Advice on introducing a vigin Queen to mini-nuc

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DulwichGnome

Field Bee
Joined
May 7, 2009
Messages
534
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Location
Whitstable, Kent
Hive Type
Other
Number of Hives
8 & 5 nucs all Rose
Hi, following some earlier advice on an other thread, I cut out some spare queen cells and put them into a 'hair roller' and placed them between two frames. Hi presto, one queen has emerged!!

Now I have a mating nuc ready with foundation fitted and I can get a cup or mug or bucket of bees from a hive, question is how long do you leave the bees without before introducing her and what is the best way?

Thanks.

Mike.
 
As the queen has already emerged none of the following is of any use but...

I would have made up a mini-nuc earlier and added the queen cell a couple of hours later. Then leave them all in the dark for four days, with the queen timed to emerge on the third day and the mini-nuc opened at dusk on the fourth day. You can do the same sort of thing with a normal nuc but without the confinement in darkness - add the queen cell and let her emerge naturally and introduction problems are no longer an issue. I have added the queen cells this way at the same time as the nuc was made up - as recommended by Vince Cook - with the timing such the queen emerges the next day.
 
Last edited:
Thanks Hivemaker. Cup full of bee duly installed in prepared nuc, left to simmer for a couple of hours then queen added with a light dusting of sugar, bees are now quietly content. I will leave well alone for a couple of days and find a good spot for it in the garden.

Mike.
 

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