Drawing out Comb and other questions

[suedavies0117]

how long on average does it take for bees to draw out a single comb?

background:

I have a very small swarm that has come from my hive. the swarm covered 2 frames when placed in a nuc box and had come from the nuc I have just had given me. the original nuc came with a uncapped queen cell and bees on 5 frames including stores but a queen was accidentally present so part of this then swarmed last weekend after it had been here for a couple of weeks. (the original nuc was put into a national brood box with rapid feeder - this was what I was advised to do from an expert

I have now got another national hive so I will swop them from the 2nd nuc this weekend and into the new hive.

what is the potential for these two hives to be strong enough individually to cope with this winter - I live at 1200ft above sea level in the middle of Snowdonia so conditions here can be harsh

 

[Dishmop]

Might be an idea to unite them.

 

[Travelator]

To answer the question about drawing comb...

It totally depends on whether the bees want the comb to be drawn.

If you have a strong colony and there is a heavy nectar flow or you're feeding them unlimited quantities of syrup, they desperately want the comb to be drawn so that they have somewhere to put stores. In that case, then can draw a whole brood box full of comb in a couple of days.

On the other hand, if the bees already have space available for stores, they will leave foundation untouched indefinitely - or at least until circumstances change and they need the space.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Is that small swarm still in the nuc? if so, leave them there until they have built up a bit (say three frames covered both sides in brood but with still a little space for queen to lay) before hiving them. they will really strugle in a big space like a full hive. How big is the colony that is presently in a full hive?

 

[suedavies0117]

the ones in the big hive came on 5 frames, there is one dummy board and four frames with foundation in the brood box they are in. super above with rapid feeder
the ones that swarmed and are now in the nuc box covering two frames have to go into a brood box because the nuc box is not mine and has to be returned ASAP

 

[drex]

If not uniting. Put the two frames against side wall and fill the empty space with insulation

 

[Finman]

.
5 or 3 frame hives are too small to build up.
It is better to them and you get better result.
When that hive has 2 box full of bees, then you may split them.

It sounds not good that that small colony swarms. It is better to change bees/ new queens