Planning to increase - Advice on best method

[Rachelw]

Hello everyone.

I currently have one colony which I acquired last June as a 6 frame nuc. I over wintered them in a national brood box. I had my first look at them today - they seem to be looking good. I found the Queen, there was brood on 4 frames and eggs and lavae. They were bringing in lots of pollen and there was nectar as well. I have been feeding them fondant and a couple of weeks ago I gave them some Nektapol. Today I gave them 1:1 syrup.

I would like to increase this year with the aiming for having two or three colonies by the end of the season and maybe one or two nuc boxes so I have a couple of spare queens.

What do you suggest is the best way to achieve this? Any advise warmly welcomed - I have read the books, but nothing beats experience!

By the way - I am in West Yorkshire - near Wakefield.

Thanks in advance

Rachel

 

[oliver90owner]

Do you want a honey crop? Because increasing can seriously reduce your chances of a good harvest.

Other than that, build them up, induce supercedure cells and split 3 or 4 ways.

Split early and get the colonies strong before the wasp season arrives.

You could shorten the process by buying in queens.

Regards, RAB

 

[BobH1]

I would like to increase this year with the aiming for having two or three colonies by the end of the season and maybe one or two nuc boxes

It seems to me that five colonies out of one is a bit ambitious. Buying bees as well as queens may be an option! How about joining your association's swarm collectors list and making up bait hives with your spare equipment.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Your first split may well be as a result of a need to do an artificial swarm

 

[thedeaddiplomat]

I would urge patience.

If you have only handled a nuc up till now, then you may find (as I did) that coping with a full, busy colony with attitude can be a different matter altogether.

Why not just go with the flow (no pun intended). If your current colony builds up rapidly, then there could well be an opportunity for, say, and AS later in the Spring. See how you get on with that. If all goes well, then you might still have a chance to put together a strong nuc of two to overwinter this year.

 

[Rosti]

If you are not precious about 'sub-species' then set some bait hives, you may get lucky and keep a honey harvest from your current colony. If you are forced into swarm control measures that will dissrupt honey production anyway and you may as well split off at that point and take some benefit from the situation. If your bait hives work then you'll have the pleasent problem of deciding how many to over-winter or to combine!

 

[Chris B]

Largely agree with RAB. But I'd go for splitting late May after you've got a bit of a crop and also bee numbers approaching the maximum. If they've already started queen cells you can use those queens but better to get a few from a reliable source ready-mated to fasttrack the build-up of the splits. I'd be cautious about splitting 5 ways unless it's an exceptional colony. 3 or 4 sounds more realistic.

 

[nelletap]

Rachel - I think we must be twins for beekeeping experience and aims. I had a large nucleus (7 or 8 frames) at the end of July last year. I have sufficient equipment for 3 hives. My name is down for a swarm though I had spotted an offer of a nucleus of gentle bees on here it was too late by the time I had the money. It seems to me the problem with a swarm is that they are probably are a type with a propensity to swarm and that, at the beginning of my beekeeping career, trying to concentrate on the nature and quality of the bees might be easier whilst I have fewer. Thus it is a balance between opportunity and time and cost factors. My original colony seems to be doing very well and being prepared for them to swarm is at the back of my mind. I changed the floor and cleaned it so will use that with some spare equipment and consider a bait hive.
I think my preferred scenario is that the person who was offering nucs of gentle bees may have something later in the year for me.
I like to plan things and be prepared so it is an interesting lesson for me that I have to be led by the weather and the bees....!
Perhaps we can compare notes at the end of the season and see whether and how each other has progressed.
The supplier I found seemed great - but it is a worry that newbies in their desperation for bees can be pushed into paying high prices or possibly making bad decisions. Once all the preparation of a site and the hive and parts has been completed, with the research done or the BKA course, impatience grows until you have some bees.
Tricia

 

[Baggyone]

Build up the colony on two brood boxes and demeree it. Doing that could split into 3 - 3 or 4 frame nucs. The original brood box may well give a crop.

If you wish donate one nuc to help the buildup of the others and attempt to over winter it in a nuc box.

Ooh the possibilities.

Sent from my ZTE-U V880 using Tapatalk

 

[Rachelw]

Thanks everyone.

Based on all your advice and on reading round the subject, I think I will take it slowly - not easy for me I always tend to jump into things head first! Will have to curb my natural tendencies! But if the opportunity comes to acquire a swarm I will be prepared.

I do like the idea of rearing my own queens. I will do some reading about this weekend.

Love reading the posts on this forum - most informative and helpful.

Rachel

 

[oliver90owner]

The biggest trap for a newbeek is to take weak colonies into winter in a full hive. Overwintering in a nuc hive is not as easy for a newbeek either. I would recommend strong colonies only into winter for a new starter. A second year beek should be better placed to estimate colony strength.

Using your own queens simply loses about a month of laying time and the genetics may be less predictive. Better to be in a position to be able to select your queens for your hives (or let someone else do it).

Regards, RAB