Tips for moving from 5 frame Nucs to full size brood box

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Still a little unclear about the overwintered brood box with the QC though, although I couldn’t see the incumbent queen there were eggs and young larvae. So if I split into a top box and move the QC up, should I put a Queen excluder between the two brood boxes to be safe

no, especially with a solitary QC, and the time of year I would not fiddle or split the colony, just behave as if it isn't there - leave the QC, give them more space, either super or double brood, personally I wouldn't bother rejigging any frames

 

[ericbeaumont]

but posted in the beginners section, thus the advice should have been aimed at the reader

Beginners will develop faster by exposure to (though not yet necessarily acting upon) management options, so yes, beginner readers are the target.

 

[ericbeaumont]

if I split into a top box and move the QC up, should I put a Queen excluder between the two brood boxes to be safe? Or just let them battle it out if she is still there when the new queen emerges?

As JBM said, don't split.

What you may decide to do is double-brood them; a QX is unnecessary; give them free rein.

If the colony intends to supersede then no battle will occur. The daughter will work alongside the mother for a while until bees get rid of the old queen.

Trouble is that it's too early in the year to achieve efficient mating - mature drones are unlikely to be flying in quantity within five miles.

If they intend to swarm then at your next inspection you will find more QCs and will have to take action.

If you find multiple QCs do not believe that emerging virgins will fight until one remains.

That only happens when a colony has swarmed - perhaps several times - and bees recognise that further casts will weaken the remainder and risk survival.

Keep us updated.

 

[Poly Hive]

When there are 4 frames of brood, not halfs note,full frames then inserting a foundation in the middle works perfectly well. After I get to 8 I insert two a time. Not together but with brood frames between them and the following week they are drawn and laid up.


PH

 

[lizzie-drippin]

If they intend to swarm then at your next inspection you will find more QCs and will have to take action.

If you find multiple QCs do not believe that emerging virgins will fight until one remains.

That only happens when a colony has swarmed - perhaps several times - and bees recognise that further casts will weaken the remainder and risk survival.

Keep us updated.

Hello, so I found multiple QCs when I inspected today, so looks like they want to swarm.

I also did the double brood as suggested but looks like it hasn’t worked. So what suggestions would you make now?

Best

LD

 

[ericbeaumont]

Never mind, was worth a try to give them vertical and lateral space.

Were the QCs open, sealed or a combination of both?

Did you see eggs today? If so, the queen may well be present. Find her and put her in a nuc box with a frame of sealed brood + bees, a frame of pollen and honey + bees, and another emptyish comb of bees.

Check there are no QCs on these frames by shaking bees off into the nuc box and removing anything that looks likely.

If you intend to park the nuc in the same apiary, shake in two frames of bees to compensate for flyers returning home the next day, thus weakening the nuc.

Add empty combs or foundation to fill the box and park it elsewhere in the apiary. Stuff loosely a bit of grass in the entrance.

If you wish to put the nuc elsewhere more than 2-3 miles away, there's no need to add the extra bees.

You now have options: have a read of this.

 

[Wilco]

Hello, so I found multiple QCs when I inspected today, so looks like they want to swarm.

I also did the double brood as suggested but looks like it hasn’t worked. So what suggestions would you make now?

Best

LD

Deleted as @ericbeaumont beat me to it, link retained as different to the one provided above.

Basically this:
http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/swarmconnuc.html

 

[lizzie-drippin]

Never mind, was worth a try to give them vertical and lateral space.

Were the QCs open, sealed or a combination of both?

Did you see eggs today? If so, the queen may well be present. Find her and put her in a nuc box with a frame of sealed brood + bees, a frame of pollen and honey + bees, and another emptyish comb of bees.

Check there are no QCs on these frames by shaking bees off into the nuc box and removing anything that looks likely.

If you intend to park the nuc in the same apiary, shake in two frames of bees to compensate for flyers returning home the next day, thus weakening the nuc.

Add empty combs or foundation to fill the box and park it elsewhere in the apiary. Stuff loosely a bit of grass in the entrance.

If you wish to put the nuc elsewhere more than 2-3 miles away, there's no need to add the extra bees.

You now have options: have a read of this.

Combination of open and closed cells. Open cells had larvae inside.

I removed the existing queen to a nuc. Question is what to do with what’s left!

Thanks for your help and advice

LD

 

[Swarm]

Now you have the queen in a nuc, select a nice open cell with healthy larva, mark that frame and remove the rest. Return in a week and remove any further cells.

 

[ericbeaumont]

what to do with what’s left

remove any further cells.

Alternatively, use those QCs to make up three-frame nucs with a spare sealed cell each.

 

[Swarm]

Alternatively, use those QCs to make up three-frame nucs with a spare sealed cell each.

Oh of course, if looking to increase, definitely.