Growing Nucs from Nucs

What is wrong with me, I've got Nuc'itis???
And I thought Castiron'itis was bad. :D

This question depends on a number of factors but I'm wondering what the potential is to make more Nucs from a single Nuc throughout Spring and Summer?
While there is still time to decide how many packages of bees to purchase for next year, it will help in my mind as I am always thinking ahead by 6 to 12 months.

If I place a package into a 5 frame Nuc, and then let them draw out a second Nuc super, will I need 5 frames of brood, pollen and honey to start a new Nuc?

I'm thinking a minimum of three frames might work because it is a smaller colony.
The Nuc splits would also be given locally mated queens to save time.

thanks

This is what I tried and succeeded at this spring: I had a few of Brushy Mountain Bee Farm's wax-coated cardboard nucs sitting around, and when I got my two 3# package bees in April, I installed them into the nucs. I don't know what I did right, but they went crazy drawing comb and raising brood. By mid-May, I split each of those brand-new nucs, just took a frame of brood and one or two other frames of honey/pollen, and put them in a new nuc, and gave the original nuc 2-3 frames of new foundation. I was concerned with splitting them more than once, so I didn't, but in hindsight I probably could've. Each of those four nucs are in double deeps, gave me a super of honey each, and are in excellent shape for winter. Also, make sure to give each new split a pollen sub patty and FEED, FEED, FEED.

Ben,

Very nice, if I were closer, I would buy nucs from you!

Stepping outside the box.

I think a nuc is essentially a hive so why couldn't the following [make increase] method be used.

http://website.lineone.net/~dave.cushman/method2.html

He suggests 8 nucs from a 10 frame double deep, so maybe 4 from a 5 frame double nuc would be possible. and would not require buying queens.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Charlie B

Ben,

Very nice, if I were closer, I would buy nucs from you!

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Thank you!

Read through the info on Mel's site below. He talks about making 4-5 nucs from one nuc in a couple of his articles/presentations.
http://www.mdasplitter.com/

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fishman43

Read through the info on Mel's site below. He talks about making 4-5 nucs from one nuc in a couple of his articles/presentations.
http://www.mdasplitter.com/

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That is a very interesting read. something i will definitely try next year.

Gary

Making nucs from nucs...what an idea! :)

Actually, that's how I make nearly all of my nucleus colonies. Last summer, from 50 overwintered nucleus colonies, between May 10 and July 15, I stocked 35 cell builders with 7 frames of brood each...245 frames of brood... and then went on to make 330 nucleus colonies from what was left. I would say I can make close to 10:1 from wintered nucs. Using drawn comb to replace the brood harvested is key. Foundation slows down the whole process.

By the way...Brother Columban, Bro Adam's predecessor, wintered 4 way nucs and used the excess brood to boost his production colonies...in 1906.

Unfortunately for this coming season there isn't much drawn comb to use.

Looks like I've got plenty of Nuc boxes to make over Winter.
Thanks for all the help!