from nuc to hive now

[Liam C Ryan]

Is it too late to move bees from a 5 frame nuc to a national hive in mid August. I
think they have not enough space at the moment

 

[MuswellMetro]

Is it too late to move bees from a 5 frame nuc to a national hive in mid August. I
think they have not enough space at the moment

the queen will soon if not already done so stop laying so they would need to be very crowded

if you really think the need it then block out a hive with wide dummy board of polystyrene in poly bags to form a 7 frame hive, but i would stick with the nuc, but only you know how crowded they are

 

[Hivemaker.]

If they have five frames of brood and are packed, then no problem at all,i have transfered several in the last few days.

 

[MuswellMetro]

If they have five frames of brood and are packed, then no problem at all,i have transfered several in the last few days.

can they maintain heat in a larger hive if the queen reduces laying, if you done it, then, you know better than me,

so follow hivemakers advice not mine, ive done it in late july but not late august after the flow decreases

 

[Hivemaker.]

My queens don't seem to have any intention of reducing laying yet.....don't expect them to do so much before the ivy has finnished, if they have room....some are still laying well in two brood box's,will be taking nuc's from these strong one's.

 

[Queens59]

How are the ones you transferred when we were there doing H??

 

[MuswellMetro]

My queens don't seem to have any intention of reducing laying yet.....don't expect them to do so much before the ivy has finnished, if they have room....some are still laying well in two brood box's,will be taking nuc's from these strong one's.

shows the diffenerce between east and west, the drought in july has stopped most of the nectar flow, i have polished cells and almost starving bees, its the same throught Hertfordshire

i did however notice when i did the coastal walk from sidmouth to dawlish almost a totla lack of honey bees though quite of lots of bubble bees but only apis M in exeter area

 

[Hivemaker.]

Expanding fast into the drawn combs Q....

 

[Hivemaker.]

shows the diffenerce between east and west, the drought in july has stopped most of the nectar flow, i have polished cells and almost starving bees, its the same throught Hertfordshire

Working like the clappers here at the moment........even in the rain.

 

[Queens59]

Ditto - watched them today landing heavy 6 at a time, and taking off like bullets! Really cheers you up!

 

[SixFooter]

I was about to ask this very question.
However, all my bees are reducing the size of the brood nest, so in my case, I guess the answer is to leave them in nucs?
Feed with fondant?
Would it be better to have a nuc with OMF?
I'll need to rehouse them because, as predicted by others here, my painted plywood nucs are fallng apart I need to make new ones, so could encorporate OMFs

 

[peteinwilts]

shows the diffenerce between east and west, the drought in july has stopped most of the nectar flow, i have polished cells and almost starving bees, its the same throught Hertfordshire

Working like the clappers here at the moment........even in the rain.

same here. I was watching one of my hives yesterday. I have not seen them working so hard all year!
Whilst looking last week, some of my bees still have 8 frames eggs and brood.... after all... it is only August!

 

[oliver90owner]

Poster put this in the blog section yesterday where I answered. I could not believe that anyone is going to say 'leave them where they are', in mid August, when the poster has already said he thinks they are overcrowded! That is for any anywhere he may be residing in the UK (location not given).

C'mon, boys and girls, some of my colonies are still 'nuc sized', but they will still have room for expansion at this time of the year.

Regards, RAB

 

[SixFooter]

Poster put this in the blog section yesterday where I answered. I could not believe that anyone is going to say 'leave them where they are', in mid August, when the poster has already said he thinks they are overcrowded! That is for any anywhere he may be residing in the UK (location not given).

C'mon, boys and girls, some of my colonies are still 'nuc sized', but they will still have room for expansion at this time of the year.

Regards, RAB

All my colonies had lots of eggs last week, but not very many this week. I took from that that the colonies are preparing for Winter and are unlikely to expand now. Am I wrong?

 

[oliver90owner]

Am I wrong?

I would say, yes.

More brood is more winter bees and they need somewhere to go, somewhere to store further honey and pollen. If the poster is in the Uk, I would definitely not be constricting an already-full, nucleus sized colony to a nucleus box from now until next March/April! Even an extra couple of frames of stores is going to be advantageous - and we may possibly (but must say it's not looking too good at the present) get a good long autumn yet.

If there are frames available, they will build comb for winter feed to be taken down, if the weather is conducive.

They at least need the opportunity for brood expansion. I may be giving more comb and more brood from other colonies.

We are guessing as to location, hive type and colony number here as the poster has given little information. I would certainly not give a negative reply under those circumstances, without further questions. So a conditional, but not definitive, reply.

Further a properly set up hive will afford just as much, or more, winter protection than a nucleus hive - unless it just so happens to be a polynuc.

My advice is still move them up, give them a chance. More details may emerge later, and there is no reason, if one must, for not putting them back in a nuc for the winter. Like I say (and Hivemaker, I think) it is only mid August. The lack of forage in some areas does not necessarily mean it is time to cluster!

Regards, RAB

 

[MuswellMetro]

Poster put this in the blog section yesterday where I answered. I could not believe that anyone is going to say 'leave them where they are', in mid August, when the poster has already said he thinks they are overcrowded! That is for any anywhere he may be residing in the UK (location not given).

C'mon, boys and girls, some of my colonies are still 'nuc sized', but they will still have room for expansion at this time of the year.

Regards, RAB

well mine are eating stores like its going out of fashion, no forage, even after heavy rain of the last two weeks it may be localised but mine at this last week in august are shutting down for winter earliest i have seen

 

[SixFooter]

Am I wrong?

I would say, yes.

Regards, RAB

It was ever thus!

I'll take your advice, particularly as the nucs are falling apart and I have 2 hives on order to arrive next week!

 

[oliver90owner]

MM,

Eating stores 'like it is going out of fashion' and 'shutting down' for winter are two entirely different things. They can be connected but need not and often are not.

How many colonies starve, or at least need feeding in the springtime? Just means that income and expenditure are not balancing at the particular time.

A lot of brood will need a lot of food. No food, no brood. Shutting down for winter, for me, is nearer to when they would no longer take sugar syrup if offered too late in the season (if the box were not already full).

I have fed one (rapidly) expanding nucleus hive colony today - well gave it a couple frames with stores and capped brood and a near-full frame of stores as they are needing it. The very strong colony which 'donated' these frames look as though they will likely replace the loss quite easily (and hardly miss them). If they don't, some sugar syrup will come to the rescue.

I may go and recover another expanding colony later this evening (it might be needing some feed), but another (of similar size) is doing just fine - close to a river bank, but out in the sticks.

Regards, RAB

 

[MuswellMetro]

MM,

from another thread "are the bees italian, converting stores to brood"

Regards, RAB

you given me the answer in another thread

i re queened with local yellow italians X as i had a badly mated supecedure queen and queenless hive from May matings

i am not used to the brood pattern of italains

thanks,

MM

 

[abb]

busy bees

my bees are still working hard bringing in pollen and necter even in the rain , landing and flying like a busy day at heathrow here in hastings east sussex.