[Cloverdale]

We watched a NY Bee Wellness zoom with Dr. Larry Connor on Spring Increase and Swarms. Someone made him a special QE that fits over a 10 or 8 frame hive and the nuc fits right on top of it. It is framed with wood and in the middle is the excluder for the size of a 5 frame nuc; it sets right in. Has anyone ever seen anything like this? Is this type of “split excluder” sold anywhere?
Thanks.

 

[Clayton Huestis]

I haven't seen it sold before, but maybe I just never paid attention. Personally I don't want one. BUT if I was going to make one I just use plywood, cut my nuc hole in it. Then cut a piece of plastic excluder to the plywood and staple it on. It is such a small niche item I just can't justify another piece of equipment (for me). Just as easy to lay an excluder over full colony, pull my nuc up into a full box and flank with foundations and maybe a division board feeder. Hope this post isn't a let down if you have your heard sold on it.

 

[Cloverdale]

No let down at all, but it was the coolest easiest piece of equipment to have. I do splits that way and using a nuc box like that is great. Im not too handy with wood and tools. I wish I had taken a pic. Ill ask Pat B if she remembers exactly whatit looks like or if Dr Connor would share an image.

 

[msl]

Put down the QE, add 5f nuc, put extra 5f migratory cover next to it to fill in the gap with a rock to hold it down pull the nuc off a few hours later.
or a quick snip with scissors on some reflextex foam (silver bubble wrap stuff) and a 2x4 on either side of the nuc would work as well

I wish I had taken a pic.

http://www.wicwas.com/sites/default/files/articles/Bee_Culture/BC2012-07.pdf

I built a 10f to 5f cloak board that is very similar based on the Kefuss one

 

[little_john]

If you're working with 10-frame equipment, you might want to consider making a divided Cloake Board thusly:

You can then use with either one or two nuc boxes over - if using only one, then leave the other slide in place. Keeping two boxes on top means you can still use the same telescopic cover etc. If you leave the slide out, the empty nuc box can be used for housing a feeder.

If you plan on raising nucs over such a board, then suggest you make it such that access is provided for Cloake slides at opposite sides, so that such access slots can be used as opposing nuc-box entrances. Lots of permutations ...
LJ

 

[Cloverdale]

Put down the QE, add 5f nuc, put extra 5f migratory cover next to it to fill in the gap with a rock to hold it down pull the nuc off a few hours later.
or a quick snip with scissors on some reflextex foam (silver bubble wrap stuff) and a 2x4 on either side of the nuc would work as well


http://www.wicwas.com/sites/default/files/articles/Bee_Culture/BC2012-07.pdf

I built a 10f to 5f cloak board that is very similar based on the Kefuss one

Thats it!

And I thought it was new....

 

[Cloverdale]

If you're working with 10-frame equipment, you might want to consider making a divided Cloake Board thusly:

You can then use with either one or two nuc boxes over - if using only one, then leave the other slide in place. Keeping two boxes on top means you can still use the same telescopic cover etc. If you leave the slide out, the empty nuc box can be used for housing a feeder.

If you plan on raising nucs over such a board, then suggest you make it such that access is provided for Cloake slides at opposite sides, so that such access slots can be used as opposing nuc-box entrances. Lots of permutations ...
LJ

Thanks L.J.

 

[SWM]

Cloverdale, I have one of these excluders exactly like the one in the picture. I bought it from a vendor at an HAS conference about 8 years ago. I don't know who made them or if they ever made it to the bee supply catalogs.

 

[Michael Palmer]

I place an empty deep on the excluder, and put just the split combs above the excluder. The more combs above the excluder, the more bees in the split