What to do?

Jonnyl · Feb 20, 2019

Please help me decide on the appropriate action. I have one 14x12 overwintered hive from a July nuc and this year I wish to increase it two with a back-up nuc for queen replacement etc as the original queen will be two at the end of the year/beginning of next and I'd like to be ready to replace her when the time comes. My issue is with lack of drawn comb. Feeding I-2-1 will induce comb building but you'll know it has downsides especially when/if it gets very cold again which is entirely possible. I was thinking of taking a couple of frames of drawn from the hive at the end of the week, reserving them in the nuc for now, replacing them with foundation and feeding in order that I get a head start. The full split can wait until later in the year but is stealing comb at this stage and feeding wise? Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Thank you all

drex · Feb 20, 2019

Even down this far south I would not be doing it yet, let alone in Scotland.

enrico · Feb 20, 2019

Please......not yet
Leave it to early summer when everything is strong and temperatures are right for comb building. Combine it with swarm control. Build them up now and split later into three
E

Poly Hive · Feb 20, 2019

That is a total no. Forget making increase of any sort or messing with the bees for that matter until late March or early April.

It is mid WINTER.

Chill out and get some studying under your belt.

PH

jenkinsbrynmair · Feb 20, 2019

Jonnyl said:
Please help me decide on the appropriate action. I have one 14x12 overwintered hive from a July nuc and this year I wish to increase it two with a back-up nuc for queen replacement etc as the original queen will be two at the end of the year/beginning of next and I'd like to be ready to replace her when the time comes. My issue is with lack of drawn comb. Feeding I-2-1 will induce comb building but you'll know it has downsides especially when/if it gets very cold again which is entirely possible. I was thinking of taking a couple of frames of drawn from the hive at the end of the week, reserving them in the nuc for now, replacing them with foundation and feeding in order that I get a head start. The full split can wait until later in the year but is stealing comb at this stage and feeding wise? Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Thank you all

Fiddling about in the hive in any way is not wise at this time of year.#
It's winter - bees won't draw comb.
Wait until well into spring before doing anything.