- Joined
- Nov 4, 2009
- Messages
- 3,891
- Reaction score
- 1,597
- Location
- Devon/South Hams
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 5
20 days ago I was given two cast swarms. One was in a skep which I moved into a national nuc box, which is doing fine, with build up of brood after a slow start. The other came in a national nuc ( it had been there a few days). I left it in the nuc, but still no brood. I cannot see queen or eggs - but I lack experience.
The first is ready to transfer to my National BB. I want to unite this with the broodless colony ( I think if queen was present she would be likely to be laying now - not made it back from mating flight?). I intend to do careful inspection tomorrow to check for queen, but after advice here think it best to unite anyway.
I lack equipment. I was thinking of transferring the ( presumed) queenless frames into a national super ( with castellations for 10 frames), with a 50 mm eke, and sitting this on top of my BB ( containing my 5 queenright frames), newspaper and QE. All frames are DN4.
Is this the right way round for the boxes ( queenright on bottom)?
How long do I leave it before moving the top frames ( in which there are some stores of nectar and pollen) down into the BB ( so that I have a full complement in my BB ?
Will the super plus eke contraption work?
What if I miss a queen in the broodless colony and unite anyway?
Thanks in anticipation
The first is ready to transfer to my National BB. I want to unite this with the broodless colony ( I think if queen was present she would be likely to be laying now - not made it back from mating flight?). I intend to do careful inspection tomorrow to check for queen, but after advice here think it best to unite anyway.
I lack equipment. I was thinking of transferring the ( presumed) queenless frames into a national super ( with castellations for 10 frames), with a 50 mm eke, and sitting this on top of my BB ( containing my 5 queenright frames), newspaper and QE. All frames are DN4.
Is this the right way round for the boxes ( queenright on bottom)?
How long do I leave it before moving the top frames ( in which there are some stores of nectar and pollen) down into the BB ( so that I have a full complement in my BB ?
Will the super plus eke contraption work?
What if I miss a queen in the broodless colony and unite anyway?
Thanks in anticipation