Tfring nuc to hive

[ROACHMAN]

Ive got a nuc that has built up to the point where all 5 frames are drawn out.

Is to OK to tfr it to a full hive or is it too late in the season ? Ive only got foundation to add (no drawn frames) to the hive .

Im worried that if I overwinter in the nuc there wont be enough space for enough winter stores.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I think they'd struggle to occupy a full sized brood box especially if they're expected to draw comb - how many frames of brood (not stores) have they?- if push comes to shove you can always feed them fondant.

 

[Poly Hive]

What are they currently housed in? Timber or poly?

PH

 

[ROACHMAN]

5 frame poly nuc at the moment

 

[huntsman666]

Try putting then in with two frames of foundation (one each side), put to one side of the full sized hive and block the remaining space off with a dummy board.

If they draw these out quickly, think of adding two more.

 

[ROACHMAN]

Ill check tomorrow how much stores they have, ive been feeding them for a week now and they have taken 3kg so far

 

[mbc]

What the fk is tfsing ?
If you mean transfering then I would say do the transfer into a larger box but keep them warm with a frame/dummy board feeder either side and top insulation

 

[huntsman666]

What is fk?

 

[Poly Hive]

I would leave them to over winter in the poly rather than transfer to a large cold space.

PH

 

[user 6228]

I trust the large hive is poly as well?
if so then you could dummy out the hive with correx covered polystrene so that all they get is an extra 2 frames at time and avoid that large cold space issue that polyhive related. Then you have a 7 frame poly nuc

Large hive is wood? I wouldnt.

2mm Black correx at jewsons for £4.50 a 2.4 by 1.2 m sheet.

 

[mbc]

I would leave them to over winter in the poly rather than transfer to a large cold space.

PH

If they've drawn out five frames already then why not get them to draw more ? Its only the beginning of September and even a small colony will easily utilize syrup in frame feeders. It could make a huge difference to how quickly they reach critical mass next Spring. So long as they have a small entrance so they can easily defend against wasps and other bees and have some top insulation and frame feeders either side then I cannot think of a down side to putting them into a proper hive for the winter.

 

[Poly Hive]

I have one poly nat that is empty and I have 20 candidates I could put in it, yet am not, why?

Because if the weather turns, I lose the nuc. If the weather does not turn I have a well fed nuc which is not stressed.

I win in both events. The bees do not suffer, and so in my view the best of both worlds.

PH

 

[oliver90owner]

Ive got a nuc that has built up to the point where all 5 frames are drawn out.

I'm slightly tending to go with MBC here, but let's first get some useful information to make a decent judgement. Remember rubbish in, rubbish out.

So the point has arrived where all 5 frames are drawn out? Now, then, tell what is in these five frames? That is far more important than the information afforded thus far.

It's far more important to know how many bees, how much brood (and possibly how long they have been getting there and how big they were initially). If there is not a lot of either, you would be wasting your time putting them into a larger home.

After all, a nuc should have five drawn frames to start with; so patently, it was not a proper nucleus of bees at the outset. We can be sure you are referring to the bees as the hive will not have changed size or built itself up or anything like that.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

As I asked initially, i think the point was lost - how much of the five frames are actually brood and how much stores and/or just drawn comb

 

[oliver90owner]

jenkinsbrynmair,

I noted your post and there was a reply from the OP. I was just reinforcing, really, as your post stopped me posting originally as you seemed to have put down the important point of 'more info needed'.

I might yet go with Poly Hive, and recommend removal of stores frames while leaving them in the nucleus hive. Just cannot be sure, until all pertinent information is available. After all, that is why we should be keeping inspection notes - so we not only know what they have now, but also it allows us to assess the colony development over a reasonable time scale.

I also note there are another half dozen colonies, so I am a little surprised that someone with that number of colonies should have this dilemma. Leave in the nuc, move to a full hive, uniting, reinforcing with more bees/brood, and possibly other options are all there for the choosing. If parked into a larger box they can always be moved back again, if the weather turns. It does not seem at all like having twenty candidates and only one available hive! I sometimes wonder whether, if the actual instruction is not written down, that particular line of action is deemed 'out of bounds'.

Beekeeping should not be like that. The impression to new beeks is one of difficulty at every step, which it is not. Only when one gets into the mire, either with a solitary colony or perhaps by following some dead-end instructions, should one need to call for help in simple matters such as this.

Now, knowing the most likely alternatives and asking which people prefer, is much more acceptable - and can get a good discussion going.

If enough bees by the end of the season there should be little problem with provisionig that one hive for winter - just get some extra frames of stores from other hives as and when they are otherwise well provisioned. There is no real excuse, with that many hives - for not looking ahead - and getting those frames drawn (and possibly filled) in a stronger colony now.

Subliminally, that was likely why I didn't respond earlier on.

Regards, RAB

 

[Poly Hive]

RAb? I have one empty hive left. I could pick from 20 nucs to put in it but am choosing not to for reasons posted above so to me your comment fails to add up.

PH

 

[Swarm]

I had a colony go through our last, very cold winter on brood and half with just three frames of brood. Would I do this again? Probably not. I think I would be more inclined to transfer them to a six frame poly nuc, I don't know why - but I recently bought one of these poly nucs and it just seems ideal for a colony at this stage.

 

[ROACHMAN]

Checked the poly nuc earlier, its actually on 6 frames not 5 as previously stated (4 brood and 2 stores). I have found a couple of drawn frames so have decided to tfr(short for transfer for people who dont know) to hive with an additional 2 frames of foundation.


RAB you wanted additional info so here it is :

The colony started off as a swarm collected on 3/7

Colony was slow to build so requeened on 5/8

added a frame of brood from another hive on 11/8 to kick start things.

Today . colony is now short of space with 4 frames of brood and 2 of stores therefore hived to give an additional 4 frames(2 drawn, 2 foundation)

Hope that fills in the gaps

James

 

[oliver90owner]

That's it. If we knew that lot at the start, there would have been little hesitation in going to a full brood box. Still possibly a couple, or even three months of development (one can never tell). Can't bank on these maximums but if there are back up options, if it does not work out in the expected timescale, does it really matter?

So, nearly two pages for a decision that should have been obvious, had you simply mapped out 'ifs' and 'buts' on a piece of paper. I liked the '...found a couple of drawn frames...', too.. Not surprised if there are another half dozen colonies around.

Glad you made your own decision on it, though.

 

[mbc]

Glad you made your own decision on it, though.

I thought Roachman was following excellent advice having discarded the rubbish