nuc hive/box

[dannygolf1959]

a few question about nucs since a lot of beekeeper tend to quote them when replying in the forum.... 1. why a nuc rather than a full size hive?. 2. are they more inclined to swarm(being that they are small spaced)?. 3,do you get a honey harvest ?.....all points of view are most welcome and appreciated

p.s. and anything else that would be helpful

 

[Finman]

.
Nuc is a hive baby. IT starts from small and gradually it has 10 frames full of bees.

Nuc is not able to gather surplus honey. To size of two whole box the hive rears the size of colony and consumes all honey what it gets.

You may do a whole box nuc from bigger hive, but then you will loose the yield of that year.

Then we have mating nuc. IT us very small, about twist size. When a new Queen starts to lay after 10 days, then it needs a nuc from 3-4 frames upwards.

When you have a frame full of brood, after 3-4 weeks you get 3 frames bees. That is the speed how the hive grows. If the frame is half full, then you get about on frame of bees. That happens when you feed syrup to small hive and you believe that it fattens the hive like big do. But syrup only fills the tiny nest.

Usually 4 frame nuc makes only 2 brood frames because the side frames are cold.
Nest has 35C temp. Do not ventilate too much.
.

 

[Robbo8916]

Nucs in general are either 5 or 6 frame boxes.

I split my hive into a nuc and the main hive around 8 weeks ago and as Finman said, there will be no honey yield for me this year but I will hopefully have two colonies to take into the spring.

Most nucs which overwinter are done so on 6 frames and that is why I am now going to transfer mine from a 5 frame box to a 6 frame one to hopefully give them enough room to grow but also enough so that they won't be inclined to swarm and will go into winter well prepared.

A lot know a lot more than I do mind.

 

[dannygolf1959]

I'm still a little bit confused. What's the point in having a nuc as appose to a full size hive. I understand the point in having a nuc box to catch a swarm or to split a hive but the way some bkr are talking, they keep bees in a nuc...why ?

 

[Finman]

I'm still a little bit confused. What's the point in having a nuc as appose to a full size hive. I understand the point in having a nuc box to catch a swarm or to split a hive but the way some bkr are talking, they keep bees in a nuc...why ?

Nuc is a small hive. Nothing else.

.nuc box is not a swarm.

Nuc is splitted from big hive. It is never a swarm

Swarm is swarm.

Vain to hang ourselves to strict terms.
.
.
Nuc is too little to catch swarm.

 

[Finman]

What's the point in having a nuc as appose to a full size hive. ?

Nuc is a baby hive which grows to full size give.
Nuc is smaller than one box, when it starts.

The term comes from the purpose, what you are doing.

.

 

[REDWOOD]

OKay, a nuc box is for starting colonies when they are small, we keep them in small boxes as it is easier for the bees to maintain brood temperature, this is critical for your bees to expand, when they have out grown their nuc it is time to put them into a full size hive. If we keep them in the nuc they become overcrowded which promotes swarming. Beekeepers get surplus honey from strong full size colonies and none from a nuc.

 

[dannygolf1959]

Thank you...redwood.....that make real good sense..I get that cheers

 

[Motobiman]

Nuc is a small hive. Nothing else.

.nuc box is not a swarm.

Nuc is splitted from big hive. It is never a swarm

Swarm is swarm.

Vain to hang ourselves to strict terms.
.
.
Nuc is too little to catch swarm.

I've caught two swarms in 6 frame nuc boxes this year.

The Pxxxxs poly nuc box with as many brood box extensions as needed is perfectly suited to overwinter even large colonies and a certain commercial operator uses nothing but now.

A twin brood box poly nuc is 12 dn frames so directly equivalent to national hive but vertical instead of horizontal.

Full poly nuc brood boxes are obviously much lighter than a national hive.

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[Erichalfbee]

I popped into Maisie's this morning and bought a 14x12 poly nuc brood box. Husband's making me a floor with an underfloor entrance for it.

 

[dannygolf1959]

finman....anger management classes for you my friend lol

 

[Finman]

I've caught two swarms in 6 frame nuc boxes this year.

The Pxxxxs poly nuc box with as many brood box extensions as needed is perfectly suited to overwinter ......

That is not beekeeping. Toy keeping is better name.
.

 

[Finman]

finman....anger management classes for you my friend lol

When I was a boy, my father taught to me anger management.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

the most important thing to remember is to change hands every ten strokes

 

[Motobiman]

This really is a ****** forum with boorish and childish members.

Good bye

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

 

[user 6228]

Bees are well used to tall thin insulated cavities... making it out of poly nuc boxes wont bother the bees.
However,
They may not behave exactly as they would in squat hives. But finding out will be fun.

 

[oliver90owner]

Finman is right. OP (and others, seemingly) need to understand the meaning of 'nucleus colony'. Then they would not need to ask questions about 'nucleus hives' as it would (or should) be simple to understand how they fit into the beekeeping craft.

A nucleus hive is for homing a nucleus colony. Nothing more and nothing less. They are not big enough for full sized colonies, although a 6 frame Jumbo Langstroth is not far off the size of a National deep box. People who advocate putting out single nuc boxes as bait hives are too inexperienced to call themselves proper beekeepers. As Finman tates, they are playing, not thinking before acting.

My bait hives, of 6 frames 14 x 12 plus a shallow box, might be regarded by these inexperienced posters as a 'nuc bait hive', but the obvious difference is the size of the cavity - it being bigger than a National deep.

Edited to add that it would clearly be less sh****y, less boring and more informative without the above inexperienced poster here. A good bye bye to him.

 

[Finman]

.
Wen I started really beekeeping after couple of training years, I made 18 hives and frames to them. I bought swarms as much I got.

I had noticed that when I filled langstroth boxes with swarm bees, the hive is able to get 40 kg honey in the same year. And they drew 3 boxes foudations. Comb drawing needed 20 kg honey.

So, I joined 2-3 swarms to get that 4 kg bees into each give. And you can imagine how much swarms I needed to 18 hives.

During my life I have seen hundreds of small swarms, but I do not count them. They must be joined if you try something serious.

 

[dannygolf1959]

well that must have been some question I asked lol,,,,,I am really playing devils avocate but it is great to hear from everyone. As I have said in an earlier thread...its amazing how there are a 100 ways of doing things differently but all seem to get very similar results.