how do you get your girls to fill out the comb in a mini mating nuc?c

last fall l made up mini mating nucs. the bees seem to avoid it they are in 10 frames divided into 4, with 4 holes drilled so after the queen lays in it you can put queen cells in it and move it where the mating will take place. any ideas?

Are you having trouble having the bees draw out the mini-combs, or with the queen laying in the mini-combs?

I started by cutting up brood comb on my table saw, and inserted the comb into the mini-combs.

I tried placing them over a strong colony...queen ignored most combs and the bees put nectar and pollen in them. I tried inserting them into the center of a broodnest. Again, the queen ignored most.

Now I use multiple story over wintered nucs, place the mating nuc combs in the bottom box with queen...confined by a queen excluder. The queen has no choice but to lay in the mating nuc combs. We filled 1000 mini-combs with brood last year using this method.

I added some temporary bars to a medium, and added my mini frames. The pics below show the medium ready to go, and a mini frame drawn out.


http://i826.photobucket.com/albums/z...m/FILE0021.jpg
http://i826.photobucket.com/albums/z...m/IMAG0048.jpg

At 1 point, the mini frames had eggs in them, but for some reason, they never finished them.

I put mine on top full strength hives for recharge.

Mike what kind of mating do you use? I have 2 types. 0ne type is divided into 4 equal sides, in quarters, with a hole drilled to enter/exit. The other is a 10 frame divided with plexiglass with 3 entrances on one end and 2 on the other. ls one better than other?

By putting this just over the brood or a strong hive - yesterday as a matter of fact.

http://doorgarden.com/images/critter...frames-007.jpg
http://doorgarden.com/images/critter...frames-005.jpg

Some of them (in the center) are already drawn in this case, about half are just foundation.

http://doorgarden.com/images/critter...frames-003.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by seamuswildflower

0ne type is divided into 4 equal sides, in quarters, with a hole drilled to enter/exit.

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This kind

I put two framed end to end. they make a full frame and I put them in a strong hive and let them build it out for me then split them and put them in a mini mating nuc.

I put them on top of a strong hive during a good flow and the bees draw them out nicely. This is just for comb, the queen usually will not go up and lay in them. This is also a good way to get some of them filled with pollen and honey to give to you're nucs down the road.