Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => DOWN UNDER BEEKEEPING => Topic started by: Wombat2 on October 08, 2013, 08:02:01 am
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Picked up my first Nuc hive from a professional who starts and sell nucs. It had 5 frames - 2 with capped honey 2 of brood and one of pollen and honey and chock a block full of bees. Had a few problems but all part of the learning curve, when I got home with them and lifted them out of the boot there was a small gap between lid and box and they started to pour out -I managed to get a large Ikea bag over then and got them to our orchard area where they are to reside - left about 100 behind bonding with the car. I placed them where the new box is and left them till this morning then transferred them to the new box with 5 more new frames. In my haste I didn't knock the excess bees into the new super but they found their way by the end of the day -so did about 90 of the ones left out the front - at least I think they did as there are only a couple hanging around the car when ever it appears on the drive. Inherited some SHB as I killed one in the empty box - good thing I have some traps in the new hive. They seem fairly docile and didn't get too excited in being moved out of one home into the new so I hope they stay that way.
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1235097_10151673534946724_1777862011_n.jpg)
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Hi Wombat2,
Nice pic. I like your hive stand. I think I will build a tall one like that, it looks like it keeps ants out.
Are you going to feed the hive?
Regards
Oak
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Thanks Oak - the stand idea came off this forum and it is designed to keep ants out - the dished space at the bottom of the legs is meant to have cooking oil in them but I yet to add that. I used slotted angle instead of post supports as it was cheaper and you get a little bit of adjustment to help level it up. The height is 600mm (looks higher as I am standing on the next terrace down) and that was the suggested height to keep cane toads from eating the bees - not that they can jump or climb but must be an allowance for low flyers and long tongues ;) and we have a cane toad nursery just off to the left ( small dam)
I asked the guy I bought them off about feeding and he said not to bother with 2 full frames of honey - even thought one would be enough but in the end said leave them both - won't hurt.
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hey wombat what you will find is they are tooo high when you have 2 supers on that you will hurt yourself lifting the top one it can weigh upwards of 40kgs . The canies are less of a problem than the bee eaters with wings, you can not stop them.they eat lots of my bees but are also a beautiful bird so what do you do??hope you get lots of honey
then the fun bit starts,more gear another hive and so it goes.
Mick
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Yes Mick - already thought about the weight so have decided to use half height supers. Is one full height box enough for a brood box ?
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Hey, good to see that someone is following my stand design!! My first comment would be the height - major problem for your back. I have just experienced this with my new stand where I only had one super on the brood box and when it is full, it is an effort to lift the whole box off. Hate to think what will happen when there will be 2 full supers.
Well done and enjoy sweet honey!!
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Its interesting that you only got 2 frames of brood.
I started about 30 nucs earlier in the season ready to sell but I couldn't keep the bees from filling the frames with honey. For this reason I didn't bother selling them.
I thought when you sell a 4or 5 frame nuc you should be selling 4 or 5 frames of brood? Looks like I was wrong :?
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If I was to lower the stand could I drop it a foot in one go or would I have to do it in stages of x inches at a time?
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One go should bee fine.you will be surprised by the weight of a half height as well I went that way too.one box is fine for brood