Nuc into hive

[lapdogsx5]

Got the chance to put a nuc into a hive today,can you tell me did i do right keeping all the frames from the nuc together & putting the new ones ether side of them ?

 

[Finman]

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Put only that much frames as bees can cover.

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[enrico]

I would only add a frame each side of the nuc frames, I would then add a dummy board. I think finman may be suggesting you add insulation. There is no right and wrong way, as long as your bees have stores to keep themselves warm it should be ok. Unfortunately they won't begin to build wax out until the weather warms up.....here at any rate!
Bees are usually very forgiving of our mistakes.!
Hope they build up and give you a good harvest
E

 

[oliver90owner]

you tell me did i do right....putting the new ones ether side

You tell us. There is more to tranferring a nuc to full hive than just the opportunity.

As Enrico, two frames of foundation is certainly enough, for a start.

But there are other considerations, too.

How many bees, how much brood space, why you were moving them
(in a correx nuc?), how much stores, did they need feeding /were they fed.

One thing you don't do, is move them just because you can.

IMO, likely too early to be moving them yet, but until we know the answers above, nobody can say.

 

[Bee-Key-Pur]

Yes, same here. I'm still checking mine to see that they are not starving. This last few days have been the first time they've been able to get out and find some willow pollen. It'll be a few weeks yet before I start messing with them..

 

[richardbees]

likely too early to be moving them yet, but until we know the answers above, nobody can say.

Yoda has changed shape and posting now is!

lapdog

In my opinion you've done exactly the right thing for this time of year as the weather has finally changed. You could help insulation-wise by putting the Var. insert in but I don't think it's necessary.

I'd also put a rapid feeder with 2 pints of 1:1 syrup over the feed hole.

good luck,
richard

 

[Bee-Key-Pur]

Only having open fields and trees around them must make a huge temperature difference to some other locations I guess...

 

[Finman]

I would only add a frame each side of the nuc frames, I would then add a dummy board. I think finman may be suggesting you add insulation. There is no right and wrong way, as long as your bees have stores to keep themselves warm it should be ok. Unfortunately they won't begin to build wax out until the weather warms up.....here at any rate!
Bees are usually very forgiving of our mistakes.!
Hope they build up and give you a good harvest
E

Go to sleep

Never devide nuc's brood area with empty frame, not even in summer.

Why bees must forgive you if you do not have done anything?

.......and hope..........what heck hope? Where it is needed? holy moly

You just move a nuc to hive...hope ---forgiving...

AMEN!
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[richardbees]

Only having open fields and trees around them must make a huge temperature difference to some other locations I guess...

agreed and that's why I suggested putting the V. floor inset in...

 

[enrico]

Go to sleep

Never devide nuc's brood area with empty frame, not even in summer.

Why bees must forgive you if you do not have done anything?

.......and hope..........what heck hope? Where it is needed? holy moly

You just move a nuc to hive...hope ---forgiving...

AMEN!
.

.

.

Your erring on the side of being rude finman! I never suggested SPLITTING the brood, keep it in one block and add a frame EACH SIDE, where does that say anything about splitting the brood......new glasses or less beer, your choice!
E

 

[BeeJayBee]

as the weather has finally changed.

You're lucky!

Our weather is still wet (raining) and cool. Early blossom is going over but there's nothing to replace it. Bees are keeping themselves indoors.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Wet and cool here too but the blossom isn't out yet. All I've seen is the odd sprig of blackthorn and some willow. The Goat Willow is a week or so away yet so the bees might get some forage if it brightens up

 

[oliver90owner]

In my opinion you've done exactly the right thing for this time of year (my underlining)

Yoda makes just as much sense as usual. Precision does not seem to come into your appraisal of the situation.

 

[victor meldrew]

Blowing a hooligan here, heavy cloud. Night time temperatures way above freezing !
VM


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[Bob Bee]

removed as in wrong thread

 

[Swarm]

Were they bursting out of the nuc? I've seen forecasted temps of 18 degrees or so over your way but I suspect it will still feel cold at night until there is a long enough warm spell. I'd imagine your bees are feeling a difference. Unless, as O90 mentioned, they were in a temp nuc (which I'd doubt ) there is no need to move them until they are outgrowing the nuc.
As an example, I had my first nuc of bees in late April, around 28th I think and it was a six frame. These bees were transferred to hive around the second week of May and it was warm then. A frame each end and dummying for a while would certainly help them until they start to expand.

 

[Finman]

Were they bursting out of the nuc? I've seen forecasted temps of 18 degrees or so .

In what condition nuc is? How much brood?

When I start to feed with patty my hives, they are broodless after winter.
It takes 6 weeks that hives start to "burst".

Your situation is the same now in UK as I have normally. You have no brood there and new bees are not going to emerge.

When weathers become better, it takes 4 weeks that new bees emerge.
Then old bees go out to work and they die soon.
Colony must have quite much new bees that they compensate those dead bees.

When the hive box is full of brood, then you may expect that it will "burst", but it takes time a lot.

 

[user 6228]

Were they bursting out of the nuc? I've seen forecasted temps of 18 degrees or so over your way but I suspect it will still feel cold at night until there is a long enough warm spell. I'd imagine your bees are feeling a difference. Unless, as O90 mentioned, they were in a temp nuc (which I'd doubt ) there is no need to move them until they are outgrowing the nuc.
As an example, I had my first nuc of bees in late April, around 28th I think and it was a six frame. These bees were transferred to hive around the second week of May and it was warm then. A frame each end and dummying for a while would certainly help them until they start to expand.

Moving from a nuc to full hive increases the surface area for heat loss.
It doubles the surface area for the hottest part (just under the roof)so you get close to doubling the total heat loss. Unless you seal the dummy board to roof and sides dummying out the full hive doesnt do much to prevent heat loss
Dont move out of the Nuc, unless they are really running out of room.

 

[Swarm]

In what condition nuc is? How much brood?

When I start to feed with patty my hives, they are broodless after winter.
It takes 6 weeks that hives start to "burst".

Your situation is the same now in UK as I have normally. You have no brood there and new bees are not going to emerge.

When weathers become better, it takes 4 weeks that new bees emerge.
Then old bees go out to work and they die soon.
Colony must have quite much new bees that they compensate those dead bees.

When the hive box is full of brood, then you may expect that it will "burst", but it takes time a lot.

You've lost me now, aren't you saying the same thing? Unless they are outgrowing their nuc (bursting) there is no need to transfer them to a hive.

 

[Swarm]

Moving from a nuc to full hive increases the surface area for heat loss.
It doubles the surface area for the hottest part (just under the roof)so you get close to doubling the total heat loss. Unless you seal the dummy board to roof and sides dummying out the full hive doesnt do much to prevent heat loss
Dont move out of the Nuc, unless they are really running out of room.

I'd fill the void behind with some form of insulation, kinda pointless unless you did.