14×12 Nucs & Beekeeping Equipment For Sale
Location: Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, GL12, UK
Every beekeeper must get to the point when they realise they have too much equipment … or too many bees! My wife has also got to this point and I need to make some room in the house and garage.
I find myself with a surplus of 2 nucs of bees (in 14 x 12 poly hives) and because I am moving away from honey extraction to honey sections this has also made some of my equipment redundant to me.
I also need some cash to invest in some more racks of Ross Round sections.
I will keep this list up-to-date, so if it is here, it is still available.
- SOLD – Two nucs of bees (video and photographs below). Also, more info at My Apiary, they are referred to as the orange nuc and green nuc. They are both in 14×12 poly hives and have been very active in recent weeks with the warm weather. They are heavy when hefted – so plenty of stores. Good quality nucs typically sell for about £250. I’m open to offers.
- One honey ripener (photo below). Similar to the one here: honey ripener at £134 from Maisemore. This has been extremely useful for jarring honey. Will sell for £90.
- SOLD – 162 1/2lb honey jars and gold lids. Same as the ones from Compaq South at £13.50 for 32 jars. Hence, value of about £68. Will sell for £40.
- Five 30lb honey buckets. Typically about £3.40 each, hence £17 value. Will sell for £10.
- One 60lb honey bucket worth about £5. Will sell for £3.
I am located in Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, UK.
Please contact me (via contact form) if you are interested and leave a phone number.
Videos & Photos Of Nucs On 21 October 2016:
The Beekeeper
Advice On Over-Wintering A Poly Nuc
It is generally agreed that over-wintering nucs in poly nucs rather than wooden nucs is better due to the extra insulation and protection offered.
- Handle the nuc carefully
- Place your nuc in the spot where you will have the hive
- I have put some advice on where to locate hives on the bee hygiene page
- Open the front entrance and let them fly from that spot
- Feed fondant over the autumn and winter – Abelo sell good value fondant. I would buy the 12.5Kg box. On 21/10/16 both nucs were heavy when hefted (ivy honey) – but the nucs will need feeding over autumn, winter and spring as it has less storage than regular hive
- When feeding – even if you think it is cold and they won’t fly out – always wear your bee suit, gloves and protective gear
- End October – spin the disc at entrance so it has mouse guard in place. If there is not a mouse guard option on the disc, then use regular metal mouse guard pinned over entrance
- Feed a thin sugar syrup come spring (see feeding bees).
- Let me know how it goes
Feeding Green Nuc
- The green nuc looks like this inside. The integral feeder is on the right hand side with the entrance hole in front, as in the photo
- Open the roof and you will find a sheet of plastic. With your hive tool, slowly lift the side of the plastic sheet with the integral feeder and pop in some fondant, or if it is spring pour in thin sugar syrup into the integral feeder
Feeding Orange Nuc
- The feeder for the orange nuc looks like this:
- You can remove the roof and the bees cannot fly out (but do it carefully). The central section where the bees emerge to get food is covered with clear plastic. (Nice to observe the bees when you wish)
- Feeding fondant – Carefully shift the clear plastic to pop in some fondant in the 1inch space either side of where the bees emerge at the centre of this feeder
- Feeding syrup – This is easy. Just pour syrup into each side of the main body of the feeder and the bees can access the syrup from within the section covered by the clear plastic
Advice On Installing A Nuc Into Hive
- Install into a hive when daytime temperatures get to 16C
- Your nuc is in the spot where you will have the hive
- (Keep) open the front entrance and let them fly from that spot for a few days
- When you are ready, take the frames and bees from your nuc box one by one and place them in the centre of your hive brood box in the same order and orientation as you remove them from the nuc
- Shake remaining bees in the nuc box into the hive box. (Any bees still left in nuc box, will fly into the hive within an hour or so)
- Fill out the remaining space with foundation frames
- Place feeder on top (I use jumbo feeders, see Roger’s 15 Minute Meals)
- Feed a thin sugar syrup to encourage the bees to draw the remaining foundation (see feeding bees)
- Place roof over the feeder (you might also need a super box if you have a small feeder)
- Continue to feed thin sugar syrup while the colony is establishing, being mindful to allow the queen adequate room to continue laying
- Leave the hive undisturbed for a week before a quick inspection to see how it is progressing.
- Your colony should expand quite quickly over the coming weeks once established.
- Finally – after the bees are no longer resident in the nuc boxes, I recommend you paint them with hive paint to preserve them