Whats the best Mini Nuc?

[Hivemaker.]

I have only recently realised that the Apidea floor is intended to be a means of uniting the mininuc with a bigger colony.

And for filling them with bees.

Actually going right off the smaller mini nucs like apideas and swi-bines, i believe there is better mating from the bigger ones, without the sense of urgency to get out and mate no matter what, that comes with the smaller units.

 

[dn170221]

Thanks for the reply HM.
I have enough spare wood to experiment but didn't really want to experiment at queen time!!
I have to state I think this resource is fantastic, and made so by the contributors!

 

[mbc]

And for filling them with bees.

Actually going right off the smaller mini nucs like apideas and swi-bines, i believe there is better mating from the bigger ones, without the sense of urgency to get out and mate no matter what, that comes with the smaller units.

I've been saying this for years, can it be good that they mate so quickly from apideas when their contemporaries in larger nucs bide their time bit longer?

 

[itma]

And for filling them with bees.
...

Long aware of filling upside down Apideas with bees through the floor, but the idea of placing the right way up, floor open (pulled forward but not removed), Apidea over a coverboard hole for uniting was what gave me the "Doh!" moment.
Is it being suggested that this (right way up, etc) method can be used for filling the Apidea with enough bees (and whether those wax-makers and honey-storers would be the ideal age group?)

This is a different matter to the question of whether or not these micro-nucs really are ideal for Q mating ...

 

[Hawklord]

And for filling them with bees.

Actually going right off the smaller mini nucs like apideas and swi-bines, i believe there is better mating from the bigger ones, without the sense of urgency to get out and mate no matter what, that comes with the smaller units.

I have heard this said loads of times, but is it better to get the queen mated quickly rather than the risk of getting a queen mated in the UK's changeable weather?

 

[beebreeder]

I have gone right of of Apideas HM, we both know a man looking for 100 or so if you want rid of any, he is having mine

The frames we use are specially made from new to fit the mating nucs, not an existing frame that has been trimmed, they have Hoffman side bars.

Yes you can modify national shallow frames, cut them in half to make two small frames from one, Hoffman spacing would be best.

Yes they have both top and bottom bee space, and a clear polycarbonate cover which goes on before the insulated roof.

Depends how strong they get with regards building comb in the feed compartment, to help prevent this we shake out a lot of bees during the course of a season to weaken them, and make up lots of three or four pound packages with shook bees from the mating nucs.

 

[Goran]

I talked with several queen growers, they all say the best shown for queen quality at least 3 frames of standard lang nuc. Also I read, maybe even here on the forum the research which confirm this. I admit I use 2,5 frame lang.. So even I know that, don't follow the same..

 

[clv101]

Actually going right off the smaller mini nucs like apideas and swi-bines, i believe there is better mating from the bigger ones, without the sense of urgency to get out and mate no matter what, that comes with the smaller units.

Do you think the virgins actually fly from mini-nucs in less favourable conditions than from larger units?

 

[clv101]

I have gone right of of Apideas HM...

What is it you don't like about them? Lost queens? Unmated queens?

I can see from the beekeepers point of view, they can be a problem as once mated action needs to taken to move them into larger boxes - but not clear why or how the mating would be any worse?

 

[Hebeegeebee]

And Yeates says that it takes longer for bees to mate from a mini-nuc. The opposite of reality. Certainly my experience.

Arguably a 3 frame nuc - 1 of stores, one of brood and one of foundation is a good size. Easy to create and not too hungry of bees at the first fill.

 

[beebreeder]

There are a number of reasons for moving from Apideas, personally I have big hands and queens tend to run to the floor and take time to catch safely, when you have 70-80 mating boxes they get very expensive. Once the queen is mated and in lay the window before they are very overcrowded is relatively small unless the extra feeder is added and two more frames added, making the cost higher. The ongoing argument about the urgency for queens to get mated due to lack of brood from small boxes against larger boxes or even 2 frame Nucs will never get a positive outcome as we all have our own theories. The larger wooden boxes are the best of both worlds, extra laying space for queens, better access and with proper frames the queens tend to stay on frames when being collected. If you only want to mate a few queens then the mini plus seems ok especially if you do not make your own kit.





UOTE=clv101;456629]What is it you don't like about them? Lost queens? Unmated queens?

I can see from the beekeepers point of view, they can be a problem as once mated action needs to taken to move them into larger boxes - but not clear why or how the mating would be any worse?[/QUOTE]

 

[B+.]

can it be good that they mate so quickly from apideas when their contemporaries in larger nucs bide their time bit longer?

I agree with your conclusion but for a different reason. I think virgins will fly when they are biologically ready to mate. However, I think the movement of mated queens upon their return from mating aids the migration of sperm into the spermatheca. For that reason, a larger number of bees in a less confined area seems a more sensible approach to me.