Collecting my nuc tomorrow. I have some worries. Help !

[SenatorMagenut]

Ok, so the weather isn't great here right now so I will definitely need to feed. I have a 1 gallon contact feeder. Im not sure what ratio should be best, 1 litre water to 2kg of sugar or 1 litre water to 1kg of sugar?

Next- Im not actually getting a nuc, I bring my hive to the apiary and we put the 5 frames into the brood body. Should I bring the feeder and feed them all the way home? Im going to be leaving the apiary at 10pm and arriving home at 1am.

Next- How should I close the hive entrance? Should I open the hive immediately when I get home or wait for the morning?

Should I use a dummy board?

Please don't think I don't know enough about bees. I think these are questions which are answered by experience.


One last point - It is a National Hive. I don't think you use those in the US.

Thanks

 

[Nellie]

A question.

Why are you only bothered about how much syrup you should feed them?

None is the short version, a nuc comes with at least a frame of stores, perhaps two. You can give them maybe half a litre of 1:1 syrup but if it's not tipping it down why bother?

I think you should be more concerned with making sure that you can see a marked (and clipped) queen. That there is brood of all stages. That the comb looks ok, that the brood looks ok, that there are enough bees (who look ok) in the nuc to make you think "I should stick this in a brood box". After that, then worry about whether you should give them sugar or not.

 

[Queens59]

Don't panic. Deep breathes..and we are UK rather than US so closer than you thought!!

Wait until you get home to feed them, otherwise your car will be covered in syrup!

In Spring or summer most people feed 1 to 1

Wait and see how many bees are on your 5 frames - if they look thin on the ground dummy down teh box a little, but otherwise give them pulled wax if you have it or foundation if not.

I would open them up next day when they have had a feed and settled down a little. You could always put grass etc. in the entrance so that they can decide when to pop out.

Make sure you put them where you want them, as altering positions is a pain.

FINALLY welcome to the fantastic world of bees - and 20 others will be along soon with TOTALLY different opinions of what to do!!

Good Luck.

 

[Outlander]

Wait until you get home to feed them, otherwise your car will be covered in syrup!

In Spring or summer most people feed 1 to 1

Wait and see how many bees are on your 5 frames - if they look thin on the ground dummy down teh box a little, but otherwise give them pulled wax if you have it or foundation if not.

As Queens said there be plenty more along with different advice.

I did the same as yourself, transferred frames to hive as the keeper I got my bees from did not have any 14x12 travel boxes.

The advice I have followed especially with the bad weather was to feed whilst drawing the comb. Anyway good luck and welcome and remember even the old grumps on here give good advice. Oh and they'll be along real soon.

 

[jackbee]

Im not sure what ratio should be best, 1 litre water to 2kg of sugar or 1 litre water to 1kg of sugar?

1:1 is usual for spring/summer, I believe

How should I close the hive entrance? Should I open the hive immediately when I get home or wait for the morning?

Get some gaffer tape, tape all joins - floor-brood, brood - travel screen (you will have a travel screen will you?) tape entrance block in. Go round twice.
Then once you've taped it, dbl and triple check - you don't want bees in the passenger seat next to you - they argue about who has the seat belt

I got up early next morning 5am and opened up, but then i tend to wake up early anyway.

Should I use a dummy board?

I find it easier, gives you the space.

 

[scuttlefish]

1:1 if you really need to feed them, but if there're a couple of frames of stores in that five then you're not going to be in any rush to feed them (and either way you definitely shouldn't have to feed them the same night you collect them).

Have you got a travelling screen (or an open mesh floor) on? If so, you can leave the bees shut in overnight while they settle down. Put an entrance block in the front of the hive before you go to pick them up and stuff a piece of foam in the hole to close it up.

Put them into the brood box with a frame of foundation on either side of them and a dummy board to keep them to that seven. Leave the other four frames of foundation behind the dummy board, you can move it back then to expand the brood chamber as necessary.

 

[blackcavebees]

Firstly, welcome to the forum and to the wonderful world of bees!

Ok, so the weather isn't great here right now so I will definitely need to feed. I have a 1 gallon contact feeder. Im not sure what ratio should be best, 1 litre water to 2kg of sugar or 1 litre water to 1kg of sugar?

Next- Im not actually getting a nuc, I bring my hive to the apiary and we put the 5 frames into the brood body. Should I bring the feeder and feed them all the way home? Im going to be leaving the apiary at 10pm and arriving home at 1am.

Do you have any more empty frames with foundation? Here in Ireland with our lovely weather a small colony of bees in a big box doesn't always go well to start. If not you can meantime put some plywood packers in to reduce the size of the void in the brood box - until (if) summer comes better to keep them cosy - your dummy board question. But not too cosy - they need to room to expand and a few frames of foundation is not the same as an empty void. Also, when I got mine there wasn't a full box of frames and as the bees worked the frames the "bee-space" between frames was too big and they buiilt brace comb between. This is all without seeing your setup - all above may not apply. Opinions vary, but if you have undrawn foundation I would put a bit of feed on 1:1 to give them a start, maybe 1 litre to start, but depends whats in your box

Next- How should I close the hive entrance? Should I open the hive immediately when I get home or wait for the morning?

If it was me I would leave it till morning to let them settle down

Should I use a dummy board? see above

Please don't think I don't know enough about bees. I think these are questions which are answered by experience.

This is only my second year and I'm learning every day - this forum is great help with some super guys on it (and a few trolls too so don't be esily offended)
One last point - It is a National Hive. I don't think you use those in the US.

Thanks

 

[Beanwood]

Welcome to the incredible world of beekeeping.
Lots of good advice on here already, but as you no doubt know, ask 2 beeks, get 3 opinions.

Get some gaffer tape, tape all joins - floor-brood, brood - travel screen (you will have a travel screen will you?) tape entrance block in. Go round twice.

...or, use a couple of 1" straps to hold it all together (Mine don't appear to like the sound of the gaffer tape coming off.) and some foam stuffed in the entrance (Which I would tape, but I'm cautious like that.)

I worried like mad driving my nuc back 45 minutes without a travel screen - (bees can overheat quite quickly apparently) but they got here quite happily. Is it a wooden or Poly box? I don't know, but guess overheating may be more of an issue in a poly ?

If you're only putting five frames in a full size BB, you need something to stop the frames sliding around on the runners when you're transporting them. The easiest is probably more frames. But someone else may have another opinion...

Treat them gently, and enjoy.

 

[Suzi Q]

Apologies if already said, but don't forget to position the hive in the car with the frames pointing forwards, so that they don't swing when braking. Good luck!

 

[SenatorMagenut]

Thanks for the advice guys!
Its a wooden box and it's well ventilated so I doubt it'll overheat.

I'm getting the bees tomorrow so it's gonna be a long night

Bye for now,
Senator

 

[jackbee]

...or, use a couple of 1" straps to hold it all together (Mine don't appear to like the sound of the gaffer tape coming off.)

must admit - i used tape and straps, like you, first time with bees in car, was very nervous, I even kept suit on with hood off ready for quick cover up. probably unnecessary really but you never know

 

[oliver90owner]

Now the younger grumps have had his/their say, a couple points.

If they are on Hoffmans, cram in 12 frames or eleven and a tight dummy. They will not move within the box. Take alng water spray to keep them cool - you never know what delays might occur..

Don't rely on tape or even just two straps. I use three or usually four. It secures the boxes vertically and stops any risk of them twisting in the event of a mishap.

Feed? Forget it. It is not an issue.

A three hour trip is nothing special as long as the arrival date is only the next day to departure!

Place battens under the box if on an OMF and do tie the whole lot down to the car floor, if possible. Keep beesuit in front of vehicle.

 

[Outlander]

Apologies if already said, but don't forget to position the hive in the car with the frames pointing forwards, so that they don't swing when braking. Good luck!

 

[MandF]

The obvious thing - drive carefully, avoid potholes and cornering too fast.

 

[SenatorMagenut]

Yes with the frames being positioned for braking. Nice idea.

 

[The Cumbrian]

The obvious thing - drive carefully, avoid potholes and cornering too fast.

Shouldn't we all be doing this all of the time?

 

[MandF]

Shouldn't we all be doing this all of the time?

In theory, yes

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Well, Senator Magenuts,

How did it go?


Did the same sort of trip 6 weeks ago.
Found it a bit of an anticlimax!

Dusty

 

[SenatorMagenut]

I'm going to collect the bees on Monday night, tomorrow so I can't say "how it went" yet

Ill say how it went on Tuesday.

 

[Luminos]

Do keep up, Dusty