Split...number of bees

[ShinySideUp]

Since I had a swarm the other day bee numbers in the hive have increased again. I have found a queen cell to keep and destroyed all the others (twice in three days) except i took a frame with another QC on it and put it in a six-frame nuc with two other frames of bees and brood then filled it out with three partially drawn frames. While I think I've done ok with this I am worried that I haven't moved enough bees across. How many is enough (yes, I realise this is a little subjective)?

 

[JonnyPicklechin]

I just did the same...i think the key is to make sure you have enough capped worker brood in at least two sides of frames which will give you a good strong colony as they break out. Rapid feed also.

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[ShinySideUp]

I just did the same...i think the key is to make sure you have enough capped worker brood in at least two sides of frames which will give you a good strong colony as they break out. Rapid feed also.

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Yes I have the required capped cells. I put a rapid feeder in immediately. So far so good then.

 

[Curley]

Normal rule when making a nuc (assuming 6 frames)is two of brood, two of stores (honey/nectar) two of room (drawn comb and foundation) and shake two more frames of bees in. If you are leaving the nuc in the same apiary maybe shake another frame or two of bees in as nearly all the fliers will go back to the parent colony. As you are leaving them a queen cell then its going to be 2 weeks or more likely three, before she lays and 3 weeks before those bees add to the population so make sure the brood added is a mixture of capped and open brood to give a continuity. If you are keeping the nuc in the apiary try for younger bees (ie give a little shake to remove the fliers before shaking in. If taking away then less important. If you have made the nuc up in the last couple of days its not too late to shake in some more if you think they are a little light. Avoid feeding until the fliers have gone (24 hours or so) as feeding too early may encourage silent robbing.

 

[ShinySideUp]

If you have made the nuc up in the last couple of days its not too late to shake in some more if you think they are a little light. Avoid feeding until the fliers have gone (24 hours or so) as feeding too early may encourage silent robbing.

Good advice. Too lat for the feed though as I've already put it in. If the weather is ok tomorrow I'll have a look in and see how many bees are there but I really don't want to mess about with them any more as the original hive is full of pretty lairy bees and I get chased if I get anywhere near them. I'm hoping that when their queen hatches, which will be much sooner than the nuc box's, they'll get a bit calmer. Not helping is the fact that they are forecasting thunderstoms tonight!

 

[Eyeman]

Normal rule when making a nuc (assuming 6 frames)is two of brood, two of stores (honey/nectar) two of room (drawn comb and foundation) and shake two more frames of bees in. If you are leaving the nuc in the same apiary maybe shake another frame or two of bees in as nearly all the fliers will go back to the parent colony. As you are leaving them a queen cell then its going to be 2 weeks or more likely three, before she lays and 3 weeks before those bees add to the population so make sure the brood added is a mixture of capped and open brood to give a continuity. If you are keeping the nuc in the apiary try for younger bees (ie give a little shake to remove the fliers before shaking in. If taking away then less important. If you have made the nuc up in the last couple of days its not too late to shake in some more if you think they are a little light. Avoid feeding until the fliers have gone (24 hours or so) as feeding too early may encourage silent robbing.

Shake in half a dozen honey super frames as most of these will be young bees.

 

[Millet]

I recently made two Nucs with two frames of brood and one of food in each one, i moved the parent hive 6ft away and put the nucs on the parent hives original position, that way a lot of the foragers returning went into the nucs so i did not have to shake any bees.

 

[thibault]

Shake in half a dozen honey super frames as most of these will be young bees.

When you say young bees, does it mean nurse bees or young foragers?
Thx

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[For want of a better word]

When you say young bees, does it mean nurse bees or young foragers?
Thx

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Young foragers will soon revert to nurse bees ( so the books say!) however....
I place into the nuc to be made up, complete brood box frames of bees with brood food pollen and all attached bees... the older foragers will soon return to the original stance if you have left something there for them to go back to!

On setting up the new nuc...If unsure of temperament* of the colony frames have been taken from.... at 4 ( books say 3) days go in and remove all queen cells, and place in virgin from a trusted colony or a trusted mated queen from a mini nuc.

*Unwise to breed from swarmy or aggressive / defensive bees

Yeghes da

 

[beeno]

Stores = honey (syrup) and pollen. Emerging brood needs a lot of pollen to develop and to provide brood food.

 

[Eyeman]

When you say young bees, does it mean nurse bees or young foragers?
Thx

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The bees in the honey supers tend to be 'middle aged' receiver and honey ripeners so they are more likely to stay put in the nuc.