Moving new nuc

[aberreef]

One of my double brood hives was making swarm preparations a week or so back so I performed a Demarree as usual. Last Friday I split one of the brood boxes into 3 separate nucs, each with its own sealed queen cell.

I've been asked to put some bees on my allotment plot and I think a few nucs would be ideal, the plot is 5 miles from my apiary.

My question is when to move the nucs. Am I better to move them before the queen hatches, before she has mated or wait until mating has been successful?

Cheers

Huw

 

[oliver90owner]

Purely logistics.

 

[bontbee]

Are there other bees - more specifically drones - at the allotment? Are they "of good character"??

 

[aberreef]

Thanks for the replies. There aren't any other bees at the allotment but there are some within a few miles at least. I've got no idea on the drone situation though, my other hives don't have many so I guess the queens may have more chance if I move them.

If the queens haven't emerged yet, is there any danger to them if I move the nucs? I'm thinking in terms of becoming dislodged in the cell (they should be fully grown by now though)

 

[Polyanwood]

It is best to move them after the queens are emerged and mated. Queencalls can get damaged in transport and virgin queens, or worse, partially mated queens, do not appreciate being moved part way through the mating process.

If you are in a hurry you could move them, as it is fairly easy to find another queen cell if the queen cell gets damaged, but some bees are grumpier when they are queenless, so you might not want this on the allotment?

 

[davnig]

again, this rewriting of history to seemingly protect one of our elder members - does he have pictures?????

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

again, this rewriting of history to seemingly protect one of our elder members - does he have pictures?????

eh?

 

[davnig]

eh?

posts deleted which referred to other posts of which original remains - nothing nasty