[burns375]

I was wondering what you guys do if you'de like to combine mating nucs. 1-2 deep frame nucs with newly mated queens with those that had lost queens. The nucs without queens are hopelessly queenless and I don't plan to use them for another round. Any special precautions or will a couple pieces of newspaper due.

 

[Michael Palmer]

Shake the bees on the ground and use the combs somewhere else. The bees will go where they go.

 

[burns375]

Shake the bees on the ground and use the combs somewhere else. The bees will go where they go.

That was plan A. But what if I want those 1-2 frames of queenless bees and nectar in a particular location to boost numbers, like in a newly queenright nuc? Any problem to just combine them. I've done this with large queenright hives and small queenless nucs without problem.

ps Are you lecturing at EAS this year in the great state of Kentucky!? I heard you plan to speak but didn't see you listed on their webpage

 

[Wolfer]

My mating nucs are two frame. I always use fresh nurse bees for every round. When a queen doesn't make it back I put those two and two with a queen in a five frame nuc.
I never use newspaper, rarely use smoke for this. Never had any issues.

 

[burns375]

Thank you wolfer. I thought there wouldn't be an issue, just wanted to confirm before potentially loosing a new queen.

I have deep boxes segmented in 4x2 queen castles, so all I'll need to do is pull the partition. I have noticed the bees from queenless sections walking into the queenright sections without fighting when i pull the cover, while the bees in adjoining queenright sections don't seem to migrate much. They stay on their side. ;-)

The good thing is the bees in each deep box queen castles are all from the same mother hive. I pulled 4 frames of solid capped brood and added a ripe queen cell to make each section. So perhaps since the bees are akin they are even more willing to unite. The mother hives will take a hit in a few weeks but atleast they didn't swarm. 1 hive becomes 5.

 

[Michael Palmer]

ps Are you lecturing at EAS this year in the great state of Kentucky!? I heard you plan to speak but didn't see you listed on their webpage

Yes, I'll be there. You gonna enter the honey show and prove to the world that Kentucky honey really is better than North Carolina honey?

You might win a free conference.

 

[johng]

I do just like wolfer, when I'm combining them back together at the end of the season I just take one queen out and move the frames over to the queen right nuc. Never had any problems.

 

[Michael Bush]

I just put the frames in. Two frame nucs seem happy to have the help...

 

[heaflaw]

Can a nuc be boosted by adding a frame of brood and bees directly from a production hive also without doing anything special like newspaper?

 

[Wolfer]

Can a nuc be boosted by adding a frame of brood and bees directly from a production hive also without doing anything special like newspaper?

Yes. Two frame nucs take a long time to build up since she can only lay what she has bees to cover.
Once the queen is laying in the mating nuc I move them to a 5 frame nuc. I then give them a frame of capped/emerging brood. I do this again in a week or so. They will be in a 10 frame deep very shortly.

I never use newspaper in this situation. I do only add one frame at a time.

 

[heaflaw]

Yes. Two frame nucs take a long time to build up since she can only lay what she has bees to cover.
Once the queen is laying in the mating nuc I move them to a 5 frame nuc. I then give them a frame of capped/emerging brood. I do this again in a week or so. They will be in a 10 frame deep very shortly

I never use newspaper in this situation. I do only add one frame at a time.

What about with including adhering bees when the added bees would be about as many as are currently in the nuc?

 

[Wolfer]

I leave the adhering bees on the frame. They should be nurse bees and are not a danger to your queen.

 

[Michael Bush]

>Can a nuc be boosted by adding a frame of brood and bees directly from a production hive also without doing anything special like newspaper?

Yes.

 

[heaflaw]

Thanks guys.