Apidea and Beyond!

[Cellectronic]

Hi All
I am looking for some good reading information regarding starting Apidea,s.
So far I have 5, all containing a hatched Queen , oh and yes 300g of bees too.
Well, thats how I set them up with the Queen introduced via cage/candy.
Hopefully the Queens will mate within a week (weather permitting) and the intention is to let the colony expand and then move them to a nuc to further expand.
I have Ron Browns booklet (Managing mini-nucs) but I am looking for deeper reading to guide me through the stages so finally I can hive them into a National.
I had a peek in each through the cover and removed the empty cages yesterday and they appeared to be quite lively, but I did not delve in for fear of disturbing them. For all I know they could have killed the Queens but I left them to it and hoped for the best.

Can anyone recommend any serious good reading about starting Apideas ,through to nuc,s and finally full hives ?

The Queens were from cut-out cells from my best colony which when cut out were put in cages and left in the same hive (which I had done an AS on).When hatched I made up the Apideas.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[einsteinagogo]

Hi All
I am looking for some good reading information regarding starting Apidea,s.
So far I have 5, all containing a hatched Queen , oh and yes 300g of bees too.
Well, thats how I set them up with the Queen introduced via cage/candy.
Hopefully the Queens will mate within a week (weather permitting) and the intention is to let the colony expand and then move them to a nuc to further expand.
I have Ron Browns booklet (Managing mini-nucs) but I am looking for deeper reading to guide me through the stages so finally I can hive them into a National.
I had a peek in each through the cover and removed the empty cages yesterday and they appeared to be quite lively, but I did not delve in for fear of disturbing them. For all I know they could have killed the Queens but I left them to it and hoped for the best.

Can anyone recommend any serious good reading about starting Apideas ,through to nuc,s and finally full hives ?

The Queens were from cut-out cells from my best colony which when cut out were put in cages and left in the same hive (which I had done an AS on).When hatched I made up the Apideas.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I usually leave for two weeks, and then inspect, until that time I leave well alone!

and then check, the queen is laying, good pattern etc

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=8124

http://beespoke.info/2014/10/16/how-to-overwinter-an-apidea/

http://beespoke.info/2013/11/30/apidea-instructions/

http://beespoke.info/2015/01/10/how-to-feed-a-winter-apidea/

http://www.apidea.ch/media/archive1/Betriebsanleitung englisch_2013.pdf

 

[Cellectronic]

Many thanks for the info.
I should have paid you the £2.50 . instead of the Ron Browns , Managing Mini-Nucs which I was slightly disapointed with from Northern something or other.

 

[einsteinagogo]

Many thanks for the info.
I should have paid you the £2.50 . instead of the Ron Browns , Managing Mini-Nucs which I was slightly disapointed with from Northern something or other.

this is what I do...

It then depends what you want to do, with the queens, apideas and kit...

create nucs, nationals, replace current queen.....over winter in apideas....keep spare queens on standby...

I obtain the additional brood box, with takes five more frames, or you can remove the feeder, I leave the feeder, and feed either more fondant or syrup, if the weather gets bad.

Grow the colony, check pattern (although frames are small), check brood, check for friendly bees, otherwise despatch queen - start again.

I know some that use nationals, and just dummy the boxes down, and do not bother with 5/6 frame nucs. Then introduce your reared queens into nucs, with donor bees from your other colonies (make sure no queen and qcs).

Usual new queen introduction practice into national, or nuc.

 

[oliver90owner]

the intention is to let the colony expand and then-

They are mating nucs, not for colony expansion. No new workers for a month or probably more. Where do you think she is going to lay in that time?

 

[sean-a]

the intention is to let the colony expand and then-

They are mating nucs, not for colony expansion. No new workers for a month or probably more. Where do you think she is going to lay in that time?

Stupid question here !
Do you let the queen fly off to mate, or put drones in the mini-nuc?

 

[dn170221]

Stupid question here !
Do you let the queen fly off to mate, or put drones in the mini-nuc?

She flies mates on the wing.

 

[Teemore]

Bees mate in mid air. The queen has to be able to get out of the hive/nuc/mating nuc for one or more mating flights. Failure to get mated results in a drone laying queen. Drones will find their way into any colony of bees on their own without input from the beekeeper.

 

[B+.]

Do you let the queen fly off to mate, or put drones in the mini-nuc?

You could learn a lot about mating behaviour here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cI26DLS2CyM

 

[einsteinagogo]

Stupid question here !
Do you let the queen fly off to mate, or put drones in the mini-nuc?

Yes, and hopefully she come back mated!

and then you lock her in with a queen excluder, so she does not abscond. (when she's started to lay)

 

[Cellectronic]

this is what I do...

It then depends what you want to do, with the queens, apideas and kit...

create nucs, nationals, replace current queen.....over winter in apideas....keep spare queens on standby...

I obtain the additional brood box, with takes five more frames, or you can remove the feeder, I leave the feeder, and feed either more fondant or syrup, if the weather gets bad.

Grow the colony, check pattern (although frames are small), check brood, check for friendly bees, otherwise despatch queen - start again.

I know some that use nationals, and just dummy the boxes down, and do not bother with 5/6 frame nucs. Then introduce your reared queens into nucs, with donor bees from your other colonies (make sure no queen and qcs).

Usual new queen introduction practice into national, or nuc.

I am hopeful that the Queens will mate and return to the Apidea from which they came , then once assessed for quality etc , let them build up before transferring them to a nuc.
If I do transfer them to a nuc I may need to add more donor bees ?

I came through winter with two nice colonies and I simply want to expand my stock whilst learning something and hopefully not making any mistakes which would be negative for the bees.
I accept all advice equally and am very grateful , Even though some replies may be a little stern, (You know who you/they are) Every answer helps.

Thanks guys.

 

[itma]

I am hopeful that the Queens will mate and return to the Apidea from which they came , then once assessed for quality etc , let them build up before transferring them to a nuc.
If I do transfer them to a nuc I may need to add more donor bees ?
...

If you have plural Apideas (or any hives really) it is a good thing to identify the hives to the bees - I'm talking about different colour splashes/patterns rather than screwed-on numbers! (Remember that bees don't see red - it might as well be black.)
This will minimise drifting and (in the case of Apideas which are frequently rather close to one another) help the Q get home safely.


The idea is that one would ordinarily introduce the new Q to a nuc and reload the Apidea with another QC or virgin.
Depending on how quickly you remove Q, you may find that the Apidea colony needs to be boosted or reduced before going into the next round. Using a double-decker Apidea (either +5 frames or +2+big feeder) makes it less critical on population management.
At the end of Q rearing season, you'd probably unite the Apidea colony with another (nuc?) - Apidea floor pulled almost but not quite out and placed over newspaper over a coverboard hole.

 

[bpmurray]

At the end of Q rearing season

When is that?

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

you may find that the Apidea colony needs to be boosted

Can one just "throw in" a hundred or so new nurse bees?

 

[itma]

When is that?

Entirely your call (subject to there still being Drones flying ... )

Can one just "throw in" a hundred or so new nurse bees?

In essence, yes. Though one can also swap around frames +/- brood. Or shuffle the boxes to get foragers to return to a different Apidea... or nuc ...
As smaller hives/colonies, all situations develop faster, so they need a closer eye than full hives. But you can in principle replicate any manipulation you might do on a full colony

 

[For want of a better word]

Stupid question here !
Do you let the queen fly off to mate, or put drones in the mini-nuc?

Not at all stupid!

Little control unfortunately over drone she gets to father her workers unless you either AI with YOUR chosen sperm donor... or drone flood the area and hope for apiary vicinity mating.

Yeghes da

 

[Cellectronic]

If you have plural Apideas (or any hives really) it is a good thing to identify the hives to the bees - I'm talking about different colour splashes/patterns rather than screwed-on numbers! (Remember that bees don't see red - it might as well be black.)
This will minimise drifting and (in the case of Apideas which are frequently rather close to one another) help the Q get home safely.

I have 4 Apidea on the go all facing a different direction and marked with colored tape, spread between 2 and 5 meters apart, also have 2 nucs too.
They were all prepared about 2 weeks ago so cant wait till next week to have a peek.
Loads of drones flying about today I notice, not sure if my Queens were out though.