[kwest]

i was just curious as to when you make your nucs that you are going to overwinter. i was going to try a few for next winter. thought it would be a interesting post if you could state the date you do it and how many frames you pull to make it. also do most of you start with mating nucs and just let them grow? i believe here where i live i would need to start them in the first part of July?

thankyou

 

[concrete-bees]

ive tried wintering the nuc's but had no luck - seems they just cant form a cluster to keep warm - also they dont have enough stored pollen and honey

but im in washington - they might winter well in the south-

 

[Allen Dick]

You need to start early -- before the end of July here -- make them big enough to grow well, give them enough room as they grow, and make sure that they never starve or plug.

 

[deknow]

Mike Palmer and Kirk Webster have this down to a science...and it has nothing to do with being in the south (both are in Vermont, and Mike is almost on the Canadian border).

Some fairly descriptive photos of their equipment (which is important in their systems) can be found on our picasa page:
http://BeeUntoOthers.com/
Click on the link to "Dean's photos", and look at the "conference and after" gallery.

Both will be speaking at the Northeast Treatment Free Beekeeping Conference this summer July 29-Aug 1 in Massachusetts. Every time I talk to either one of them (or hear them give a talk), I'm more and more convinced of the elegance and importance of the system (this is a system, it's not just shoving bees in a box to make up a nuc).

I'm increasingly convinced that this is one of the most important modern innovations in beekeeping (at least in the north). Most clever ideas I hear talked about I find some version of in the older beekeeping books...this is not, this is really innovative.

Hopefully Mike will post here and explain a bit about it....I'd rather let him tell his own story rather than post my butchered interpretation

deknow

 

[BuzzyBee]

I started a nuc in April last year in case I needed a queen. Didn't use the queen, winter came and I just left it in the yard because I didn't know what to do. I really didn't expect it to make it through the winter. We had some pretty cold days this winter with snow and only one time for cleansing flights until Feb. Much to my surprise, they are still around. I did put some dry sugar on them in late Jan. Maples have bloomed and I'll put them in a deep as soon as dandelions start. I haven't gotten into the hive, so don't know about numbers.

BB

 

[JoeMcc]

ive tried wintering the nuc's but had no luck - seems they just cant form a cluster to keep warm - also they dont have enough stored pollen and honey

but im in washington - they might winter well in the south-

I have an extra copy of Connor's book "Increase essentials." Maybe we can make a small trade. What ya got I might be interested in? I am going to try wintering NUCs.



JoeMcc

 

[winevines]

i was just curious as to when you make your nucs that you are going to overwinter.
thankyou

KWEST, do a search on overwintered nucs on this forum and find lots and lots of info. and long and detailed explanations by Mike and others.
It is always a good practice to try a search for what is already on this forum before asking for a detailed how to.

End of July will be late to just be learning how to do this. YOu have to plan and have queens ready, and as others have said, early July is a better time frame.

 

[concrete-bees]

i was thinking about getting that book but havent yet - is it good ???

what days do you have off - i have to go to Darrington sometime this week - could meet up ??

Yeah i started my nucs in early sept- must have been my doings - they were weak hives that i thought could do better with less space and in all reallity they were most likely doomed to start with - ill keep trying this year ill start early

also on that note of north and south ..... is there any Good books or websites that have been writen by and for northern beekeepers ???

 

[JoeMcc]

I plan to start around the +/- the 4th of July here. It depends on the availability of queen cells from my supplier too. I will have to coordinate the timing with him. Either way... Early July here. I was also thinking that it would be ok to take frames of brood and nurse bees towards the end of the blackberry bloom. Since most of the nurse bees and brood would not be ready to bring in the major nectar flow before it was over. It should have min. impact on surplus honey.

I'm off Sat and Sunday. The book is ok...it gives you enough info to get the basic concepts. PM me a good time sat if ya want.

JoeMcc

 

[kwest]

thank you all for the info. i was going to try and raise a few queens and just leave some of the extra's in mating nucs and let them grow expanding them as needed. sounds like 1st part of July or earlier is the consensus? i assume it makes a big difference on how many frames of bees you pull to make that nuc. do you pull 2-3 frames of bees and brood usually?

 

[JoeMcc]

Im pulling...

2 frames of brood/nurse bees and adding 1 frame honey, 1 frame of pollen, and 1 empty drawn comb frame.

I plan to shake and draw nurse bees back through an excluder... I cant remember what method this is called.

JoeMcc

 

[concrete-bees]

yeah 2-3 frames is plenty and then have honey/pollen frames on the outside

 

[Jim Stevens]

Hay Concrete,
This is a nuc I put together last summer, later part of July. Started with two
frames of brood/Nurse bees, with one frame pollen and honey on each side of that and one frame of comb, fed them pollen patties and sugar syrup.
First it was 1:1 and later in the fall, around last week of Sep, I switched to 2:1 syrup, till they quit taking it.
Jim

 

[Allen Dick]

> I have an extra copy of Connor's book "Increase essentials"

Larry's books are inexpensive and very good. I buy each one as they come out. If you ever have a chance to take in one of his talks, don't miss it.

I'm an old commercial bekeeper who has done all that stuff and Larry explains it in simple terms that anyone can understand and does not leave anything important out.

His website is www.wicwas.com

Here's a review of the book:

"I picked this book up from Ben Chadwick one weekend and couldn't put it down. This is the best new beekeeping book I have read."

We are currently being blasted with the message that we northern beekeepers need to stop relying on Southern bred queens and packages. In order to do this we will need to sucessful Northern queen breeders and to learn how to make summer nucs to supply ourselves and others with spring bees.

Increase Essentials should be your handbook for success next year. It is just the right size, contains all the necessary information and is guaranteed to teach you something about bees you didn't already know. Each chapter is concise and well written, simplifing the process for the beginner and the "it's too much for me to do" older beekeeper (you know who you are). You don't have to get involved in grafting larvae to be successful in improving your survivor stock and growing your own operation. This book walks you through your options.

Larry has written some great articles in the recent issues of Bee Culture and this book lets some of his sense of humor shine through much like the articles. Larry is a scientist but also a practical beekeeper so his advise is tailor made for all of us.

For the serious beekeeper this book is Essential.

Review by Wendy Booth, Editor
Pawtuckaway Beekeepers Association, Monthly Newsletter, September 2006


Also get

and

 

[concrete-bees]

Nice Picture Jim

yeah i must have started WAY late - cuz mine looked nothing like that

i was using my nuc to save the hive rather then build a hive

this year is going to be different - i have lots more nucs and made half frame queen started boxes that hold 4 frames but cut in half so they are like 6 inches long - i made these so that i can put queen cells in there with a coffee cup full of bees - that way she can do here mating flights and prove her self - then ill add her to nucs - all this should take place before the middle of june - then start my 5 frame nucs in early july -- well......it looks good on the calender anyhow

ill have to run up there to Ferndale and meet ya jim --- you sould like you have your head on straight

 

[Beaver Dam]

ive tried wintering the nuc's but had no luck - seems they just cant form a cluster to keep warm - also they dont have enough stored pollen and honey

but im in washington - they might winter well in the south-

Not real sure but, I don't think Montania is very far south. Just kidding. Just kidding:lpf:

 

[Rob Renneker]

I enjoy Larry Connor's books too. He is exceptional at explaining things in a way that is easy to understand and interesting, and the books are great at detailing various methods that different beekeepers use to obtain the same goals (making nucs, queen rearing or bee breeding) as well as the science behind it. I would recommend all three of his books.

 

[Jim Stevens]

> I have an extra copy of Connor's book "Increase essentials"

Larry's books are inexpensive and very good. I buy each one as they come out. If you ever have a chance to take in one of his talks, don't miss it.

I'm an old commercial bekeeper who has done all that stuff and Larry explains it in simple terms that anyone can understand and does not leave anything important out.

Hay Folks,
I ordered Larry's Book last Monday morning, Queen Rearing Essentials.

Allen, or anyone else on Beesource, have you had a chance to read it yet?
If so what type of review can you share? and thanks for the tip on Increase Essentials, it will be next on my list.

Guess I just can’t wait. Hay! Mister Postman.
Jim

 

[Jim Stevens]

I’m a little slow on the trigger.
To busy with spellchecking.

Jim

 

[Eyeshooter]

Hi, Dean.

Glad you are having the meeting again. I attended last year and learned a lot that I have taken back to our club. The odd thing is, last 4th of July weekend I did throw 2 frames of brood on small cell, 2 of honey and one of pollen into a deep nuc and put a medium above it with fresh small cell wax foundation. I put one of Mike's queens in there but after three weeks she was gone and there were 13 supercedure cells (the other queen from Mike was placed in a split and did fantastic). Two weeks later the cells were gone with no queen visible (out mating?). Next inspection showed a well laying queen and bees drawing out the medium. Fed them during late Fall and they are ready to explode right now. Maybe I'm lucky but this is the only nuc I tried to overwinter and I can't wait to get them into a new hive.

See you in July.

John