[louborges]

I made 4 nucs last month and they are all doing well. They should have all 5 frames full next month. My concern is that they will not be able to store enough to last them for the winter even if I feed them due to limited space? So what do I do if anything? Do I remove one frame from each and start a 5th in September and feed? Do I put each nuc in a full deep and feed heavily in September and come spring split each into Nucs? I would like to see just these 4 nucs make it to spring of next year.

 

[Specialkayme]

There is a webinar tonight at 6 on overwintering nucs. Available from Brushy Mountain Bee Farm. Contact them for information about viewing it, as it's not really open to everyone, just those that they give a link to. And it's a first come, first serve kinda deal, to make sure the server doesn't get bogged down.

 

[louborges]

Wow! Thanks!!!

 

[Specialkayme]

Your welcome! good timing too, if you had posted this tomorrow it would have been too late!

Although, by then i could have just told you what they said . . . but hearing it yourself is much more valuable.

 

[Tara]

Um... so I came in at 8. Can you post the major points??

Thanks!

 

[Specialkayme]

Alot of points were covered, including:

1. the use of 10 frame equipment, 8 frame, and 5 frame nucs
2. The use of wooden nucs and Styrofoam nucs
3. Feeding sugar syrup, including when/how strong, what methods (boardman, divider, top)
4. Feeding pollen patties, including pre mixed and mix your own, when to use and how often
5. Last dates to start a nuc
6. Candy boards
7. The importance of raising your own queens
8. Proper ventilation
9. entrance reducers
10. Moisture buildup inside the hive
11. The importance of creating nucs during nectar flows
12. Robber screens/ robbing in general

I'm sure there are others, that's just what I remembered off the top of my head. Any topic that interested you in particular?

I think it was recorded though, so maybe contact Brushy about getting the recording.

 

[Tara]

Wow... looks like I missed a lot of good stuff. Wish I'd been there for all of it, but these would have been really nice:

1. the use of 10 frame equipment, 8 frame, and 5 frame nucs
2. The use of wooden nucs and Styrofoam nucs

5. Last dates to start a nuc
6. Candy boards

8. Proper ventilation
9. entrance reducers
10. Moisture buildup inside the hive
11. The importance of creating nucs during nectar flows

I'll see if I can get that recording. Thanks!

 

[Specialkayme]

Wow... looks like I missed a lot of good stuff. Wish I'd been there for all of it, but these would have been really nice:

1. the use of 10 frame equipment, 8 frame, and 5 frame nucs
2. The use of wooden nucs and Styrofoam nucs

5. Last dates to start a nuc
6. Candy boards

8. Proper ventilation
9. entrance reducers
10. Moisture buildup inside the hive
11. The importance of creating nucs during nectar flows

I'll see if I can get that recording. Thanks!

Well, I don't have time to transcribe all of it from memory, but I'll see if I can't give you the pointers on a few. If anyone else remembers something I didn't, feel free to add it in.

1. He talked a bit about how to take 8 frame equipment and use it to create five frame nucs, how to feed and overwinter in five frame nucs, or to transfer to 8/10 frames if need be. He also talked about the myth that Langstrove designed the 10 frame hive after a champagne box. He seemed to say that an 8 frame box is lighter in weight, and more adapt for backyard beekeeping. He also mentioned that 5 frames are very important and should be incorporated into everyones system.

2. He mainly used wooden nucs, but talked a bit about the different types of Styrofoam nucs available, how they can provide added ventilation, added heat retention, as well as being one single unit instead of several different pieces. He hadn't come to a conclusion, but talked about how individuals should look into the feasibility, and try it out for themselves.

5. Very dependent on the location. He geared it toward two regions: Georgia and Connecticut (If I remember correctly). The last date was largely dependent on the last fall flow. Nuc building is heavily dependent on the flows. For Connecticut that would be the end of September. Further north would be a month earlier, and further south may be October.

6. Candy boards were lightly touched on, but said he supported them and are a good project for local beekeeping organizations. He talked about using walmart bought frosting mix and how the benefit is that they are dry so they can be kept on the whole winter.

8. Ventilation is very important. The entrance reducer needs to be enough to reduce the entrance (I know) but still provide air flow. He said ideally he should have cut a hole in the back of his nucs and put hardware cloth over it, but he hadn't gotten around to it. The Styrofoam nucs had these ventilation holes, but he talked about how some areas, if you position them too much, the wind blows into it and it becomes too cold.

9. Entrancer reducers were very important to him. He talked about how Langstrove used them and stressed them, and how wide they should be. Not too important the material, just so much that it's there. Some make it as wide as one bee width, but he prefered a larger opening.

10. He had some method of using burlap sacks or something that wick the moisture out. I didn't really understand it, and he hadn't perfected it yet. It was really mentioned in the end and not in too much depth.

11. I kinda talked about this before in the timing section, but the amount of food available in a nuc while it builds up is very important. If you don't have nectar coming in you have to feed, and feeding a number of nucs gets expensive.

Does that help answer your concerns? I know I just lightly touched on them, so if you want me to go further into depth on any one issue, I can try. My hands just get tired typing this out.

 

[Tara]

"Does that help answer your concerns? I know I just lightly touched on them, so if you want me to go further into depth on any one issue, I can try. My hands just get tired typing this out."

Yes, thank you very much!!

I had one question about nuc timing... You said, "The last date was largely dependent on the last fall flow. Nuc building is heavily dependent on the flows. For Connecticut that would be the end of September. "

So does this mean I should make my last nucs at the beginning of the last flow? With a certain amount of time left on the flow? 2 weeks? 3 weeks?

Thanks again--I know that had to take a while to type out!

 

[waynesgarden]

I caught the talk tonight. (Thanks for the heads up. If I hadn't been goofing off at work, I wouldn't have known to cut out early and race home.)

All beekeeping is local. I would check with local beeks that make up nucs. His dates seem a bit off to me based on beekeepers in this region. Mid to late August seems a bit late to make up nucs here in Maine.

All in all, an interesting and helpful talk.

Wayne

 

[Specialkayme]

I had one question about nuc timing... You said, "The last date was largely dependent on the last fall flow. Nuc building is heavily dependent on the flows. For Connecticut that would be the end of September. "

So does this mean I should make my last nucs at the beginning of the last flow? With a certain amount of time left on the flow? 2 weeks? 3 weeks?

He didn't go too far into exactly when in the flow you should make your nuc, but I believe the point was that the hive needed to have ample amounts of nectar available for them to build up in time to make it through the winter. My guess is that would be around 3 weeks at a minimum left in the flow. I don't know exactly.

All beekeeping is local. I would check with local beeks that make up nucs. His dates seem a bit off to me based on beekeepers in this region. Mid to late August seems a bit late to make up nucs here in Maine.

All beekeeping is very local. What works in North Carolina doesn't work in South Carolina. This talk was largely meant to be an overall discussion, so I wouldn't go off the dates too much. Talk to your local beekeepers association about flows and plan accordingly.

I could be mistaken, but I believe he talked about the mid September to mid August as the last date to do a nuc in Connecticut (and that's with a mated queen). He did say that if you move further north that timing is pushed ahead a whole month. So if I remember correctly, that would put Maine at mid July to Mid August at the latest, with an emphasis on the July. I don't know though.

His dates did seem to me to be a little late though. In NC I was told July 20th was the last date that you should consider doing a split in order for them to make it through the winter. Of course, that is with a queen cell, and we don't have a fall flow around here. At least one not good enough to rely on.

 

[louborges]

Brushy Mountain has the webinar in their video library for downloading. Worth watching. From what I could gather is that there are no hard answers when it comes to bees. My question did came up on how to balance the nuc between brood and honey stores for the winter. Feed too much too early and they could swarm or not have any space to build up their numbers to winter. The answer was to watch them and move frames around to balance things. Also don't expect 100% success in over wintering your nucs. Even full size hive are not guaranty to make it. He did mention in putting supers on your nuc but now you have a full size hive. no? I am raising 5 nucs for the experience and to hopefully sell them next spring. But if I put supers on my nucs I will need to split them in the spring, So I have to ask what is the advantage of nucs anyway?

 

[winevines]

I had one question about nuc timing... You said, "The last date was largely dependent on the last fall flow. Nuc building is heavily dependent on the flows. For Connecticut that would be the end of September. "

So does this mean I should make my last nucs at the beginning of the last flow? With a certain amount of time left on the flow? 2 weeks? 3 weeks?

tara- from my experience, nucs in this area should be made in early july. late july at the very latest. I might be part of a panel on overwintering nucs at the maryland state beekeepers meeting sept. 11th- check their web site. also search on this forum. there are two really great threads with lots of info from the overwintering nuc master, mike palmer.

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=189642&highlight=overwintering+nucs

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=232871&highlight=123456

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=244637&highlight=overwintering+nucs

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=244749&highlight=overwintering+nucs

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=232871&highlight=overwintering+nucs

let us know if you get the tape from brushy. they had been posting these talks in the past.