Making NUCs

[Polyanwood]

I didn't understand either. I wasn't sure if finman meant that there should be some kind of floor placed between the original brood box and the brood box that was to become the new nuc?? I also wondered what he was recommending about the queen in the cage. It read like you put a frame of emerging brood and no bees in a box with the the queen and no bees???

 

[REDWOOD]

Good bit of info here
http://www.wbka.com/pdf/a010makingincrease.pdf

 

[Finman]

I didn't understand either. I wasn't sure if finman meant that there should be some kind of floor placed between the original brood box and the brood box that was to become the new nuc?? I also wondered what he was recommending about the queen in the cage. It read like you put a frame of emerging brood and no bees in a box with the the queen and no bees???

you understood very well. And if you have kept bees, you should know what to do with queen.
And with your experience you chould know that bees are emerging.

.why I chould explain everything like to children and they you write that it doe not go that way in Uk.

The system needs something like snelgrove board.
Then dummy board
then filling empty space with insulation material.

.

 

[Finman]

Thanks Finman but I'm lost now
I can't picture how that works

think
.

 

[Finman]

Good bit of info here
http://www.wbka.com/pdf/a010makingincrease.pdf

it would be good too, that if some one starts beekeeping, he has some basic beekeeping book.

.

 

[Polyanwood]

I wasn't trying to be funny or stupid. I have never made nucs that way. I respect your opinion and was not sure. Will read the link.

When I make nucs I just use the artificial swarms and then requeen, or if I want to make a lot of nucs, I run 3 hives for bees. I put them on double brood and I feed them pollen and syrup regularly, even if it is sunny. I do the queen rearing, then when the queens are ready I take I frame of brood from each of 3 hives, add a frame of stores and a frame of foundation, shake a bit of talcum powder over the lot, shake in a few more house bees. I put in the mated queen with no attendants in the cage. ( I wrap some newspaper that I attach with an elastic band so the bees only have a tiny access to the queen at first, to protect her).

I put on a bit of syrup.Then I close the front with foam and put the nuc somewhere cool closed up for a day. If I can I take the nucs 3 miles away. If I cannot I leave them closed up for 48 hours in a cool dark place like the garage.

I have never had a queen killed like this.

I know that this is not a proper nuc as the bees and brood are not from the queen, but that is how I do it for myself.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Sorry Andy for taking over the thread, just I am also interested in Splitting at some stage
Im getting myself confused
With this type of split would I leave the original queen in her hive/ same possition and remove frames to nuc in new location? or is the other way round only for A/S?

Leave original queen in hive in usual position - first find her and put her safely so she doesn't accidentally end up in the nuc!
Take out frames with BIAS, stores (if you have a frame of drawn comb that would be good - put next to the brood) shake three or four frames of bees into the nuc as well - Take this nuc to wherever you want then (it helps also if you stuff some fresh grass into the entrance to keep the bees indoors until it wilts).
Get your new queen in an introduction cage - cover the candy plug with a bit of tape so the beees can't release her yet, place this between two frames in the middle of the nuc between two frames of brood. close up and leave for a good few days, maybe a week, then Open up again check for and destroy any queen cells, check queen is O.K. then remove the tape from the candy, put the cage back in the same position and close up again. Leave for a fortnight before checking that they have released the queen and she is laying.

 

[mbc]

i apologise for hijacking your thread, but mine are being removed at the moment. censorship without reason is shameful.

I know its not the reason at all, but perhaps in a karma sort of way its about you flying in the face of what most beekeeping associations in the land think about bringing in imported bees.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I know its not the reason at all, but perhaps in a karma sort of way its about you flying in the face of what most beekeeping associations in the land think about bringing in imported bees.

I'd better watch meself then MBC - we have a breeder queen from the Midlands as part of our queen rearing programme!

 

[mbc]

I'd better watch meself then MBC - we have a breeder queen from the Midlands as part of our queen rearing programme!

A famous line of amm bees kept in the midlands stem from cwrtnewydd by all accounts, is it one of these making a return journey ?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

A famous line of amm bees kept in the midlands stem from cwrtnewydd by all accounts, is it one of these making a return journey ?

I don't know the provenance - it was given to Matt our queen rearing officer to help with our programme (not sure if it waas through BIBBA.)

 

[steve56616]

Think I had the right idea then, thanks everyone. It is good to hear everyones veiws and how they do it. Not ready obviously yet but hopefully soon