Nuc not doing well?

[TheBuzz]

I checked my Nuc tonight and 1 the bees seemed angry. I think I've finally been stung?

The Brood and Honey cells seem to be gone now, mostly open comb. I checked bout 2 weeks ago and did see the queen in there though?

[WWW]

Sounds like the symptoms of a hive that has been robbed.

[delber]

I agree. How big is your nuc / frames and bees covering and how big is the entrance? I had a hive this year which was my largest at the time swarm on me and the queen they reared failed. Hive got totally robbed out and that's what I saw also. I have given them acouple frames of open brood and they're working on another queen. We'll see how this one does.

[TheBuzz]

I agree. How big is your nuc / frames and bees covering and how big is the entrance? I had a hive this year which was my largest at the time swarm on me and the queen they reared failed. Hive got totally robbed out and that's what I saw also. I have given them acouple frames of open brood and they're working on another queen. We'll see how this one does.

Nucs was a regular sized nucs with a full opening and it had a ton of bees. The bees are in there at night too.

[G Barnett]

I started a nuc on Friday. This is my first go at a nuc for overwintering. I installed a bought mated queen, two frames of brood, two frames of stores and plenty of bees.
I was watching them last night and they were fighting off bees left and right. I had the lower entrance reduced with a two inch opening. I blocked that and put on a inner cover with a 1 inch top entrance. I am hoping that this helps as the new queen is still in her little queen cage. It does have a screened bottom board and bees were trying to get in from the bottom. I am hoping they can defend the nuc until the brood hatches and the queen is accepted.

This is the most exciting thing I have done in awhile, but it has me worried. I would guess that the bees in the nuc are quite stressed and a little confused with all of the changes.

[delber]

What's a "regular sized nuc"? 2 frame, 5 frame, 10 frame? From my very limited experience when starting a nuc especially with full production hives in the same area you need to have a small entance. 1/2" - 3/4" is plenty big enough. I've watched videos of people doing a cut-out where the bees got through the groove on T1-11 boards which is only about 1/2" wide or so. They were full size hives. A nuc will not be able to hold off a full hive w/o a small entrance and w/o them being strong. I had one hive robbed out and reduced the entrance to about 3/8" and they've been ok since then. Also from what I've read a queenless hive is a draw to be robbed out. Why? I'm not sure. I'd reduce that entrance though for sure.