Uniting with a Kieler Mini Nuc

[plumberman]

I have a successfully mated queen in a Kieler whom I now want to put into an expanding nucleus with a queen who I wish to replace.

Anyone had any experience with a newspaper type unite with the kieler? I doubt I will need the kieler again this year, and it seems a shame just to lose ( OK, not many) the bees and brood if I just removed the queen and introduced her.

Gracias in advance.

 

[drstitson]

introduce queen into nucleus as per normal.

shake bees out in front of hives and let them find new homes.

 

[Mike a]

introduce queen into nucleus as per normal.

shake bees out in front of hives and let them find new homes.

Dequeen the day before, pop your new queen in a cage with a candy / fondant plug. Check back in 3-4 days to confirm she has been released and knock down any queencells and later supersedure cells if they make them over the next 4-5 weeks until your queens brood take over.

Paper method is perfectly ok but the above is easier.

 

[the naked beekeeper]

What about the brood?

 

[plumberman]

cheers people, but I was looking for a way to unite mini nuc and q- colony. Someone must have tried it out, even if it means making some form of adapted crownboard.

 

[drstitson]

what's the point of faffing?

the brood comb can be dropped into the hive (super best?) and left to hatch/be nurtured and then removed after.

 

[plumberman]

Oh I dunno: I like a nice faff on occasions.

OK, will go faffless.

 

[Hivemaker.]

What about the brood?

Feed it to some chickens or burn it.

 

[PaleoPerson]

Dont know about a Keiler, but I did a paper unite with an Apidea which sits (uncomfortably) inside a super. Worked just fine.

Paper over crown board.

 

[sherwood]

You seem to have lost the plot. What you should be doing is removing the old queen from the existing hive and introducing the new queen to the new hive after a short delay. And putting the old queen back into the apidea. That way you protect yourself against the non acceptance of the new queen.
If you attempt to combine the apidea with new queen and her attendees into the new hive you stand a good chance of getting the new queen damaged as her attendees in the minority attempt to protect her.

 

[OXFORDBEE]

If you attempt to combine the apidea with new queen and her attendees into the new hive you stand a good chance of getting the new queen damaged as her attendees in the minority attempt to protect her.

Is this something you have experienced?

 

[drstitson]

surely attendants only necessary for transit/storage OUT of hives - once in hive the hope is that the residents will feed her.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Oh I dunno: I like a nice faff on occasions.

I've put Swi-bi nucs and apideas on bigger colonies with newspaper in between. it works. Once the queen is down, queen excluder between the two will keep her below.
Not done it with a keiler - yet.