Merging Poly-Nuc & Hive

[WingCommander]

I want to merge a Nuc and a hive. The Nuc has a queen and I will replace the queen in the Hive. I have merged hives before but not a nuc. Normally I would do so over newspaper but I don't have a spare brood box to put the frames in for the merge so what is the best approach?

Amended title to help...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

does the nuc have a removeable floor? if so, what you need is a crownboard with a large hole in (Or a piece of wood made for the job) to put on top of the newspaper/queen excluder then put the nuc with the Q+ colony over that

 

[WingCommander]

It's a poly-nuc without a removable floor.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

then beg, borrow a brood box or build a temporary one - simples.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

It's a poly-nuc without a removable floor.

Make an adapter plate to sit on the nuc and sit the brood box on that. It'll be top heavy so strap things together and prop it for stability.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Move them into 2 supers?

 

[iand]

We do loads of Q intro's by wrapping the "intro frames" in the new hive.
Line a suitably large space in the brood chamber with paper, then add 2 but usually 3 frames Q preferably on the middle one. Move all the frames together, fold the paper over the top of the nuc frames and reassy. We use the Yorkshire Post, but any large news sheet will do a good job.

 

[Millet]

Move them into 2 supers?

I am still clueless but i must say that is a cracking idea

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Move them into 2 supers?

They're only going to be in there a few days anyway

 

[oliver90owner]

They're only going to be in there a few days anyway

They could be left like that all winter, if the 2 supers were placed under. Not a good idea to leave them too long on top, of course.

 

[Erichalfbee]

They're only going to be in there a few days anyway

They could be left like that all winter, if the 2 supers were placed under. Not a good idea to leave them too long on top, of course.

I would put them on top and consolidate the frames as soon as a decent amount of newspaper appeared under the OMF
Two or three days...max

 

[enrico]

I did exactly the same last week. Hive with no queen , polynuc with queen. Quick squirt of air freshener into each box, removed frames from hive that were worst, put all frames from nuc into hive, another quick squirt over top of frames and that was it.
Checked yesterday, queen laid out loads of frames, no sign of fighting, all quiet and calm. Took five minutes.
E

 

[oliver90owner]

...consolidate the frames as soon as a decent amount of newspaper appeared-...

You woud have to, as the bee space would be inappropriate. Under, it would not matter as they would not be building brace/wild comb down there any time soon. I would probably not want to be taking away stores, either, but it all depends on what is there....