Two late small nuclei . combine or leave?

[sherwood]

and you too....
Here we have a beginner who knows nothing about colony build up.

2 frames bees and 3 frames bees

when you put them together, he will get 3-4 frames brood. the limiting factor is the colony size.
What ever queen can lay 3 frame brood. 2 queens cannot lay not a one more egg in that hive.

After 3 weeks half of bees have died and one colony has one frame bees warming up 2 frames and so on.

Guys, think that over and don't push to do somethingwhat you will never do in your yard.

Perhaps if you only understood English as much as you think you do and read what the initiator of the thread said ie he did not say he had 3 frames of brood but 3 frames of bees with a little brood whilst the 2nd only had eggs given that both colonies will have until the end of september to forage they should been able to hatch a reasonable number of workers to help support a colony over the winter. We are not in your northern climes and can expect forage to be around in the form of Mahonnia, balsom and ivy for a substantial time yet.

 

[BeeJayBee]

We ..... can expect forage to be around in the form of Mahonnia, balsom and ivy for a substantial time yet.

Viburnum tinus has just started flowering, it'll be in flower through to spring. Blackberries are still flowering, ivy hasn't started.

 

[Andy Duff]

Perhaps if you only understood English as much as you think you do and read what the initiator of the thread said ie he did not say he had 3 frames of brood but 3 frames of bees with a little brood whilst the 2nd only had eggs given that both colonies will have until the end of september to forage they should been able to hatch a reasonable number of workers to help support a colony over the winter. We are not in your northern climes and can expect forage to be around in the form of Mahonnia, balsom and ivy for a substantial time yet.

Very good. I am sorry but I have not noticed the vast forrests of Mahonia. We are talking honey bees not bumble bees. and oh how good ARE YOU IN fINISH?

 

[Finman]

Perhaps if you only understood English as much as you think


you do and read what the initiator of the thread said ie he did not say he had 3 frames of brood

but 3 frames of bees with a little brood whilst the 2nd only had eggs given that both colonies will


have until the end of september to forage they should been able to hatch a reasonable number of workers to help support a colony over the winter. We are not in your northern climes and can expect forage to be around in the form of Mahonnia, balsom and ivy for a substantial time yet.

i was able to read 3 frames swarm. It is not so difficult.

But what ever.

.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

The polynucs do seem to work well for the bees and last autumn was exceptionally good which allowed some smaller colonies to expand more that I would have expected. In fact I removed 2 colonies from polynucs and put them in bigger hives as they had done so well.

For this autumn, we may not be so lucky with the weather.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Viburnum tinus has just started flowering, it'll be in flower through to spring. Blackberries are still flowering, ivy hasn't started.

For me blackberries have pretty well stopped. There's a bit of fireweed. No ivy yet. I don't see any Himalayan Balsam either so there's not much out there.

 

[alysonmaria]

For me blackberries have pretty well stopped. There's a bit of fireweed. No ivy yet. I don't see any Himalayan Balsam either so there's not much out there.

Loads of Himalayan Balsam here-looks like it's taking over the countryside!

 

[Finman]

.
A month ago I profounded ten 2-frame mating nucs for virgins. Mating was late and now first workes are coming out. nucs are cold and they have only half brood frames there.

Just now I have those 2 or 3 frame nucs
about 15 pieces.

i know excactly how those nucs develope. Balsams and plants does not help nucs.
First amount of nurser bees was minumum factor and now night temps limit the nuc growth.

First rule is that brood cycle is 3 weeks. After 4 weeks brood have emerged so much that dead bees have been compesated. Then a colony has a fresh gang which is able to feed and keep warm bigger amount of brood.

the number or nurser bees rules, how much the hive can rear brood in summer.

5 frame nuc is minimum which is capable to develope to wintering colony. One pollen frame, one store frame and 3 for brood.that is a realistic aproach. And no feeding.

Don't believe that a beginner, who does know much about these things, is able to rear a wintering colony from nothing.

If I want to speed up the growt of a small colony, only way is to put a frame of emerging brood.
That amount of nurser bees are able to make 2-3 frames of new brood. Again a new extra brood frame and the hive has 6 brood frames Aften couple of weeks the hive has a whole box of bees and brood.

All this happens in one moth.
Not queens, feeding, flowers nothing can make the same miracle than amount of nurser bees.


Ok, shake young bees to the nuc and soon you do not have queen there.

 

[oliver90owner]

Unite now. Neither colony is big enough to get any decent amount of brood for another three weeks or more.

 

[farbee]

Unite now. Neither colony is big enough to get any decent amount of brood for another three weeks or more.

Now that is the type of advise I like. No ifs or buts.

Finman and RAB both agree = do as they say if I were you.

 

[keith pierce]

I have 14 virgins in apideas and am waiting for them to be mated in a weeks time and will then be making up the last of my nucs . A lot depends on a good long pollen income from the ivy and a mild winter. I would not chance them in a timber nuc. With the ****** poly nucs, i just about close of the mesh floor and as the colony expands i gradually give them more ventelation.
Last year was my first year using the poly nucs, and with a little bit of T L C , you will get a small amount of bees through the winter.Feed your stongest coloneys heaviely and use them to draW out and cap stores and give this to the nucs. this way they can put all their energy into brood rearing. You can always top the up with a frame of emerging bees from another hive.