Overwinter queens in mini Nuc

[jezd]

Still got 10 mini nucs running here, planning to place on some mini-supers shortly (bit late I know).

7 are strong
2 may have virgin queens
1 is queenless (will merge with another)

Planning to move them to warmer areas (urban city site) to test overwintering.

Not done anything for varoa mind, seem a but small for treatment.

Anyone else got mini's still running?

JD

 

[RoofTops]

Yes, and I have treated for varroa - just fragments of Apilife Var. The colonies are small but that means it won't take many varroa to affect them.

They are very busy during the current good weather.

 

[MJBee]

Having been caught out previously I made sure this year that I always had a spare queen in an Apidea. Sods law struck and I have a mated queen left over.

I have removed the feed container and added another 2 frames (total 5) then put another similarly configured Apidea on top so they have a total of 10 frames. I then wrapped the whole lot in 30mm Roofmate and have been feeding syrup via a 1lb honey jar which they empty every 2 days.

An interesting experiment - I couldn't squish the queen so I have done all I can to help them through - fingers crossed

 

[beebreeder]

I had not thought of mice but I guess that mini nucs are no more or less vulnerable to attack than a full size polyhive especialy if they are mounted on a post.

 

[Poly Hive]

If you have the sliding type entrance which includes a queen excluder then set it to the excluder and it should act as a mouse excluder as well.

PH

 

[beebreeder]

Poly
I will do that but only when the last pollen has finished, as the slot tends to remove the pollen and leave a pile at the front of the post mounted board, no extra insulation though, if it does;nt work I won't do it again, not worth loads of extra work just get them in full nucs earlier next year.

 

[jezd]

down to just 6 mini's with queens and about to unite the others bees to these (2-3 lots queens), also placing new mini supers on them.

 

[jezd]

Down to 5 mini nucs (1 queen used in another nuc that had failed), last 5 doing well and and have been fed with some sugar this week.

will post some pics shortly, interesting project this as it shows how even a handful of bees and a queen can cope in such weather.

 

[jezd]

First issue is finding the mini-nucs...

 

[mbc]

Great pics jezd, I'm all for having fun with bees myself, but watch out for the backlash from people concerned about bee cruelty on this site - not only are you opening them up in cold weather but youve even squashed a few !

 

[jezd]

I was just showing ppl how we are looking after some mini nucs that was all.

a) sadly bees get squished at times, those seen are ones from earlier in season
b) they needed feeding so I feed them, if they starve they die
c) they are in poly nucs and very warm - really active and seem to do well

Nothing cruel going on here keep moving ppl

 

[Finman]

.
Question is not about feeding.

The proplem is that it is hard to the cluster keep the wintering temperature because it has not enough mass to hinder radiation out. So bees eate more and more and they will be filled with poo. So they die and make frames unusuable.

I have wintered in Finland 2 frames nucs with 3 W infrared radiator.
They survive well but problems begin in spring because that size of colony is not able to build up. It is just a toy.

It is easier if you add bees to the nuc before wintering.

I keep over winter 20% extra hives. They are about normal size. Every winter some of hives become so tiny that I need not in autumn mininucs. - Stupid playing where you learn nothing.

.

 

[jezd]

Relax, these are just overwintering nucs for the queens, the total started at around 10, 3 failed and got united and another 2 queens got used to replace lost queens. They have already paid for themselves with late queen losses and are now being looked after.

The above images are the first time they have been examined in a month.

You all stress too much on these matter.

 

[drstitson]

"Relax, these are just overwintering nucs for the queens, the total started at around 10, 3 failed and got united and another 2 queens got used to replace lost queens. They have already paid for themselves with late queen losses and are now being looked after.

The above images are the first time they have been examined in a month."

personally, if i'd felt from experience that the nucs might be getting low on supplies and really needed opening up in the current weather conditions i'd've whipped off the lids, gauged how much feed was left through the plastic sheet and only opened those that really couldn't wait. even then it would be very much a quick lift-pour-close process to ensure they were tucked up again as quickly as possible with no time wasted taking pics.

 

[Finman]

Relax, these are just overwintering nucs You all stress too much on these matter.

ÖH! WHO?
I do not loose sleeps for stupid ideas. I merely told that i does not work.

 

[jezd]

ÖH! WHO?
I do not loose sleeps for stupid ideas. I merely told that i does not work.

lol, agree on the sleepz.

 

[Crg]

.The proplem is that it is hard to the cluster keep the wintering temperature because it has not enough mass to hinder radiation out. So bees eate more and more and they will be filled with poo.

This is the UK not Finland

The bees in my mininucs were out stretching their wings on the weekend and becoming less filled with poo.

They'll get a reasonable chance to do that throughout the winter.

 

[steve1958]

My wife refers to all my Bee Hives as my "Toys"
and the Bees as my "Pets"

 

[drstitson]

(a)voiding wintering bees

"becoming less filled with poo"

that's an interesting/nice way of putting it! "taking a s**t" would be another way!

 

[Finman]

This is the UK not Finland

.

Yes, I know! When it is so easy, why don't you rear enough Br. queens for spring?

I appreciate 2 hive owners' experience.