Another hive or a nuc

[Hengest]

Hi
A couple of related questions I could use some help with!
I hope to get my first colony this spring and as it will be an established colony, I would hope to be able to increase from it - to get to what many consider the minimum of two colonies.

Reading around the topic it seems that you can use a brood box (with suitable dummying ) to get a colony going or start with them in a nuc.
Is a nuc just a cheaper option or does it have advantages?
I imagine I could have a go at making a nuc (looking at Hedgerow Pete's videos but brood boxes and supers I suspect are beyond my current skills.
Supplementary question - is there reason that very few nuc plans include the use of a mesh floor?
The other question is around changing hive types and sort of ties in with the first one.
From my reading here and in some books it seems advisable to have a big enough brood box to help reduce(but not eliminate) the urge to swarm.
My bees will be coming in a national hive and I had thought I would move to 14x12 at some stage.
Is it worth waiting a while and putting expansion plans on hold while I build my experience and see how prolific the bees are or is it a relatively straightforward job to convert to 14x12 and I may as well start as I mean to go on sort of thing.

Sorry seems like a bit of an essay but I thought I would dump the lot in one go as it all seemed a bit related.
Any suggestions or advice gratefully received.

 

[Heather]

All depends on the size of the initial colony.
e.g. Prime swarms will not usually fit in a nuc box. If you are getting an established colony I would personally whop it straight into a Brood box.
In the Spring, if weather warm you wont need dummy boards.. that is usually to contain a colony to increase the warmth.
Just give a feed of 1:1 syrup if on new foundation, to help wax production.
Allow it to build well before you consider splitting... or wait till it throws a queen cell. Only leave the one best behind. then split, moving the old queen to a new place in your garden so that they think they have swarmed.

 

[isc26]

Stick to one hive type. You will probably need BOTH a nuc and an extra brood box soon enough. OMF on a nuc probably worthwhile all mine have

Always try to have double the equipment your using at any one time, and x 3 the money & x 4 time

 

[beeno]

Hi Hengest,
Since your colony comes in a national I would stick with that for the time being and see how you get on. It is easy to spend, spend, spend with beekeeping. Build youself a six frame nuc box that bees can overwinter in and a six frame light weight swarm box is worth its weight in gold. I had a swarm until it built out seven frames in a council paper collection box. Then it graduated into a PH. I personally would not be too ambitious in the first year! If you are planning a split then the chances are that you will overfeed in the spring and they will swarm! It is extremely easy to miss a QC. With a mature colony you are going straight into year 2 beekeeping. Have fun, it will be thrills, spills and adventure.

 

[Hengest]

Some very helpful ideas and suggestions. So the plan is -

1. Stick with the National hive format (at least for the time being)
2. Not worry about expanding too rapidly
3. Build a Nuc - "for fun" and for use later

Don't worry about me spending too much money Beeno - I'm from Yorkshire me!

Thanks all

 

[REDWOOD]

Another option is to buy another BB and split it into two (divider board) and you have two nucs, you will need to split the floor and crown board as well

 

[ugcheleuce]

It seems that you can use a brood box (with suitable dummying) to get a colony going, or start with them in a nuc. Is a nuc just a cheaper option or does it have advantages?

A nuc box is often meant to be a temporary box. It often has an integrated floor, so you can lift it and carry it around without fear of accidentally opening it (useful when you won't want the bees to get out). The nuc box is small and often weighs less than it would if had been a real hive body. This makes it easier to carry (and easier to carry more than one) and easier to store temporarily and to transport in ways that a larger hive body would not be able to fit. The frames often have a less snug fit in the nuc box. You don't have to worry too much about top and bottom beespace in a nuc box.

It is possible to "grow" a new colony in a nuc box, but if you have access to a full-sized hive body, you might as well use that one (with dummy boards to reduce the volume).

 

[pargyle]

The frames often have a less snug fit in the nuc box. You don't have to worry too much about top and bottom beespace in a nuc box.

That rather depends on how long you intend leaving the bees in the Nuc ... they are still bees and will fill any spaces they don't like if they feel like it !

 

[Gilberdyke John]

A nuc box is often meant to be a temporary box. It often has an integrated floor, so you can lift it and carry it around without fear of accidentally opening it (useful when you won't want the bees to get out). The nuc box is small and often weighs less than it would if had been a real hive body. This makes it easier to carry (and easier to carry more than one) and easier to store temporarily and to transport in ways that a larger hive body would not be able to fit. The frames often have a less snug fit in the nuc box. You don't have to worry too much about top and bottom beespace in a nuc box.

It is possible to "grow" a new colony in a nuc box, but if you have access to a full-sized hive body, you might as well use that one (with dummy boards to reduce the volume).

I took a policy decision to only build full size brood boxes and dummy down if and when required.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I took a policy decision to only build full size brood boxes and dummy down if and when required.

A very sensible idea if your nuc box floor is fixed.
If you need to do a unite you can just pop the dummied full sized box on top or under...whichever you prefer.