a slight gap.

[@brucesbees]

Yes I have seen it done that way. Not a bad idea.

[@namentatic4978]

@@westfarmandbees, if I have to stack them, I'll put them in the 10 frame box.

[@namentatic4978]

@@brucesbees, only top should be longer, but construction is stronger and better to me.

[@westfarmandbees]

@@namentatic4978 makes sense to me. I’m going to be making Double nuke boxes for swarm catches and that’s where my brain was at the moment. If the colony is booming, I would do what you were deal by moving him to a Eight or 10 frame deep

[@clintongriffin2077]

Paint the outside. Makes it last so much longer.

[@brucesbees]

We did.

[@clintongriffin2077]

@brucesbees it's a great Video! Wisconsin winters will get moisture into the unprotected plywood and break it. So was just viewer advice. I can tell you are handy

[@brucesbees]

I am somewhat handy but frankly prefer to buy stuff already made. I have built quite a few nuc boxes though. Just more affordable.

[@viscache1]

When in doubt, fire up the wood shop and make more boxes, frames, tops, bottoms, screens, top bars…and though I think USB is a wonder material…it is not the healthiest alternative for beehives (for the bees). It is also very short-lived. For the money, soft pine boards will last an eternity longer than USB and provides superior insulation per cubic centimeter of mass. Never give in, never give up…bees will keep reproducing as long as we give them places to go! The more bees, the better! “When bees disappear from the earth, mankind has only four years left to live.” -Albert Einstein

[@brucesbees]

This is a water resistant OSB. They seem to last pretty well. Regular OSB would not last long at all.

[@davebeard4987]

Roll Tide!!!!

[@brucesbees]

Yes. Roll Tide!!!

[@johnliberty3647]

ChatGPT sent me here

[@brucesbees]

Hope it helped!

[@CastleHives]

First, just like Ohio State. .

[@brucesbees]

Haha. Roll Tide!

[@CastleHives]

@@brucesbees I should honestly build a few.

[@brucesbees]

Yes nucs are a valuable tool in any beekeeping operation.

[@DooleyBFR]

Awesome!

[@brucesbees]

Thanks!