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How I plan on overwintering 40 mating nucs on mini frames

199K views 146 replies 40 participants last post by  sauve 
#1 · (Edited)
Here's how these mating nucs were run all summer. Divided nucs with five, half sized deeps on each side:



Transferred into divided 10 frame deeps to hold a colony on each side:





Below: Another 'condo' after transfer..colony in back transfered two weeks ago. Colony in front transfered three weeks ago. Not all frames are drawn out yet, but they are trying to build up as you can see by the new comb on the top bars and inner screened cover:



If they havn't drawn out and filled all the frames in the bottom box, I don't 'bait' them up to the new box with any drawn frames, so they fill the bottom deep before moving up.This photo was taken July 13th.



Give them another box and feed well:


Here they are after about a month-photo taken 8-10-13:


One side stronger than the other. This is the upper box:


The smaller mating nucs do suppress the newly mated queen if you keep her in very long. Give her more room and watch her go to town!
Overwintering double colonies is a little tricky. You need to equalize the colonies so they are about the same strength going into the winter. Easy to do with a little manipulation and increased/reduced feeding depending on the needs.

I could put a queen excluder on top and let the bees mingle over winter, keeping the queens separate. But the problem with that is during the winter the bees will pick a favorite queen and jump ship to the other side, abandoning their queen. Be sure your hive divider tolerances are tight! Or they will sneak over to the other side on their own.

I have 40 premium queens I am over wintering this way. Some will be in singles, some doubles. I'll let you know how it goes.
Those that overwinter well and show excellent qualities will be available as breeder quality, locally mated Northern queens. I plan to use the others for making up early nucs and any replacements I may need for my larger hives.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Miller-Compound-HoneyBees-and-Agriculture/256954971040510

I picked a good year to make increases to my yard. Suger is the lowest I've seen it since I have had bees. I paid $9.73 for a 25# C&H at costco. Just bought another ton
 
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#133 ·
good point clyde. i thought forum protocol was that english be used, but when i checked that rule only applies to the signature line?

quoting steve martin, a wild and crazy guy: "it's like those french have a different word for everything"
 
#135 ·
Its not your just imagination, squarepeg. :p

Barry posted this in an earlier thread in the Welcome forum ...

No, just Slovenian is not allowed. ;)
In this forum I'm not too strict, but in all the other forums, English is required.



[hr] [/hr]

For those who may not be aware, clicking the blue double arrow in any quote box links to the original thread where the quote was posted, and there the full context of the quote can be seen.

:)
 
#136 ·
I am sorry. I did not read the fine print. I will use only english from now on.
I am planning to start queen rearing in a very small way. I am trying to learn about what kind and sizes of equipment I will be needing. I like the design of sauve's mini frames. They would be harder to make but when they lock together they could be put in hive body without clips.
I do not live as far north as the many of you who are keeping bees in mini-nucs--I am further north than Oklahoma. I have not talked to any local beekeepers who have been able to keep the bees in these smaller hive spaces. Some have trouble with Queen Castles.
I am in awe of what is being done. I should be able to do this in my area. I plan on making frames this winter so I can get comb built up next summer.
Thanks to everyone who have shared their knowledge.
Mary
Still learning about bees, and forum rules.
 
#138 · (Edited)
Hello Mary, this thread is a couple years old. I have overwintered the mating nucs a few different ways since I started this thread and will post some updates this winter when I have more time.

Not only for overwintering the queens, but having the mini frames in good shape the next season is particularly important so you can get the earliest start with queen rearing the next year.
Good shape means filled with both brood and honey, not too many with empty drawn comb. For instance, if you super them with standard frames in fall so you can use interior frame feeders. That is great until you get into them in spring and find they have moved up to the standard frames and abandoned the mini frames below. This will give you a good nuc in spring on standard frames, but will do nothing for you in the queen rearing dept. the next season.
Placing those empty drawn mini frames in spring on large hives to get refilled works well, but you sacrifice a month to get it done. Keeping them on the mini frames all winter is what I'll be writing about.

I'll also tell you what I do with all those overwintered queens, how they perform and what the market is locally for them.

Wood Hardwood Lumber Plywood Soil


And then the importance of trying to overwinter the right kind of bees. I have had great luck overwintering Carniolan crosses in the mini nucs, but Pol-Line strain was not good, many in mini nucs starved out overwinter. The comparison of the two was striking in the difference.

Pol-Lines-March photo
Plant Soil Bee



Carniolan crosses-March photo
Bee Honeybee Beehive Soil Membrane-winged insect


This is how I want them early-mid April:

Honeybee Bee Beehive Beekeeper Apiary
 
#140 ·
Hello Mary, this thread is a couple years old. I have overwintered the mating nucs a few different ways since I started this thread and will post some updates this winter when I have more time.
I'll be interested in reading what you have to say on that subject. I have my first experiment in this are running for this winter, it's a standard deep box divided with half size frames, 10 on each side. I have one colony on each side right now. I have a follower (splitter) for each side so in the spring when I start cells, I can move the splitter board and turn it into a 4 way with 5 half size frames in each quadrant.
 
#141 · (Edited)
Lauri,
I am looking forward to your winter postings. I have one cordovan queen from Pendell Apiaries. I bought two, but I lost the other queen to my clumsiness. I am doing everything I can think of to get her though the winter. I also have daughter of R Weaver's buckfast queen. She overwintered well. I am planning to get another buckfast queen next year and requeen hive. I would like to get back to 1st generation buckfast bees.
I am only a hobby beekeeper so I learn so much from beekeeper's who share what has worked for them.
I can build all of my wooden ware so I'd like to get suggestions as to what the best overwintering/queen-raising equipment that have worked for other beekeepers.
Thank you for taking time sharing your knowledge and experience in what must be a very busy life.

Mary
 
#142 ·
Lauri, looking forward to the winter update. I was part of a round table discussion recently on the requirements of the beekeeping industry and the prerequisites for beginning to build a domestic bee and queen rearing industry in Canada.

I would be very interested in hearing from you on what steps would be necessary to encourage beekeepers to set up local rearing operations, with a view to growing the domestic supply. You do something very much along the lines of what I imagine is the future for us, so hearing what you see in terms of industry needs and how to get there would be great.
 
#143 ·
I got your email Janet, Sorry about the delay in my response. I'll reply to your questions asap. Still doing fall chores. A 3 hour trip each way today over White pass to get alfalfa today. Beautiful trip this time of year.
Mountainous landforms Mountain Sky Wilderness Hill station
 
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