Emptying a mini nuc

[Lozza]

I've used a few mini nucs this year. They are in the same apairy as my other hives but more than 3 meters away. None now have queens.

Whats the best way to empty them?

I attempted to simply put the bees into another hive but loads of fighting took place and then they all clustered around where the mininuc used to be.
Any better methods?

 

[darrenperrett]

This is what i did Lozza but it may be wrong.
I had 6, I moved them a couple of feet each day untill they were all on top of the hive that i wanted them in. On i nice day i tipped them all into a pile on the roof of said hive and let them get on with it.

 

[victor meldrew]

I have a nice colony of bees which started live as the contents of 5 mini nucs plus the contents of a couple of supers thrown together in a standard nuc with a caged queen.
Throw 2 colonies together = mayhem
Throw 3 , better more together and they quickly settle down
I think it's the confusion does the trick :Make sure the resultant colony is removed a couple of miles from site of any of the mini nucs

John Wilkinson

 

[bobandbec]

I knock them all out together at the same time in the grass in front of my hives.

Peter

 

[keith pierce]

i never bother about moving them 3 feet at a time i just shut them in and unite them to my weakest nucs to give the a boost of that extra cup full of bees. the next day when they have chewed through the news paper you will see a few bees back at the origional spot , but by evening them have gone back to the main hive.