Nuc to Hive transfer

[Super Duper]

Hi

I’m looking for some guidance please, I’ve managed to get my double brood box poly nuc through winter and looking for some advice when to transfer them into a full hive.
I’ve had a quick inspection and can see brood over several frames.
Im in Yorkshire, when would you guys consider doing this

thanks

 

[thorn]

Not yet. When the weather warms up.

 

[oliver90owner]

A little before they are ready for a super. Allows them time to settle down after the re-arrangement.

 

[Super Duper]

So would I be right in saying around the end of April

 

[drex]

It is better to look at what the bees are telling you than what the calendar says. The years vary in weather and south of country very different to north. I add boxes when the frames in the old box are about 80% covered by bees .
A transfer need not take a lot of time, and if the colony is strong, would not take much notice of the weather, but choosing a mild day is best. For more lengthy manipulations I would wait until it is consistently milder.
Leave it too late and they may swarm. Too early and they will struggle.

 

[oliver90owner]

So would I be right in saying around the end of April

Beekeepers do not keep bees by dates.

 

[Garry R]

If strongish now then Tuesday is mild and a quick swap over should be fine with a dummy board on each side then done early and all you need to do is add more frames of drawn comb or foundation when needed. I got a warm day last week and did mine and they are flying well with plenty of pollen going in.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

why slam them into a box twice the volume when there's probably no rush and the weather is set to be cold again?

 

[BigAshW]

why slam them into a box twice the volume when there's probably no rush and the weather is set to be cold again?

I've been having the same debate with myself. I have an over wintered nuc in a six frame poly. I was thinking of transferring tomorrow as they look very packed but the predicted cold Easter has stopped me.

 

[Garry R]

My nuc is getting a bit tight for space - they certainly are not social distancing and they are not going from 6 frame to 11 frame in one go - just a couple more frames and follower boards on each side and transferring to a poly hive from a poly nuc.

 

[Michael Palmer]

The ideal time for me to transfer nuclei into 10 frame Langs is at the beginning of the Dandelion flow. This flow initiates swarm preparations for us. Dandelions and fruit trees...the Dandelion/Fruit Bloom. What is your flow that does the same? That's when I would transfer. What size broodnest are you planning on? Single brood? Brood and a super? You could add another nuc box of comb to them and have them expand into it, but then you would be into the double brood size.

 

[jeff33]

The ideal time for me to transfer nuclei into 10 frame Langs is at the beginning of the Dandelion flow. This flow initiates swarm preparations for us. Dandelions and fruit trees...the Dandelion/Fruit Bloom. What is your flow that does the same? That's when I would transfer. What size broodnest are you planning on? Single brood? Brood and a super? You could add another nuc box of comb to them and have them expand into it, but then you would be into the double brood size.

Same here Mike. I have the dandelion and fruit blossom start towards the end of April...the hives stink of dirty socks!!

 

[Curly green finger's]

why slam them into a box twice the volume when there's probably no rush and the weather is set to be cold again?

If needs must then why not put an extention on.
I've heard people putting supers on already.
Even if it goes cold and the colonys strong enough they will just carry on

 

[Erichalfbee]

Same here Mike. I have the dandelion and fruit blossom start towards the end of April...the hives stink of dirty socks!!

The honey is lovely. Crystallises quickly though. I’m down to my last few jars.

 

[jeff33]

The honey is lovely. Crystallises quickly though. I’m down to my last few jars.

Yes , I really enjoy it to. It sets quickly but crystallises really finely almost like a creamed honey. I have just opened my last jar, already starting to get cold sweats

 

[oliver90owner]

Does anybody know where the OP is located? There could be a large difference between the south of England (even Somerset) and the north of Scotland.

One year I supered up several colonies before holidaying in Spain for a week, or so. This was late March and the OSR was already starting to bloom. I removed those supers on my return from Spain. The weather was so miserably cold and wet that many beekeepers were feeding their colonies into May that year.

Think carefully, before taking advice to the contrary.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Does anybody know where the OP is located? There could be a large difference between the south of England (even Somerset) and the north of Scotland.

Sheffield?

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Well done for getting the colony through winter. A relief I bet.
A double brood box poly nuc will have 12 frames in it, I assume. No problem to move them into a standard brood box now when it's a pleasant day and the bees are flying. If there is brood in both boxes, which is possible, then, Super Duper, you should not split the brood so the frames with brood in them should be together, roughly in the middle of the brood box. If, once you inspect the double nuc, there's only a couple of frames of brood, you could leave them for another week or two. Colonies can grow in size quickly at this time of year, so I would suggest a weekly inspection to see what's going on.

 

[Super Duper]

Thanks for your help I transferred them successfully to a full size polly brood box and I’ll keep an eye on them