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Growing Nucs from Nucs

4K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  Allen 
#1 ·
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
 
#2 ·
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.
 
#8 ·
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.
 
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