Baby nucs

[beebloke]

HI smile.gif

Im going to try some baby nucs for mating next spring.
When the last mated queen has been removed,how do you best integrate the remaining bees back into the main hives?

Thank you
Beebloke

[Antero]

Beebloke ;Dr J.H Dustman from Germany has this good video .I just shake them in front of any hive.
http://mkat.iwf.de/mms/metafiles/02000018010220000000_lo.asx

Terry

[Michael Bush]

I use two frame medium nucs where are the same frames I use in the hives. I just combine all the nucs into a hive when I'm done.

[bjerm2]

I do two things, first like Mr Bush I use medium frames in 4 frame hives. These are my queen rearing - mating hives. I then at the end of the year combind them with other hives and also combind the nucs together to form a compleat hive. The field bees go into the combined hive with no problems. In the spring I then split them again into 4 frame hives. Works well for me. I hope this helps you with your bees.
Dan

[ron c]

Is it just me, or does anyone else have trouble viewine the videos by "Wissen und Medien" ? I find them verry frusterating.....Ron

[Michael Bush]

Since I only have dialup, I don't even try. smile.gif

[justgojumpit]

They work great for me, I have DSL though. They are great videos if you can get them to play!

justgojumpit

[Oxankle]

Beebloke:

Years ago when I had baby nucs I just stacked them at the end of the season and wintered a small colony in each stack; kept bugs out of the nucs. This was in S. Texas where winters are mild.

I made a few for myself this past winter and screwed the bottoms on. These will have to be shaken in the fall, then stacked in a box with moth crystals. As they are essentially 8x8x8 cubes they will not require a lot of storage room.
Ox

[Hook]

Well, I made the frames of my babys so they can be put together, and become one full frame. This way, you just put it back into the hive, or make a 5 frame nuc from 5 baby nucs. Since I use 2 frame babys, it really works out well, because the odd and even frame joint are always together. (ie. they are not scattered among other babys).Also, the full size colony will draw comb much better than any nuc could ever imagine!

Although I have never made a 5 frame nuc, the combined bee population of the baby nucs, probably would not winter here in PA. I guess you could just mix them into larger colonies, and the retrieve them all in the spring, and start the process all over. For winter storage, I just stored them in the storage area, but temps get well below freezing, and are close to freezing when placed. The boxes are small and do not require alot of space. I no longer use baby's, but I have a few of them if I ever needed them. They are a nice little addition to the operation though.

[Jon McFadden]

Is anyone using the Mini-mating nucs like Mann-Lake's IN-140? It measures 6"X9"X6-1/4".
Jon

[Jon McFadden]

Dan,
When you assemble your mating nucs, do you just brush nurse bees into it?
What kind of contents do your medium frames have; empty drawn, honey, pollen and honey, etc?
Jon

[Nick Noyes]

Jon I am using the styrafoam mini's from Mann Lake. They are small and light (wind) but I have been getting excellant queens out of them with about 85%to90% take. I just shake the bees out when done and put the frames in the freezer.
Nick

[dickm]

I've seen plans to put 4 nucs in a medium super. Has anyone seen this or done it?

Dickm

[Robert Hawkins]

Agreed Dickm, I've seen it someplace and can't remember where. I'll look around.

Hawk

[Jon McFadden]

Nick,
Thanks for the information. I ordered one to see what they were like.
Is that a resevoir for syrup at one end?
Good idea putting the frames in the freezer. Do you put the whole box in there? If not how do you protect them from rooters looking for whatever?

[mark williams]

often wondered why bee supply places don't make the frames for baby nuc's.>>>>Mark

[Michael Bush]

http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/matinghive.html
http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/bifoldfr.html
http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/kirchhadapfr.html

[Nick Noyes]

Jon,
I just put the frames in the freezer. The one end is a feeder. We stock them with about half cup bees fill the feeder with syrup add a cell and catch queens in 14-16 days depends on weather. Hope this helps.
Nick

[Jon McFadden]

Nick,
Thanks for the information.
Jon