Nuc or Cage Introducion

[Swift Nick]

I have a hive that has been Q minus for about a month now, I have a queen in a 5 frame nuc that is laying well, the nuc is bursting with bees and starting to make queen cells. I want to introduce the queen from this nuc in to the queen minus hive.
I am tempted to unite over newspaper, which has never failed me before. However, by creating such a large colony Am I risking bringing on a swarm? Should I go for introducing the queen in a cage with attendants & let the nuc bring on a new queen as backup?
My preference is to build a strong hive, but not at risk of losing them in a swarm.
Thanks N.

 

[Ian123]

Your Qless hive is full of older bees and the nuc is not liable to build enough to give much if any of a crop, combine the 2 via paper. In my area eggs laid now will provide the foragers for the main flow you need a good size workforce to take advantage. The whole point of managing a hive is to get that peak work force at the correct time.

 

[Swift Nick]

Your Qless hive is full of older bees and the nuc is not liable to build enough to give much if any of a crop, combine the 2 via paper. In my area eggs laid now will provide the foragers for the main flow you need a good size workforce to take advantage. The whole point of managing a hive is to get that peak work force at the correct time.

Hi Ian,
That makes sense, as the nuc is 5 frames, do you think it would be best to sandwich it in a BB between the super and Q- BB? With newspaper each side.
This would allow the bigger hive access to the outside whilst the breakthrough is being made. Also it may stop the nuc flying bees returning to their old location, as they are trapped for a while. Also the super bees may breakthrough first and be more accepting of the new queen.
Not usual practice I know, but may suit these circumstances.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Hi Ian,
That makes sense, as the nuc is 5 frames, do you think it would be best to sandwich it in a BB between the super and Q- BB? With newspaper each side.
This would allow the bigger hive access to the outside whilst the breakthrough is being made. Also it may stop the nuc flying bees returning to their old location, as they are trapped for a while. Also the super bees may breakthrough first and be more accepting of the new queen.
Not usual practice I know, but may suit these circumstances.

Just go for a standard unite, no need to reinvent the wheel - I'm assuming you are bringing the nuc to the full hive not vice versa?
Leave full hive as is, Put newspaper over the supers, then queen excluder then Q+ nuc now in a full brood box, leave them to it, in a few days go in and consolidate both colonies.

 

[Swift Nick]

Just go for a standard unite, no need to reinvent the wheel - I'm assuming you are bringing the nuc to the full hive not vice versa?
Leave full hive as is, Put newspaper over the supers, then queen excluder then Q+ nuc now in a full brood box, leave them to it, in a few days go in and consolidate both colonies.

Thanks, didn’t realise I could just put the Q+ nuc in BB with paper over the supers, that keeps it simple, with less distubance.
When I consolidate down to one BB I will be removing BB frames full of uncapped nectar, what’s generally done with these, put them in the freezer for further nucs?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Thanks, didn’t realise I could just put the Q+ nuc in BB with paper over the supers, that keeps it simple, with less distubance.
When I consolidate down to one BB I will be removing BB frames full of uncapped nectar, what’s generally done with these, put them in the freezer for further nucs?

They should move it up into the supers, you could always run double brood for a while until it is all sorted out.

 

[Swift Nick]

They should move it up into the supers, you could always run double brood for a while until it is all sorted out.

Thanks, that’s very helpful.