regarding a nuc full of bee's!!

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biglongdarren

Drone Bee
Joined
Oct 4, 2010
Messages
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Location
Mourne mountains
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
20+
hey all....i got bee's for the first time in may of this year..i now have two full hives and one nuc full of bee's now with a queen that hatched this year still laying away...i have been feeding them alot but was wondering of the 5 frames in the nuc,how many of them will they need to be stores to get them through the winter?? and if they will be find in the nuc all winter,it is well sheltered where they are at....any info would be great thanks...
 
Hi,welcome to the forum.
What is the nucbox made from,how thick are the walls ?
 
Welcome to the forums Darren

Depends of the size of the colony, size of frame, type of bee, insulation qualities of the hive and of course the weather.

I would aim for most of the frames at least 2/3rds full and mostly capped if standard national sized. If the level of stores is less than this on your final inspection of the year then add a good lump of fondant for added insurance on top of the frames and try and keep the nuc sheltered and tilted slightly forwards.
 
most italian hives are stood tilted forwards!

making an insulated sleeve for the nuc might also be a good idea (just make sure there is an entrance tunnel through to nuc!!!)
 
hey all,the nuc was just a standard 5 frames nuc with with standard national brood frames in it....since my last post i have moved them into a bigger hive and am feeding away like mad,there is loads of ivy around me at the minute and my three hives are really going to town on the stuff... i take my varroa strips out this weekend so fingers crossed come the spring all will be well.....i have heard people talking about insulating the roof,all my bee's are in national hives,is there any call for this...thanks for all the info. Darren
 
Most people seem to put something in the roof of nationals (from the posts I have seen), but am on WBC so not certain.
 
With open mesh floors my bees dont have a problem, never insulated a hive in my life even nucs in 12mm ply boxes, if it was necessary think of the work that would entail if its your living and you have hundreds to do.
kev
 
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Most people seem to put something in the roof of nationals (from the posts I have seen), but am on WBC so not certain.

I'd have thought if you are a believer in top insulation, then WBCs would need something over the crownboard as much as the others. Certainly planning on putting some over mine.
 
I'd have thought if you are a believer in top insulation, then WBCs would need something over the crownboard as much as the others. Certainly planning on putting some over mine.
Yes I will - but I meant I couldn't really comment on Nationals having only a WBC...
 
I insulate my WBC just the same as my Nationals.
Bubble wrap layers on top of the cover board- ensuring all holes in cover board are closed with a slate or piece of wood to ensure no warm air can escape
I put bricks or similar on top of the bubble wrap in the WBC to stop any movement as there are the lifts at the side so not so securely held.
 
With open mesh floors my bees dont have a problem, never insulated a hive in my life even nucs in 12mm ply boxes, if it was necessary think of the work that would entail if its your living and you have hundreds to do.
kev

You have much to learn.
The most difficult is to learn off
 
surely would it not be a bad thing to cover all the holes in the crown board and stop any ventilation?.....i have been told to put matches between the crown board and brood box to add this....no??
 
ventilation

crown board holes were designed solely for feeding and clearing AFAIK.

Leaving an upstairs window open during the winter will no doubt keep your house fresh but also require a lot more heating!!!!!
 
would covering all the holes in the crown broad not cut down the ventilation down and maybe cause damp??...i have been told to place matches between the crown board and brood box to let the air through it??...no??
 
Your OMF will provide plenty of ventilation - the main thing is to stop CONDENSATION on the crownboard (warm damp air off bees hits cold crownboard) - hence the block of insulation above a "solid" CB.
 

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