Nuc transferred.

[Jonnyl]

National frames x9 in the 14x12 brood box, queen excluder on and a super added. Crown board on withenglish feeder with 1 to 1 syrup. Spotted thw queen and shes in yhe brood box with all nine frames heavy with stores but i couldnt see brood. I did see two empty queen cells. All grand except for no apparent brood. What should i look for? Also, i dont want to go into the hive again without good cause but the queen cups annoy me and i need to check/remove the feeder. Any advice on that aspect too. Thanks to you all.

 

[drex]

Your title is nuc transferred, so when did you get the nuc? How much brood was present in the nuc when you got it? What size nuc ( how many frames)? Nucs are usually 5-6 frames, so when did you transfer and add the other 3-4? You say that all frames are heavy with stores, so there is no need to feed. Are there any empty cells in which the queen can lay? Do not worry about empty " queen cells", or cups as you later more rightly call them. At this time of year the bees make loads, and if you knock them down will just build more.
Sorry but need more info for a semi sensible reply.

 

[Jonnyl]

Sorry Drex, you can plainly see I’m a novice. It was meant to be a nuc but I had to delay collecting the hive and the keeper put them back in a poly hive as they colony was expanding. I ended up taking the poly hive which clarifies the amount of frames. I didn’t think they needed any syrup as there were maybe 3-4 frames stacked with honey, capped and uncapped but I’ve read and been advised that they need feeding after taking receipt. I can always take it back off and I will in a couple of days when I go back to it to check for any more ‘cups’. Again I apologise for my errant terminology. I didn’t notice any brood or otherwise or eggs though which has me a little concerned but I saw the queen and she looked very fat and active. As they were national brood frames (all 11)I put 8 of them in my 14x12, I know I’ll bet brace comb, and put 3 frames of my 14x12 frames in the back along with a dummy thus replacing the original untouched 3 frames I got with the hive. Hope this new a little clearer for you.

 

[Millet]

Sorry Drex, you can plainly see I’m a novice. It was meant to be a nuc but I had to delay collecting the hive and the keeper put them back in a poly hive as they colony was expanding. I ended up taking the poly hive which clarifies the amount of frames. I didn’t think they needed any syrup as there were maybe 3-4 frames stacked with honey, capped and uncapped but I’ve read and been advised that they need feeding after taking receipt. I can always take it back off and I will in a couple of days when I go back to it to check for any more ‘cups’. Again I apologise for my errant terminology. I didn’t notice any brood or otherwise or eggs though which has me a little concerned but I saw the queen and she looked very fat and active. As they were national brood frames (all 11)I put 8 of them in my 14x12, I know I’ll bet brace comb, and put 3 frames of my 14x12 frames in the back along with a dummy thus replacing the original untouched 3 frames I got with the hive. Hope this new a little clearer for you.

Take the feeder off ASAP and give them a super, leave the Queen excluder out till they start drawing the super frames which should be pretty quick by the sound of things, maybe one day then put the Queen excluder in, if the queen has no space to lay she obviously wont, my bet from my experiences is they will start moving the stores up over and you could speed thing up by extacting a couple of brood stores and giving the frames straight back to the bees in the brood box.

 

[Anduril]

First of all remove the feeder, don't use it to draw out the frames in the super or you will end up with syrup instead of nectar being stored. Remove a few of your frames with stores and add empty frames which I assume is foundation Place these as 3rd and 4th frames and 8th and 9th for them to draw out and make space for brood. If the brood chamber becomes syrup bound your hive may swarm. The frames of stores can be reintroduced as a winter feed later on.

 

[Beefriendly]

I'd stick them right in the middle, hive seems to be store bound with no laying room.
Feeder off and if any chance of extracting full frames do it.

 

[Jonnyl]

Ok guys, I'll take the feeder off now and leave them to it for a couple of days and then inspect the hive again. I really appreciate your help. Cheers

 

[Beefriendly]

Ok guys, I'll take the feeder off now and leave them to it for a couple of days and then inspect the hive again. I really appreciate your help. Cheers

NO, they are not going to remove all the stores you have fed them....You need to remove full frames and get some new in there. Queens need room to lay....Beehives are not Tardises.

 

[Jonnyl]

Beefriendly. There are three frames on 14x12 foundation in the BB and room around other national frames from the donor box. I will give it a coupleof days to leave them alone before inspecting/disturbing them again. Then i'll remove the QE as previously advised and let them get on with things. I need more advice from you all at that point im sure. Many thanks.

 

[Beefriendly]

National frames x9 in the 14x12 brood box, queen excluder on and a super added. Crown board on withenglish feeder with 1 to 1 syrup. Spotted thw queen and shes in yhe brood box with all nine frames heavy with stores but i couldnt see brood.

If all the frames are full of stores as you describe the queen has no room to lay. It can be sometimes difficult to explain what is going on in your hive, but people on this forum can only advise on the information given.

 

[mickbees23]

You need to talk to your supplier in my humble opinion. I don't think you should take ownership of a colony that doesn't have at least 2 frames of brood and really it should have 4 or 5. That way as the brood emerges the queen has at least a few frames to lay in. No one should give you a colony consisting of a queen and stores only, there should be eggs and brood in all stages. You could remove a few frames and extract if possible then put them back in the centre of the colony for the queen to use, but stop feeding and allow them to use the stores to draw your super frames. They may be slow to do that if there is no brood so do as suggested and remove the queen excluder. Brood in the super is a small price to pay to rescue your colony.

Do you have a mentor from your local association who can have a look ?

 

[drex]

When did you last see any brood, sealed and unsealed? Did you see brood when you first got the hive?

 

[Jonnyl]

Beefriendly. Absolutely agree and perhaps my descriptions and terminology are misleading. Will try to sharpen up as i gain a little experience. Should be better placed to see whats going on in a couple of days when i inspect them again. Thank you again.

 

[Jonnyl]

You need to talk to your supplier in my humble opinion. I don't think you should take ownership of a colony that doesn't have at least 2 frames of brood and really it should have 4 or 5. That way as the brood emerges the queen has at least a few frames to lay in. No one should give you a colony consisting of a queen and stores only, there should be eggs and brood in all stages. You could remove a few frames and extract if possible then put them back in the centre of the colony for the queen to use, but stop feeding and allow them to use the stores to draw your super frames. They may be slow to do that if there is no brood so do as suggested and remove the queen excluder. Brood in the super is a small price to pay to rescue your colony.

Do you have a mentor from your local association who can have a look ?

I have done as suggested and will check again on Thursday. Thank you again. Appreciated.

 

[Jonnyl]

When did you last see any brood, sealed and unsealed? Did you see brood when you first got the hive?

Drex. Only just got the bees and moved them into the hive. Ive followed the advice given and removed yhe feed and the excluder. Thursday should provide me with a better idea of the situation. Thanks again to all.

 

[Anduril]

Your supplier shouldn't have sold it without brood, sounds as if you have a virgin queen, either waiting to be mated or has mated and could start laying shortly.

 

[Jonnyl]

Anduril. The supplier is totally pukka. Im sure its me thats missed it, was only a quick overview to make sure i found the queen and placed her in my box safely. The queen certainly looked mated judging by her size. Thanks.

 

[drex]

When sold a nuc should contain at least two frames of brood! I would contact the supplier and ask them to come and have a look. I certainly would not have accepted such a " nuc" .

 

[Anduril]

Anduril. The supplier is totally pukka. Im sure its me thats missed it, was only a quick overview to make sure i found the queen and placed her in my box safely. The queen certainly looked mated judging by her size. Thanks.

Please look at these guidelines, is your nuc/hive representative of the leaflet. https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&s...FjABegQIBhAB&usg=AOvVaw2dIaHsT1qVCvdvIulV3-oZ

 

[Jonnyl]

Thanks to all for the advice. I removed the feeder as suggested right away and today went back to the huve. Removed the super (totally ignored) and the QE . Happy to report that they look as if theyre thriving. Worker brood on three frames and grubs a plenty and festooned with eggs on another in a regular pattern. Three frames with capped and uncapped honey and spots of different darker colured pollen. Theyve also clicked onto the water source, my hose with the gun off leaking water and are finally taking it. Splendid. Thanks again.