Starting a one frame nuc. Too late?

[TwoHiveNovice]

So just putting it out as a general ask.

Considering starting off a one frame nuc for overwintering. A full frame of brood and full frame of stores due to having a spare queen.

Too late as just entering August?

 

[Ian123]

Why are you making it a 1 frame?

 

[TwoHiveNovice]

Why are you making it a 1 frame?

@Ian123 I would stretch to two. I'm not overly confident on the queen so more an experiment if being totally honest.

And I'm taking it from another six frame nuc set up for overwintering that is now five frames full of brood.

 

[enrico]

As long as the new queen is mated and laying you could give it a go. Down here in the south little nectar but weather hot. Not too sure what Manchester is like. What have you got to lose as long as you don't weaken the donor hive beyond what it can take!

 

[TwoHiveNovice]

As long as the new queen is mated and laying you could give it a go. Down here in the south little nectar but weather hot. Not too sure what Manchester is like. What have you got to lose as long as you don't weaken the donor hive beyond what it can take!

Thanks @enrico that was the general rational behind my thinking.

 

[Ian123]

Probably to little in all honesty, but I do have some similar mating nucs that will build to 5 frames for winter. But then I’ll combine some weak ones and have the bees to find a spare frame of brood for some if they need help. If you can make the nuc bigger go ahead.

 

[enrico]

It is always good to have a spare queen in spring. If you get a stroppy hive the queen is easy to find early in the year and swap her for your spare. Mated queen's can be difficult to get early on.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

A few things to consider
You will be making up a very weak nuc so there will be no new bees in there for at least three weeks after (if) the bees accept her.
you are entering the endd of summer dearth with no real flows around, bees arer starting to make a mischief of themselves.
It will be peak robbing season for both wasps and bees (did I mention that what you have is a very weak nuc?)
Any steps to try and boost this one frame nuc is going to further weaken your original nuc which, as you say, has only five frames of brood (exactly how much of each frame is actually full of brood?)
Personally I think it's a bonkers idea - but what have you got to lose?

 

[pete darbyshire]

---

Personally I think it's a bonkers idea - but what have you got to lose?

BOTH OF THEM??

 

[ericbeaumont]

Too late as just entering August?

Personally I think it's a bonkers idea - but what have you got to lose?

JBM's comments are sound, but if you have the queen and want to give it a go, give it a go.

Feed syrup regularly, close the entrance to one bee space, move it 3 miles away at the first sign of wasp predation.

Keen to hear the outcome in November!

 

[enrico]

In my opinion it all hinges around local conditions and only the author knows that.

 

[pargyle]

So ... where is this 'SPARE' queen at present, where has she come from and is she laying where she is ?

I'm with JBM ... it's a recipe for a robbing fest ...or wasp attack .... there's not going to be enough bees to defend the hive or potentially even nurse any new brood and you would be weakening an existing colony. If you have both nucs in the same apiary all them foragers are going to return to the original hive as well ....

Not a great idea ...

 

[Julian4983]

i think the wasps will attack it and it’ll be gone in a matter of days as I learnt last week. I’m now trying another approach:

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/avoiding-the-wasps-attacking-my-nuc.53534/

 

[mbc]

I make two frame nucs up at this time, the trick is to make sure they've got more than enough bees to cover those two frames, quick feed and they'll be a four frame nuc next time you look in.
They're given a mated queen and moved away from the parent site.

 

[madasafish]

DO NOT FEED SYRUP.
It is an open invitation to wasps. They will smell it and a weak colony will die.

If you do make up a nuc, shake the combs you take gently to remove the flying bees. BEFORE you place in your nuc. If not, they will fly home and tell the colony they came from there is lots of food available. Cue large scale robbing.

Personally I would not. 30 miles South where I live robbing is a major issue due to the rain of last week meaning colonies have hardly foraged at all

 

[ericbeaumont]

robbing is a major issue

Strange to relate that although nothing has been coming in for a week or so, robbing is almost non-existent. Normally at this time I'd have bees trying (and succeeding) to get into the vehicle, or the kitchen, or at a nuc.

Can't last, but so far the expected onslaught (even from wasps) is absent.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Strange to relate that although nothing has been coming in for a week or so, robbing is almost non-existent. Normally at this time I'd have bees trying (and succeeding) to get into the vehicle, or the kitchen, or at a nuc.

Can't last, but so far the expected onslaught (even from wasps) is absent

None of my nucs are suffering from wasp attack even tho they are around. All th nucs are down to one Bee space and some strong and some not so.
Local bees were trying to get into my extraction room yesterday. Hopefully I thwarted them by taping up the door before I left!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Has anybody tried splitting a single colony into two nucs this way

 

[Ian123]

Has anybody tried splitting a single colony into two nucs this way

Lol……why’s he got fondant on top of his super

 

[Erichalfbee]

I didn’t notice.