UK bred Nuc discussion

[Mission]

If you are seriously wanting to breed queens so people don't import, you're going to have to think and research about how you will breed high quality queens. People won't buy them otherwise, they'll continue to import, and II is one of the tools which can help you to achieve that goal.

Completley agree with that statement. Hobbiest bee keepers can reduce the need to rely on a very small number of suppliers for our bees by raising and over wintering nucs. Clearly thats a popular notion given the interest in this thread.

The next step is to overcome the need to have to import queens in such huge numbers. People feel that goal is impossible given the UK weathers tendancy to spoil mating. So the answer to that problem does lie with AI or II (which ever you prefer). The UK can produce lots of queens. Successful mating can be achieved with AA/II.

Before anyone shoots me down though, I accept that AI/II may be a little beyond the needs of hobbiest bee keepers at this stage.

 

[Poly Hive]

CRG?

I am not disagreeing at all. I am pointing out that there is a massive problem here.

Lets start with the basics and initially forget II as it is a technical area that is beyond most and on this thread in particular I think a distraction. This thread started out to discuss making up and supplying queens for over wintered nucs.

Could we adopt the German model? I very much doubt it.

What bee is to be bred and why? (I will lay money that there will never be agreement on the matter is there never has over the last 100 years plus)

How is the wonder bee to be bred?

Who will govern it. (the breeding)

More to the point who will obey?

Just a few thoughts.

PH

 

[Brian Bush]

Overwinter NUCs

I like Gavin's idea of overwintering several NUCs on top of another hive. Have 3 NUCs in a brood box with a queen a varroa floor between the main hive colony and a brood box divided into 3, 3 outlets, 3 NUCs. (Similar to the Donald Sims method of raising NUCs - Beekeeping in a Nutshell). There is no reason why a super cannot be on the bottom brood box and another on the top brood box for winter stores. The warmth should do everyone well and any winter queen loss can be sorted by uniting the hive.

Any comments? I have probably said something stupid or forgotten something vital.

 

[hedgerow pete]

seams alright to me , except my ladies are in a insulated shed with extra heating if needed so iam alright jack

 

[Crg]

Hobbiest bee keepers can reduce the need to rely on a very small number of suppliers for our bees by raising and over wintering nucs.

Would overwintering nucs stop people wanting new queens at the start of spring though? Unless the queens you are raising are strongly disinclined to swarm, I expect they will still import.

After all isn't one of the big incentives for a lot of people to get new queens in spring to lessen the chance of swarming?

While it's no where near a perfect solution, a simple way to improving the queens seems to not let swarmy colonies raise their own queens like a lot of people do - but to give them eggs from a non swarmy colony to raise queens from.

 

[BKF Admin]

Seeing as the largest race of queen imported in the uk are Carniolan are we not encouraging swarming ?

 

[Crg]

Could we adopt the German model? I very much doubt it.

What bee is to be bred and why? (I will lay money that there will never be agreement on the matter is there never has over the last 100 years plus)

Nobody will ever agree, I guess the most we could hope for is that most of the people in the area agree to keep the same queens, and they keep their best colonies with a lot of drones.

More to the point who will obey?

Only the Germans.

 

[Poly Hive]

Precisely.

Further it is pretty much wrong to say that new queens winna swarm. It is less likely yes, but I for one have two tonight who are going down that route for example, so the bee eduction system bears a lot of blame and who runs that in England?

If beekeepers were properly trained to find queens this nonsense about new queens would die a death.

PH

 

[Hivemaker.]

What an amazing thread,yes Admin i suppose the caniolan and Italian are the most imported queens,but not all pure carniolan are swarmy.

 

[Mission]

I think were heading to another split thread. We seem to be moving away from nucs, to UK queens and their races. Another great discussion topic though.

 

[BKF Admin]

Thanks Mission,If we get any more queen race type posts I will split them off.

 

[Polyanwood]

I am still looking for simple woodwork plans so that I can make National and Langstroth nucs for overwintering and sale in the Spring. Found plans for Langstroth on the American websites, but not for National yet. Anyone got a plan for making a 5 frame National nuc from 12mm ply please? Or a simple plan for a Langstroth nuc that includes a feeder???

 

[planbee]

Hello Polyanwood,

Try this link

http://www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk/

Then go to the downloads section, plenty on there, including National, but I'm not sure about Langstroth

John

 

[Polyanwood]

Thanks. Nice website, but couldn't find nuc, just full sized hives.

 

[gavin]

Hi K

Try these:

http://s64.photobucket.com/albums/h187/adamsm/Nucs/

Martin is a senior moderator in the other place, and posted these last year to rave reviews. I've wondered about cutting them down a little so that two fit exactly over a National hive.

G.

 

[VEG]

Try this site as well polyanwood
http://www.beesource.com/build-it-yourself/5-frame-nucleus-beehives/

Click on link on right that says 5 frame nuc. then scroll down langstroth nuc on bottom

 

[BKF Admin]

I can vouch for the plans as I used a few myself last year(Brood box/super and Nuc box.
Very simple and clear.

Hi K

Try these:

http://s64.photobucket.com/albums/h187/adamsm/Nucs/

Martin is a senior moderator in the other place, and posted these last year to rave reviews. I've wondered about cutting them down a little so that two fit exactly over a National hive.

G.

 

[hedgerow pete]

all you have to do , to make a nuc from main hive plans is to shorten the two sides that house the frame ends down to 195 mm that will hold five frames