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Swi Bine Expanded Polystyrene Mating Hives

small mating hives made from expanded polystyrene foam, that contains three small wood/plywood frames.

This type of nuc is not so well known as the Apidea, but it is quite popular, due to a comparatively lower price. It is light in weight like other expanded polystyrene foam nucs and will blow about in the wind in the same fashion, but it can be strapped to the branches of a tree using a section cut from car inner tube in the same way as the other lightweight types. The recesses in the sides of the frame top bars allow for queencell insertion. There is a feeder compartment at the rear of the frames. There is a transparent plastic sheet that acts as a 'coverboard' and the bottom has a plastic sheet slide so that the nuc can be filled from the bottom. The entrance has a slide that when closed will expose the maximum area of the ventilation mesh. The ventilation mesh is of moulded plastic except on earlier versions where perforated aluminium sheet was used.

This type of nuc is not so well known as the Apidea, but it is quite popular, due to a comparatively lower price. It is light in weight like other expanded polystyrene foam nucs and will blow about in the wind in the same fashion, but it can be strapped to the branches of a tree using a section cut from car inner tube in the same way as the other lightweight types.

The recesses in the sides of the frame top bars allow for queencell insertion. There is a feeder compartment at the rear of the frames.

There is a transparent plastic sheet that acts as a 'coverboard' and the bottom has a plastic sheet slide so that the nuc can be filled from the bottom. The entrance has a slide that when closed will expose the maximum area of the ventilation mesh. The ventilation mesh is of moulded plastic except on earlier versions where perforated aluminium sheet was used.

Swi Bine Mating Nuc... Picture from Swienty

There is a small piece of queen excluder between the feeder and the main compartment to stop any accidental drowning of the queen if liquid food is used, ( see Feeding Candy). I have never owned any of this particular type of mating hive, but I have seen them in use in other beekeeper's apiaries. The drawing at right was taken from an actual example lent to me by Brian Cramp. The lug recesses are 16 mm deep, 25 mm wide and are spaced at a pitch of 35 mm.

There is a small piece of queen excluder between the feeder and the main compartment to stop any accidental drowning of the queen if liquid food is used, ( see Feeding Candy).

I have never owned any of this particular type of mating hive, but I have seen them in use in other beekeeper's apiaries.

The drawing at right was taken from an actual example lent to me by Brian Cramp.

The lug recesses are 16 mm deep, 25 mm wide and are spaced at a pitch of 35 mm.

The plywood side pieces are a tight fit in their grooves, but are glued in position as well.

Originated... 09 February 2003, Upgraded... 08 June 2006,