Too late to start a nuc?

[BernardBlack]

Found a Q cell today.

Just wondered if it was too late in the year for starting a nuc box, or for doing an artificial swarm?

Would either be built up sufficiently to survive winter?

Thoughts welcome.

 

[Jafer2]

Found a Q cell today.

Just wondered if it was too late in the year for starting a nuc box, or for doing an artificial swarm?

Would either be built up sufficiently to survive winter?

Thoughts welcome.

Still plenty of time. All depends on queen and your area / What type nuc you have. If it's a poly nuc then go for it!

 

[BernardBlack]

Still plenty of time. All depends on queen and your area / What type nuc you have. If it's a poly nuc then go for it!

Wooden 5 frame.

How about an artificial swarm? Not too late to carry out one of them?

 

[Erichalfbee]

The only thing I might consider this time of year is wasps. If you can make sure there are a good few frames of emerging brood to make the nuc nice and strong then go for it

 

[mike99]

The only thing I might consider this time of year is wasps. If you can make sure there are a good few frames of emerging brood to make the nuc nice and strong then go for it

I am very new to this game. I wasn't sure if I have some Wasps under my hive. They could just be very young bees?
Is there much difference between them? I always thought of Wasps having a very pointy body and bright yellow stripes?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I am very new to this game. I wasn't sure if I have some Wasps under my hive. They could just be very young bees?
Is there much difference between them? I always thought of Wasps having a very pointy body and bright yellow stripes?

Wasp

 

[Beefriendly]

The only thing I might consider this time of year is wasps. If you can make sure there are a good few frames of emerging brood to make the nuc nice and strong then go for it

At this time of year a Snelgrove method 1 is a good way to go....doing that at the moment with a hive with a feisty queen. You keep strong colonies in both parts of the "split".

 

[Clemcook]

Loads of time my best performing hive which has now produced two additional hives for me this year was made last year in August. While there are trains around there is plenty of time

 

[mike99]

Wasp

Thanks for that. I think they must have been young bees as they weren't that bright.

 

[Millet]

Thanks for that. I think they must have been young bees as they weren't that bright.

Good luck with the bees Mike.. .. my offer to come and have a look has passed..

 

[Newbeeneil]

Loads of time my best performing hive which has now produced two additional hives for me this year was made last year in August. While there are trains around there is plenty of time

Trains?......

 

[mike99]

Good luck with the bees Mike.. .. my offer to come and have a look has passed..

Sorry Steve. I should have responded to your kind offer but I was waiting to see how things progressed as I didn’t want to hassle you for nothing. I have been feeding them with 1:1 syrup and added another drawn frame yesterday. I checked the other frames and at last found uncapped brood in the next frame to the original ones so it would appear to be expanding finally. There doesn’t appear to be anymore QC’s so I think things might be settling down.
I just want them to get strong enough to survive the winter.

 

[itsbruce]

Thanks for that. I think they must have been young bees as they weren't that bright.

You don't find young bees outside the hive unless something has gone wrong. They're middle-aged before they emerge.

If they didn't look like those of your bees that you normally see outside the hive and they didn't look like wasps then they could have been some other species of bee or one of the many hoverfly species that mimic wasps and bees.

https://www.southribble.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Bee-wasp-and-hornet-leaflet.pdf