Laurence Edwards reviews the Old Castle Farm polypropylene nuc, which weighs just 1.6 kg and fits DN4 frames. The soft material feels like thick packaging and rebounds after denting, but he warns it may scratch easily with hive tools. At £54.99, it's a competitive entry into the UK market, though he'd swap the Correx divider for something sturdier.
Here's my first impressions of the Old Castle Farm Hives expanded polypropylene nuc. It is super light, light as a feather, only 1.6 kilograms. It's a very similar design to the British National BS Honeybees 2-in-1 nuc with top bee space using DN4 frames, and it is compatible with Maysmore extension boxes. The material is soft and elastic, similar to packaging material but much denser, and springs back into shape when deformed. It has a Correx divider to enable 3-frame splits, but I'd probably swap that out for a more robust version. The 2-in-1 aluminium divider from BS Honeybees fits perfectly. The roof is imprinted with branding, and I'd much prefer a flat roof to avoid the buildup of gunk. The double-modified 3.5-litre Ashworth feeder comes with a silicone plug to feed fondant, and apparently this hive does not need to be painted, but I painted mine anyway. And make sure you paint inside the feeder to avoid the buildup of mould. Time will tell how well it stands up to hive tools scraping, cleaning, and dipping. It's certainly a lot softer than the EPS equivalent. I very much welcome the new addition to the UK polynuc market, and at £54.99, the price is right, and it will create some stiff competition.
