This is turning into work. When to stop with eyes toward winter

[JojoBeeBoy]

So as I was starting this post on work, my wife said "Is this supposed to be happening?" from outside the house. A small swarm was airborne and settled in a nearby dogwood about 15 feet off the ground. So 2 hours later I have them in a box, as well as some other bee work. Whew! 

I have a bunch of Jester nucs set up with 1-2 frames with some capped brood and enough nurse bees to tend it. Each has a virgin queen from the last 3-4 days. With constant feed how many frames could they draw out and fill by winter? I have hives I can equalize from, but these have already been used for the frames mentioned. I have coated plastic foundation/wood frame blanks in the nucs.

Hope this makes sense. Right now my gut is telling me that having 10-15 laying queens on a couple of frames each in late June will just result in combining back before winter. i.e. a ton of extra work, but nothing you could drop in a wood box and winter in TN. Thanks!
 

[Ben Framed]

Having fun ain't ch.....   Me too! 

[Hops Brewster]

So as I was starting this post on work, my wife said "Is this supposed to be happening?" from outside the house. A small swarm was airborne and settled in a nearby dogwood about 15 feet off the ground. So 2 hours later I have them in a box, as well as some other bee work. Whew! 

I have a bunch of Jester nucs set up with 1-2 frames with some capped brood and enough nurse bees to tend it. Each has a virgin queen from the last 3-4 days. With constant feed how many frames could they draw out and fill by winter? I have hives I can equalize from, but these have already been used for the frames mentioned. I have coated plastic foundation/wood frame blanks in the nucs.

Hope this makes sense. Right now my gut is telling me that having 10-15 laying queens on a couple of frames each in late June will just result in combining back before winter. i.e. a ton of extra work, but nothing you could drop in a wood box and winter in TN. Thanks!
 

Or overwintering nucs. 
Never stop working with an eye toward winter. 

[FloridaGardener]

Suggestion:
           Check in 7 days to see if those virgin queens made it back and are laying.
 Pull bars of nectar/pollen from your hives that are already "big enough" and/or combine the queenless nucs with QR ones.  I've added frames with bees on them using a sideways combine instead of over-the top combine.  I loosely wrap the added frames with water-spritzed U-Haul unprinted  "packing paper."   Haven't lost a queen yet but no guarantees.

            Now you have nucs with mated queens on 4-5 frames.

2. Start advertising on craigslist that you sell nucs. My former apiary inspector made more money making up spring nucs than he did all year working for the state.  I took a lesson and guess what? I meet nice people, take time to help newbies, and sell nucs.  It's easy and fosters more backyard beekeepers.   

[JojoBeeBoy]

Thanks Guys,

@Phillip - Yes, It is very much fun. I was on a skid steer bucket in an awkward position for a long time due to limbs. Still fun!

@Hops - I have read your posts on thinking towards winter. That's really one of the things that got me thinking about where I'm headed here. I'm figuring even to
overwinter in 5 frames I will need to by some wooden nuc boxes. Advice?

@FloridaGardener - I have only been back into bees for 4 years and just submitted my registration to the state. If that goes well I think a few nucs and/or queens might be where I land here.

Thanks again!  Further comments/advice welcomed. - Joe

 

[Hops Brewster]

I don't actual use winter nucs.  Michael Palmer is the resident expert on that subject.