Nuc to National + Drones

[SteveG]

hi, First quick look in hives today, sun on all and bees very busy with Pollen. couple of questions.

I've a nuc with brood box and super. so busy and I really think I need to move into full national. however, still cold nights etc.
out of the 5 brood frames, 3 full with capped brood, 1 with eggs, food / pollen, 1 food.
5 fames in super with 3 frames with eggs, food, pollen, 2 frames food.
when the brood frames start to hatch it's going to be a busy place.

Thought of moving into national - brood box with the 5 frames and 2 new frames, Dummy boards at each side, Super on top with similar set up and queen excluder.

Thoughts -

WBC - Deep . one brood box full of bees, 5 frames of capped brood, rest mixture of eggs, food and pollen, just the one outside frames left for bees to finish drawing. looks great. what I did see where two of the largest drones.. seems early??

 

[ASPIRERITE]

Leave it and see what the weather does, on warm days check for queen cells and be quick its a weird year unusually warm. If it reaches above 16c rehouse as fast as possible and give them some insulation and a wind break and put varroa board in. Make sure you don't forget the entrance block. It could get cold fast so keep eye on stores. Hives in weather like this at this time of year can starve fast. Its the most dangerous part of the year. I've had to feed my hives and they had plenty of stores

 

[BeeSpace]

I'm too new to give much advice, but I can tell you my experience; I had a 6 frame nuc in similar condition in mid Feb - seemed very busy, so in the warm spell in Feb (around 17th) I moved them up to a brood with two frames of foundation and a dummy board and insulation at the back (they also have insulation above crownboard and fondant).

Checked them last week, so a month after the move, and they had drawn the two frames, were up to five frames of BIAS and looking excellent, so another two frames of foundation have gone in and the internal insulation has come out (kept the bit above the crownboard and left the fondant on). I'm going to be prepping a second brood for them in the near future, just in case I need to put it on.

Re drones; I have drones and some drone comb in the above mentioned nuc / brood. I also have a second, smaller nuc with one or two drones and some sealed drone brood - I'm in South Yorkshire and it is early, but I've seen lots of reports on Facebook groups of early drones in a number of areas.

 

[SteveG]

thanks, weather forecast of 16c /17c next week, think I'll move to national. still not sure whats best to do with the 3 frames of eggs in super frames

 

[thorn]

Re drones; I have drones and some drone comb in the above mentioned nuc / brood. I also have a second, smaller nuc with one or two drones and some sealed drone brood - I'm in South Yorkshire and it is early, but I've seen lots of reports on Facebook groups of early drones in a number of areas.

We've seen a few drones in Leeds too.