Over wintering Nucs

[jezd]

When i have wanted to keep any small nuc's warm over winter the heat has come from a strong colony beneath them,the nuc's being above a screen board.Low tech,but it works well.

Trying to picture this, main hive on bottom, above brood box a cover board first? then a screen?

I will have a super on main hive for fondant so not sure this method will work (for me ).

JD

 

[Hivemaker.]

Does if you feed the hive below first.

 

[jezd]

Contrary to my thought that nucs struggled to survive the winter - here is a solution from chilly Manitoba that appears to work.

Definitely one to try - and image it could make your increase from 5 to 25 hives in 1 season too.

http://www.mbbeekeeping.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48&Itemid=59

Thoughts anyone ?!

I spoke to Lance on his setup with the 2 frame nucs, I asked when he started to build the over wintering tomb, see below..

I make up the nucs in June early July so that they reach full strength before winter and sometimes you can get a honey crop from them. I put them into the wintering covers when the night time temperatures go to -10C (14F) same as the standard hives. Around here that is usually early to mid November.

Later than I thought it would be.

JD

 

[Finman]

.
I just ask, where you need those 2-frame nucs. Small colonies are he most laborous thing I have seen.

They are only worth of the queen. Huge job to take care of them.

What I have noticed, small hives are sensitive to nosema. Their spring build up is minimum.

Numerous beekeepers have tried that trick but why they do not recommend it or use it longer?

****************

That queen battery does not make things easier.

In spring they need more bees that you get advantage from them. From where you get a colony bees enough to each queen? You may raise them in spring.

In your climate it is easier to over winter individual 4-5 frame nucs.

.

 

[Finman]

.
One spring I byed 6 queen from Italy. But that spring build up was miserable.
I did not have bees to make nucs to those queens. That may happen.

I have used now many years pollen patty + electrict heating in spring build up.
Small cononies 4-6 frames get no advantage from that system. They tend to get chalk brood. Often I have casted away brood.
It is better that I give frames of biggiest colonies when new bees start to emerge.
So they just weaken strong hives and spoil the early yield.

Nosema makes small colonies enough to me for spring.

 

[Somerford]

I spoke to Lance on his setup with the 2 frame nucs, I asked when he started to build the over wintering tomb, see below..

I make up the nucs in June early July so that they reach full strength before winter and sometimes you can get a honey crop from them. I put them into the wintering covers when the night time temperatures go to -10C (14F) same as the standard hives. Around here that is usually early to mid November.

Later than I thought it would be.

JD

Interesting, JD. -10c is pretty darned cold as well....must be a mild winter for them !

I suppose our climate would be fine without the extra insulation, although Finman mentions using electric heating in the Spring in a reply above !


S

 

[Finman]

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If you do something waerm to colonies, insulation is the most important.
Bees makes their own heat and insulation hinders the heat escaping.

In theory nucs warm each other. I used tens of years mating nucs which were devided to 4-3 parts. Now I have individual 3-frame mating nucs and they are really splended compared to the multi nuc system. Those solitary nucs are warmer even if I put there one frame of bees.

 

[Somerford]

can you post a photo, Finman ?

 

[Finman]

can you post a photo, Finman ?

I have not any pic, but I made them splitting the polybox to 3 parts with table saw. Then I made missing walls from styrofoam insulating board.
The cover from insulating board and bottom from ply.

You may pile them to 6-frame nuc. You may change food and brood frames with big hives. They are very flexible.

I made first nucs from medium box but they are not ghangeable with normal hive's brood frames.

They are very light and easy to carry on car's back seat.

The board should be 30 mm thick. 20 mm is too flexible.

.

 

[Finman]

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When I load the nuc, I give brood frame or bee frame + queen or old queen cell. Then food frame and foundation frame.

When I rear queens, I take nuc bees from the rearing hive. So they have no troubles to accept the virgin or cell. Later I may take a emerging brood frame from any hive and strenghten the colony.

I bring those nucs to another bee yard that bees do not retun to their home.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

I've seen standard BS brood boxes split into three with thin plywood so there are 3 3-frame nucs in there. Easy to do with an old hive body. Don't know how they overwinter though but they might well be OK. However if the middle nuc dies, then the others won't have a warm side.

You can buy terrarium heaters - used for reptiles (I think I remember correctly that Finman uses them sometimes ?). These are about 1 mm thick and can slip inside the hive very easily. I used one this Spring to help a weak colony build up quickly and it seemed to work.

 

[Frisbee]

I've seen standard BS brood boxes split into three with thin plywood so there are 3 3-frame nucs in there. Easy to do with an old hive body. Don't know how they overwinter though but they might well be OK. However if the middle nuc dies, then the others won't have a warm side.

I made this from an unmodified National body. I lined it with that foil/polystyrene stuff you can get to put at the backs of radiators. I made my own OMF and put those little door openings like on a Snelgrove board for each compartment, one on the front and one on each side. I also made a crown board for it with divisions and covered holes so I could put a jam jar feeder on any compartment without disturbing another. it worked well.

 

[Frisbee]

Here it is showing two of the openings.

 

[BKF Admin]

Nice job Frisbee

What was the silver sheet that you used? I like that idea.

p.s do you have a diy man in the cupboard?

 

[ainsie]

A picture paints a thousand words.Frisbee.Ainsie

 

[Somerford]

F.A.B. great pics Fris. Personally, I go for the 'natural' look, but that's a great paint job too !

S

 

[ian]

Hi

Doubles work very well and Winter just fine. Nuc's can be prone to condensation and some vents are a must but I would hold back on complete mesh floors.

http://picasaweb.google.com/idavisonbees/DbNuc#


Regards Ian

 

[Finman]

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I used those 3 part boxes 40 years in mating and for winter nucs.
Now I may sa that they do not give any advantage.

As mating nucs losses of virgins waere huge. They piped and moved from nuc to nuc and killed each other. Sometimes bees moved to one part.

As heat keeper system fails if bottom is open.

 

[Frisbee]

F.A.B. great pics Fris. Personally, I go for the 'natural' look, but that's a great paint job too !

S

That is a seriously old box..........if you look at the top picture, bottom right hand corner is the tell-tale sign of white filler, used to fill in a hole or more... while the natural look is all very well on a nice new box, I didn't like to see a blotchy grey/brown/white box

I used those 3 part boxes 40 years in mating and for winter nucs.
Now I may sa that they do not give any advantage.

I just made it up to use for rearing up to 3 queens, I had no intention of using it to overwinter. I put a small amount of insulation in it to help what was a smaller amount of bees keep brood warm.

Frisbee

 

[Finman]

I just made it up to use for rearing up to 3 queens, I

Yes, in that job system is very harmfull. A high dead rate of virgins.