How long should it take

**woodedareas** · 05-31-2011, 10:58 AM

I have installed 4 full frames from a nuc in a 10 frame brood box. If the weather cooperates is there any general rule of thumb to determine how long it takes for the each of the remaining 6 frames to be covered with brood as I do not want to keep inspecting what appears to be an active hive.

**AmericasBeekeeper** · 05-31-2011, 12:22 PM

There is no hard and fast rule. You can feed them to promote growth.

**dpanattoni** · 05-31-2011, 03:23 PM

What is the danger of adding a second brood box too soon? I've heard to follow the 7/10 rule. When 7 of the 10 frames have been drawn out, add the second box. But why is that?

It seems that my bees (this is my first year) tend to favor the middle 6 frames and aren't too excited about the 2 frames on each side. But they're pretty busy building comb going up from the center frames. I'm thinking that I should just add the 2nd box and maybe instead of building comb going up, they'll build comb on the center frames of the 2nd box.

Thanks in advance.

**woodedareas** · 05-31-2011, 04:03 PM

I am also very new to this and I called the man that I purchased the nucs from and was told to leave them alone. I probably will wait another week and check the hives and if 8 of the frames are covered I will go with the second brood box.Somehow i sense it will take another 2 weeks. Just a feeling.

**dpanattoni** · 05-31-2011, 04:07 PM

Our hive started from a nuc as well. I transferred the Nuc box to the hive on May 1st. Thus far, the weather has been very unsettled (cool, windy, sunny, rainy). The nuc was started with 5 frames, and the brood box has 6 1/2 frames drawn out now. It seems like it's taking forever..., but I am probably being impatient as I have nothing to compare this to.

**ralittlefield** · 06-01-2011, 04:53 AM

Originally Posted by dpanattoni

What is the danger of adding a second brood box too soon? I've heard to follow the 7/10 rule. When 7 of the 10 frames have been drawn out, add the second box. But why is that?

It seems that my bees (this is my first year) tend to favor the middle 6 frames and aren't too excited about the 2 frames on each side. But they're pretty busy building comb going up from the center frames. I'm thinking that I should just add the 2nd box and maybe instead of building comb going up, they'll build comb on the center frames of the 2nd box.

Thanks in advance.

I am just a new beekeeper also, so perhaps someone with more experience will reply.

In the meantime, here is my two cents: If you add the 2nd box too soon, it may be more space than the bees can protect. It is also more space that they have to maintain temperature in. It may be better to move the outside frames toward the center and wait a bit.

**woodedareas** · 06-01-2011, 07:18 AM

The Honey Lane Bee Farm has an excellent discussion that I located. David Burns, a Master Bee Keeper recommends about 8 frames in fact he goes even further, allowing most of the frames to be filled out. Most interesting he suggests that you can take one frame from the lower box and place it in the upper box and the empty frame in the lower box. That is what I am going to do. He has a great deal of information on his site. I suggest your read it yourself as it is very responsive to the issue in this thread.

**dmpower** · 06-01-2011, 07:35 AM

You can move your frames around to promote build up on the ones they aren't touching. Move one from the outside closer to the middle. Place it on the outside of the last frame that has brood in it. Do not place it in the middle of the brood - it would be counter productive.

**af_newbie** · 06-01-2011, 08:00 AM

I waited one week before adding FIRST two new frames BETWEEN brood frames.

Was told to add few more a week after that. Until you have all brood frames filled with two honey frames on the outside. Then add the second brood box and move two brood frames to second box, put two new foundations in the first brood box.

Keep doing this until both boxes have brood and honey frames (on the outside).
I was told to put queen excluder between both brood boxes, then once both brood boxes are full, add super and move some honey frames to the super and move queen excluder above the second brood box.

I was told to check on them at least every week, especially when the weather is good so that you give them what they need to build and expand.

BTW, I got 5 nucs with one partial honey frame in each. Did not feed them at all. Installed the nucs on May 21st. They managed to build 2 frames of brood and one extra capped honey frames in a week.

Was told not to smoke them, and it works wonders. Now they are very busy building stuff so they don't mind if you open the hive. Things might change when the supers are full of honey:-)