Jester's EZ Nuc Box

[Jen]

Needing transportable cardboard or plastic nuc boxes for selling and transporting nucs. Seems Dadant only has these Jester's for sale now. I know they ship flat, but can they be unfolded and stored flat?

https://www.dadant.com/catalog/m01502-jester-s-ez-nuc

[robo]

Yes.  From my experience, the Brushy cardboard nucs are by far the best, much better ventilation as well.   Every one of the Jester's I have seen has had the frames fallen down off the rails.

http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/Waxed-Cardboard-Nuc/productinfo/191/

[Jen]

Oh Yes! I remember these now, Thanks Robo! I hope they can get them to me pronto, I've got nucs coming out of my ears 

[neillsayers]

Oh Yes! I remember these now, Thanks Robo! I hope they can get them to me pronto, I've got nucs coming out of my ears 

Now that's a good problem.

[Wandering Man]

Dang, I wish I'd read this earlier.  I just ordered two of the Jesters.

We captured another beginning colony from the cemetery this afternoon.  I don't like how the bees seem to like crowding into the grip space on the front of the hive:

[Jen]

Wman, it looks to me like they are marching in, maybe it's a little crowded but I think it will be okay. Actually, I had my bee friend come and pick up a swarm using the Jester. It took several hours for the bees on the ground to get inside.

[Wandering Man]

We will go back at dusk and hope to find the box full of bees, in Jamie's, getting ready for bed, rather than hanging out on a tree.

[Wandering Man]

The bees are home. Let's see if they stay here.

[Jen]

I used to loose swarms and captures within a day or two. Then I learned to put a queen excluder between the bottom board and the first hive box, they always stay

[Wandering Man]

I used to loose swarms and captures within a day or two. Then I learned to put a queen excluder between the bottom board and the first hive box, they always stay

I've learned that lesson the dark way, too.

I've got the queen includer on there.

[Wandering Man]

I have a colony that someone wants to buy.  The plan is for him to come by the house and pick it up Monday evening after all the bees have gone to bed.  The colony is in a wooden nuc right now, but I want to transfer them to a Jester's EZ Nuc Box.  Can I move the bees into the Corplast box tomorrow (Sunday)?  Will they be OK in there for two days?

The temps in the Low to upper 80's and and winds gusting up to 30 mph, is it safe for me to move the colony? 

Should I just wait until he gets here and transfer the bees?  I'm hoping it will be dusk, but it could be dark.  My last experience with bees in the dark didn't turn out too well.

Thanks!

[Perry]

Bees will be fine in the choroplast for days, I've had them in there for weeks, using them as mating nucs.

[robo]

I would do it ahead of time like you suggest.   This would give them time to propolize the frames in place and hopefully prevent them from falling off the frame rests when moving.   Also,  you never know what the weather may bring if you wait until the last possible time.

I had a buddy that wanted to see how long a wax coated cardboard nuc would last.   I don't remember the final outcome,  but I know it was greater than 6 months....

[Wandering Man]

Thanks Perry & Robo.

[CBT]

I don't see the problem with the EZ nuc. The frames fit ok when I did a test fit.

[robo]

They are perfect for storing frames with foundation    Put some full frames of brood and honey in them and move them around.

I have witnessed more than one person buying nucs from Jesters and all have arrived with frames collapsed inside.

[Wandering Man]

I didn't know about the problem.

I'm using one of the nucs that my colonies came in last year.

I'll tell the buyer to handle it gently.

[Perry]

The choroplast ones we have up here only hold 4 frames, and the have the individual frame rests for the top bars and a v-shaped protrusion on the bottom t stop the frames from shifting around.

[robo]

I'll tell the buyer to handle it gently.

That's the key.  Handle with care and it will be fine.   I assume you won't be hauling it around on the back of a semi  

I just find that there are much better and cheaper options then these.     You can make plywood nucs for ~$5 that run circles around these  wimpy things.  Don't know if they still do, but Mann Lake was shipping their nucs from CA in plywood boxes.

[CBT]

I can see how the weight of five frames could easily overcome the frame rests now. Thanks for explaining.
It's good for what's made for, temporary housing.