creating a standard brood frame nuc from 14x12 hive

[jerry]

Hi I would like to know the best way to go about creating a standard brood frame nuc from my 14x12 hive. I have a friend who has lost his hives over winter and I would like to help him out but i'm on 14x12 and he has standard depth brood frames. What is the best way to go about this? Is there anything I can do now before I need to AS or could I place a standard brood over my 14x12 without a QE and split when, if ever, it was strong enough. Your experiences would be appreciated as I don't want to end up with a lump of brace comb for a hive and I don't want the bees to waste loads of energy building comb that will just get cut away. All my searches show standard to 14x12 conversions but none the other way.

Thanks,
Jer

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

As long as your friends hive has no nasties You could replace or three of your 14x12 frames with standard deeps from the dead out hive - one near the side for the bees to put stores in, wait for HM to lay in the others, then put them in a nuc with more drawn frames to make five and shake a few more frames of nurse bees into it and do a 'walk away split. Take them away somewhere, wait four days and knock off any sealed QC's leave them build a few more emergency QC's which will hopefully end up as a new mated queen.
If your friends frames aren't suitable do the same with foundation, it'll just take longer

 

[Skyhook]

Presumably this way you'd get a varroa bonus, cutting away the wild comb underneath.

Tha alternative would be to go to brood and 2/3, ie add a standard brood, wait for them to expand into it, then either do a bigger walk-away split or demaree.

It partly depends how generous you feel- this way you would be sacrificing a big part of your bees efforts for the season. Unless your friend has ever pulled you out of a burning car, I'd probably go with Jenks's method.


.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Shake out two or three pounds of bees, mixed from your three hives, then install them in your mates hive, and introduce a mated queen straight away.

 

[itma]

Ask your pal to buy or make a 14x12 conversion eke.
A great opportunity.
I doubt he'll go back.


/ can we get up to the proverbial dozen different advice suggestions?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Shake out two or three pounds of bees, mixed from your three hives, then install them in your mates hive, and introduce a mated queen straight away.

That's me HM, been talking a lot about that lately; but you know the motto of my service; always seek the obvious solution.....................then ignore it!!

 

[jerry]

Thank for all your help. Will try adding some drawn frames and make up a nuc and keep my fingers crossed for some good mating weather.

 

[iand]

Shake out two or three pounds of bees, mixed from your three hives, then install them in your mates hive, and introduce a mated queen straight away.

I agree, quickest easiest way

Ian

 

[oliver90owner]

HM way is simple but you could also use a hive - a brood and a shallow.

Bees in to the brood on top of the shallow and then fill the rest of the bottom shallow with - well anything, even bricks might do! - pop your deep frames in, dummy down and wait. You could just use a 14 x 12 box, but he could supply the deep and shallow and return your frames later.

It rather depends on how many spare bees you have.


Better to demaree to induce supercedure cells than make do with emegency cells, so allowing her to lay in a shallow might be a prelude to demaree.

So several options, and most will achieve your goal, given time. Nothing really difficult with any of them. You choose the best for you.

 

[Dave /Oscroft]

nuc

sometime ago I made a 14x12 nuc box but needed to put five standard frames in so I made a false bottom with varroa mesh and a bit of timber, simples !

Dave W

 

[user 6228]

sometime ago I made a 14x12 nuc box but needed to put five standard frames in so I made a false bottom with varroa mesh and a bit of timber, simples !

Dave W

a 14x12 eke and half of it dummied out with mesh ?...