best way to make up a nuc of bees?

[biglongdarren]

hey i have a friend who used to keep bees and is wanting to get back into them,at the minute i have three hives..what would be the best and easiest way for me to make him up a nuc full of bees and queen and at what time of the year should i start it?
Darren.

 

[MuswellMetro]

hey i have a friend who used to keep bees and is wanting to get back into them,at the minute i have three hives..what would be the best and easiest way for me to make him up a nuc full of bees and queen and at what time of the year should i start it?
Darren.

look for the first drone brood and add six weeks before even trying, but better to do it with your first swarm queen cells as a scrub queen can be weak

 

[Poly Hive]

Work backwards.

Where is the queen to come from?

Three frames of brood covered in bees and another couple of frames of bees shook in and a mated queen will give a flying start.

PH

 

[biglongdarren]

am still unsure as to where the queen will come from,i would like to hatch one out from one of my own hives if possible,should i just wait till i see queen cells in one of my hives and pick a good one and start it all from that or what?

 

[Poly Hive]

What sort of experience have you got?

PH

 

[biglongdarren]

this is only my first winter so next to none although i have a very experienced beekeeper at hand if i need him but ad like to try on my own,i have three hives and have kept them alive so far,already caught a swarm and rehomed it,united two colonies by killing the old queen moving the new hive nearer the old one and then taking the old hive 20yards into the field and tipping them out then standing at the new hive door spraying them as they flew back with sugar syrup to stop them fighting,so am not totally useless like..;o)...am all ears so any advice here would be great )

 

[VEG]

Why didnt you use newspaper to unite?

 

[biglongdarren]

this way seemed handier to me at the time and as it was my first summer sounded alot more fun;o)..it worked a treat though so cant complain at all.

 

[VEG]

Spraying sugar solution around in an apiary is asking for robbing to start.

 

[Poly Hive]

I asked as a way of assessing which way to go for the queen.

If your friend wants to pay for a queen it would make it all so much easier.

PH

 

[itchyhives]

What would you do PH if wanted to make up a nuc with an unmated queen, would it be the same as you mentioned but would just take longer to get going as she has to mate?

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Darren, I'd just wait until you see your first swarm cells then do an artificial swarm. Easy to do and you're working with the bees natural instincts.