I've brought apidea colonies on a few times into full sized colonies, but as PH has said time is now against you. Using a standard apidea with only three mini frames is just making things harder for yourself, go and get an apidea super and a feeder. That way you'll have a possible 10 frames to use.
I've cut slots in a standard BS frame top bar, so that the apidea frames fit in the slots without any gaps and cable tie them in position. using this method a 10 frame apidea will give you a 3 frame BS shallow size of brood with an apidea frame left over, I wait until a lot of this brood is due to emerge before transfering them into a standard 5 frame nuc and they normally develop nicely.
I'll try to take some pics to show what I mean...lot easier that trying to write it.
The one good thing about this, and a couple of other beeks have commented on it, is that because it takes the colony a good while to build up, there isnt the explosive growth you get with a bursting 5 frame BS nuc that normally intimidates beginners.
Also it only takes a mug full of bees to start the colony off, so doesnt drain bees like splits and other forms of increase take (very usefull if you've only come through the winter with say only one colony left!)
I am finding this an interesting thread and looking forward to seeing the pics.
Not wishing to hijack thread - just in a similar position if somewhat further ahead.
I have a mini nuc / mating hive from Modern Beekeeping, had set it up as a back-up as had a couple of queen cells.
Now have a laying queen and first capped brood due to emerge in the next couple of days. (in the mini nuc)
Kept feeding throughout the past three weeks - removed internal feeder to add the additional frames making it six frames and set it up outside the hive entrance and spooned feed onto top of frames every other day.
Couldn't find anybody that made a box for sitting on top of this to expand the brood space so made one up and put in 8 top bars with foundation strips.
Added another internal feeder - a take away dish on spacers on top of original frames - bees have now produced comb on five of these top bars giving me 11 as per last night.
Removed feeder dish last night to allow them to draw the last 3 top bars, still feeding at entrance.
I was intending to leave them for another few weeks to encourage a build up of bees before trying to move into a different nuc / hive
Questions:
Should I make the move sooner rather than later?
I was thinking of making up a box to take bs super frames with a roof. solid floor, dividers and well insulated.
I was thinking I could cable tie my current frames to a longer top bar and have around four to five super frames worth to start, put an un-drawn frame down each side and keep feeding.
Or
Should I leave them for another month until they have had a chance to build up and then move them to this box for overwintering (would put in an OMF)
Or
Rather than making it the size (height) of a super, should I double height / make it 14 x 12 size and put frames in two high and put in 14 x 12 frames down each side?
Cheers,
Thebhoy
