Keep in Nucs or move to hives

[DaveG23]

So I have two nucs created at the end of June. They were given queen cells and both have a laying queen, they had just started laying last weekend or just before that.

I had used borrowed 5 frame nucs and since then I got hold of some 6 frame poly nucs. one has been moved in to a poly nuc and I will do the other tomorrow (I have to return the borrowed nucs).

So in your experience what should I be looking out for to decide whether to just keep them in the poly nucs, or move them to national brood boxes?

Both still seem to have plenty of bees despite having 3 weeks with no laying queen, and in the next few weeks the new queens offspring will start emerging.

We are a month later than the rest of the Ireland with our season, it starts a month later and can extend beyond September some years.

Should i be worried that the queen will run out of space? Should I just bite the bullet now and put them in to hives?

What experiences have you had in this type of situation?

 

[Angry_Mob]

Are your hives poly or wood?

 

[DaveG23]

The hives are wood

 

[Angry_Mob]

How many seams of bees are there? Is there much brood yet?

No bees for a few weeks and I assume a frame to draw I'd be tempted to leave them in the poly nuc which they will overwinter better in.

 

[Dadnlad]

So I have two nucs created at the end of June. They were given queen cells and both have a laying queen, they had just started laying last weekend or just before that

We hived 3 nucs last week - but they had 4 out of 5 frames of capped brood each and struggling for room

Yours will be getting towards the middle of August before their first laid will emerge - my money would be on leaving them in their polynucs

 

[Ian123]

hi you dont need a plan its more dealing with them as they develop and act accordingly. get them into your poly nucs and depending if theres any income i would keep some weak feed on and see how they go

 

[DaveG23]

I moved the second nuc in to a poly nuc today. So they now have 1 frame of foundation; 2 frames of stores; 1 frame of eggs; 1 frame eggs/unsealed brood.

The nuc i moved last week have now drawn out the frame of foundation and are busy filling it with stores.

Thanks for the input, I will be keeping an eye on them.