Bursting nuc

[Hux70]

I have a BS poly nuc that I have overwintered so far and is the busiest of my 6 colonies by far, they are out in all weathers collecting loads of pollen.
I dont want to increase my numbers but I'd like to keep the nuc going as a backup. Can I simply remove frames of brood/bees to boost a hive in the spring and replace with frames of foundation to keep the nuc going throughout the season.

 

[Boston Bees]

I have a BS poly nuc that I have overwintered so far and is the busiest of my 6 colonies by far, they are out in all weathers collecting loads of pollen.
I dont want to increase my numbers but I'd like to keep the nuc going as a backup. Can I simply remove frames of brood/bees to boost a hive in the spring and replace with frames of foundation to keep the nuc going throughout the season.

You can try. But it's a very fine balancing act, keeping a colony with only 6 frames in the right shape, without them deciding to swarm, or weakening them at the wrong time. I would add another storey to the nuc, making 6-over-6, which gives them room to draw wax and expand, allowing you to pull frames if needed but leave the colony with a good balance of bees and stores.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Can I simply remove frames of brood/bees

You can, but if you transfer combs + bees a fight will break out. Shake off the bees first.

Reduction of brood will give laying space, but you also want to reduce bee numbers. Is the nuc next or near to other colonies? If so, on a flying day when foraging is strong, relocate the nuc away from that spot. Over the next 24 hours the nuc flyers will return and join the nearest colonies.

 

[Hux70]

thanks for the advice. The nuc is sandwiched between 2 hives so I could try either option.

 

[drex]

I do it regularly in the spring to the nucs containing the queens I raised last year. It works a treat for a month or two and then gives me time to decide which I will combine and which queens will get the chop. After that, as said the problem is keeping the balance of bee ages right

 

[user 20297]

You can try. But it's a very fine balancing act, keeping a colony with only 6 frames in the right shape, without them deciding to swarm, or weakening them at the wrong time. I would add another storey to the nuc, making 6-over-6, which gives them room to draw wax and expand, allowing you to pull frames if needed but leave the colony with a good balance of bees and stores.

In a similar situation, but happy for the nuc to achieve its full potential, what do you think about placing that additional "storey" under the existing 6-frame box just now?

 

[Boston Bees]

In a similar situation, but happy for the nuc to achieve its full potential, what do you think about placing that additional "storey" under the existing 6-frame box just now?

Yes, I would do that, though whether I would do it now, or wait a week or two, is debatable. I guess if there was a really warm day next week, and you can do it without risking the queen, no reason to wait.

 

[Swarm]

Either way, I would aim to increase the space for the nuc to two storeys before utilising their brood.

 

[user 20297]

Yes, I would do that, though whether I would do it now, or wait a week or two, is debatable. I guess if there was a really warm day next week, and you can do it without risking the queen, no reason to wait.

Thank-you. I was thinking, just a quick movement sideways off the floor, put on the additional bottom box, maybe dummied down to three drawn frames for now, and promptly put the current box back on. I hope that involves minimal risk, maybe no worse than moving the nuc to a new site?

 

[Boston Bees]

Thank-you. I was thinking, just a quick movement sideways off the floor, put on the additional bottom box, maybe dummied down to three drawn frames for now, and promptly put the current box back on. I hope that involves minimal risk, maybe no worse than moving the nuc to a new site?

Sounds fine. But why bother dummying down? It's underneath the existing box with brood in, so there's no risk of heat loss. Get 6 frames in there, including some foundation/less frames to give the wax-drawing bees something to do when the time comes, and you will have bought yourself a week or more of extra time later in spring.

 

[user 20297]

Sounds fine. But why bother dummying down? It's underneath the existing box with brood in, so there's no risk of heat loss. Get 6 frames in there, including some foundation/less frames to give the wax-drawing bees something to do when the time comes, and you will have bought yourself a week or more of extra time later in spring.

Thanks...very helpful. The queen is my oldest one, and had a lot to recover from with my multiple bleeding-off of bees and brood last summer. But she's a good one and appears to be piling them up just now.

 

[elainemary]

I’ve got the opposite ‘problem’ / opportunity. With 3 double Nucs (6 over 6) I’ve over wintered and all doing well so far. Want to sell as 6 frame Nucs, so wondering the best options for the 3 sets of excess bees. I have other colonies on a terrace below but 15 ft away.
Have other colonies in another apiary and none look short of bees but wont know of any issues until first spring inspection. Don’t want to increase the number of colonies.
What options would you advise?

 

[Boston Bees]

I’ve got the opposite ‘problem’ / opportunity. With 3 double Nucs (6 over 6) I’ve over wintered and all doing well so far. Want to sell as 6 frame Nucs, so wondering the best options for the 3 sets of excess bees. I have other colonies on a terrace below but 15 ft away.
Have other colonies in another apiary and none look short of bees but wont know of any issues until first spring inspection. Don’t want to increase the number of colonies.
What options would you advise?

I wouldn't assume that you have 12 frames packed with bees in there and need to reallocate any. I suspect that, assuming you sell them in April, you will have no issues housing the bees you have in a 6 frame nuc.

Certainly I wouldn't try to allocate any emerged bees to other hives. But if you have brood on more than 4 frames you can give those extra frames of brood to any weak hive you want to boost (it's perfectly normal to make nucs with 4 frames of brood and 2 of food).

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The sensible thing to do would be to sell some of them as full colonies, come first inspection in the spring those six 'double' nucs are not going to be bursting with bees and brood, so just losing a few spare fames (shake the bees off) is no big deal thin some out to make nucs, then just mix up all the spare frames of bees and dump on to one or two of the full colonies

 

[elainemary]

The sensible thing to do would be to sell some of them as full colonies, come first inspection in the spring those six 'double' nucs are not going to be bursting with bees and brood, so just losing a few spare fames (shake the bees off) is no big deal thin some out to make nucs, then just mix up all the spare frames of bees and dump on to one or two of the full colonies

Thanks. Understand that all 3 may only have 1-2 spare frames bees / brood per double Nuc. Do you think any excess bees and brood dumped on one of the full colonies 12ft away would stay there? Or would it be best to put any spare frames with bees / brood from the 3 in a spare polyhive brood box and take to another apiary and unite on top of a full colony?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Thanks. Understand that all 3 may only have 1-2 spare frames bees / brood per double Nuc. Do you think any excess bees and brood dumped on one of the full colonies 12ft away would stay there? Or would it be best to put any spare frames with bees / brood from the 3 in a spare polyhive brood box and take to another apiary and unite on top of a full colony?

second option I suppose

 

[Boston Bees]

Do you think any excess bees and brood dumped on one of the full colonies 12ft away would stay there?

Obviously the brood would, but in terms of the bees, not many would stay, no. And fighting would likely result. Not an option I would consider.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

And fighting would likely result. Not an option I would consider.

Not if you are chucking bees from three or more colonies all into one box

 

[ericbeaumont]

excess bees and brood dumped on one of the full colonies

Rather than add bees into a box you could shake them out onto a sloping board at a hive entrance. After a while they all go in; I've not had fighting.

 

[Boston Bees]

Fair enough.

Personally, when I sell a nuc, I would rather it was absolutely bursting with (emerged) bees (and brood of course), so I would tend towards leaving the emerged bees with the nuc. Unless it's just stupidly packed of course, which I doubt it would be by April.

Regarding the hive population at this time of year, in general I have found: