Installed a Nuc into TBH

[Greensasquatch]

Just finished installing bees in my TBH from a nuc.

I really wanted to go with a package install for my top bar hive but none of the breeders in the area had any available so I had to go with a nuc. Some people mentioned just shaking the bees into the hive like a package but I wanted to make use of the comb and brood.

I picked up the bees at 7:30pm, only chance to get them for the next week. Drove 15 minutes to get home, still clear skies, light, and warm outside (12-13 deg C).

We decided to do the install tonight as I have work in the morning and the forecast calls for rain the next few days.

The bees were very docile and I feel like the suit and gloves might have been overkill but it helped with feeling relaxed and not rushed around the bees (these are my first bees).

The frame cut away easily as seen in the pictures, first comb was extremely tough to cut, neither a bread knife (advertised as sharp enough to cut a copper pipe) nor a utility knife were able to cut through it. I resorted to pruning shears to cut through the black comb, foundation and wires. One comb broke free of the top bar from the frame, luckily I had prepared some top bars with bent pieces of 3/4" hardware cloth for just such an occasion (as seen on BeeSource).

Took about 40 minutes from start to finish. After the first frame I'd shake the bees into the TBH and then cut. I don't think I had any frame free of bees for more than 5-6 minutes before putting it into the TBH so I'm hoping I didn't chill the brood.

Only about 5 or so bees were found dead, a few cold ones were helped into the hive. Not bad after a 5 minute downpour that happened halfway through.

Comments on my first foray into beekeeping are much appreciated.

[DeeAnna]

Nice job!

[RAFAEL/PR]

great job, and nice cutting

[rodneyk915]

Looks like you did a good job there, nice pics of the process!!

[Greensasquatch]

Just an update on the progress.

Yesterday was cold and rainy so I waited until late in the evening to install a feeder in the empty side of the hive. There is a 7/8 inch hole in the 1-1/2 inch thick follower board for them to access the inverted jar feeder. The jar is filled with 1:1 syrup but as of today it doesn't appear they have touched it.

Today was warm, 13 deg C and mostly sunny. The bees were active in the cherry tree seen in the background of the first picture. As of 9pm (nearing dark) they are still foraging in the blossoms.

In the picture below you can see that I had to place a towel over the bars to keep heat in. The top bars from the lang frames just leave too much space for heat to escape. Looking back I should have cut them all off and attached them to my own 1-1/4 width bars.

I am hoping to get that old black comb out of there as soon as possible, how many bars can I look at removing them. How can I eventually get the bees to stop laying brood / depositing stores in them so I can eventually rotate them out?

[Bush_84]

When adding new bars, you can add them between the lang bars and the entrance. That way they eventually become filled with stored and you can remove them.

[Greensasquatch]

So you are saying that when they make new comb start to shuffle it towards the other end of the hive and the old comb (now separated from the new comb) will stop receiving brood?

[Greensasquatch]

http://youtu.be/TKN0eUYO9H0

Just some footage I shot of the bees coming and going today.

[Bush_84]

So you are saying that when they make new comb start to shuffle it towards the other end of the hive and the old comb (now separated from the new comb) will stop receiving brood?

Bees want to keep their brood nest close to the entrance. So if you keep adding new/empty bars between the old lang combs and the entrance, the combs will eventually turn into stores.