Nuc to existing colony

[thepliedes]

Can you tell me, when the strength of a colony in a nuc is right, how do you transfer into an existing colony i.e. combine it. I don't want to create another brand new hive.

Thank you.

 

[Poly Hive]

Newspaper method.

PH

 

[REDWOOD]

Can you tell me, when the strength of a colony in a nuc is right, how do you transfer into an existing colony i.e. combine it. I don't want to create another brand new hive.

Thank you.

when you have established what queen is the best, laying pattern, temperament there are then a few ways to re unite, one is to put the nuc frames in a brood box and use the newspaper method another is to make a gap in the middle of the BB and place the nuc frames in the middle with the aid of air freshener, or forget the news paper method and just unite the 2 brood boxes again with air freshener. Most beekeepers use the newspaper method

 

[thepliedes]

Peeps, I know about the newspaper method and would use it if I had bees in a national brood box to put on top of the other one but they will be in a nucleus so different sizes. Suggestions? Just replace outside frames in existing colony,move them across and put nucleus ones in the centre?

 

[MandF]

Yes, if the outside hive frames have stores then insert your nuc frames inbetween it/them.

Use sugar syrup (1:1) spray, spray the top of the hive frames to distract the bees there, then spray both sides of the nuc frames as you put them in.

 

[BeeNice]

Have you a spare brood box? if yes transfer the bees on there frames into it and combine, if not. What do people think about using a couple of supers after all it will only be on for a couple of days. I haven't done this myself but I have thought about it.
Steven

 

[MandF]

I was told 2 x supers would be ok for the job when I was asking the same question a few weeks back.

In the end I used the sugar syrup method and it worked just fine.

 

[oliver90owner]

A board between to convert from one size to the other?

If the nuc is the same physical length, just get a piece of sheet (ply?) and use is as a cover beside the nuc box. Protecting from water ingress for a week should not present any major problem.

No real problem unless you insist on putting the brood box above the nuc.

 

[thepliedes]

Thanks for all of this. One more question - if I combine a nuc to an existing colony - there'll be two queens, the existing one and the new one I'm introducing? Do we leave them to it?

 

[oliver90owner]

Do we leave them to it?

Normal practice is of removing the unwanted queen before uniting.