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Author Topic: Packages Installed / What about nuc back-ups?  (Read 1073 times)

Offline billdean

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Packages Installed / What about nuc back-ups?
« on: May 06, 2016, 03:48:18 pm »
Hello everyone.............I have had my 3 packages of bees installed on rite-cell foundations now for 5 days. I pulled the queen cages on the 3rd day but did not look inside or do anything else. Minimal disturbance. From all outward appearance they look to be doing good. They are bringing in lots of pollen and seem very active. My plan is to wait for 2 to 3 weeks before I do my first inspection.

I have bought 2 complete nuc hives (No Bees) too have as a queen backups and or frames of brood to boost my other hives. I am not sure how to go about this. Would I buy more bees and queens to install in the nuc bodies. Or would I be better off buying a complete nuc set up with bees and transfer to my nuc hive bodies? Or possibly there is a better way? It does not have to be done right away or maybe it does. I am not sure. I would like some advise from others that have done this or would no how to do it. Or have I been bitten bye the bee bug and just need to chill out for awhile?

Offline Psparr

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Re: Packages Installed / What about nuc back-ups?
« Reply #1 on: May 06, 2016, 05:35:54 pm »
Not sure where your from, but up north you don't necessarily want nucs going through winter. I would work on getting your three hives built up for winter. With three there's a good chance you'll have survivors in the spring. Then use those bees to make up nucs for emergency supplies.

Offline cao

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Re: Packages Installed / What about nuc back-ups?
« Reply #2 on: May 06, 2016, 05:41:20 pm »
Welcome to the forum. 

I would say in general you could relax a little.  Bees work at their own pace and it takes time to adjust to their schedule.  I would probably check on them in two weeks rather than three.  By then they should be close to having capped brood and you can tell if the queen is laying well.  If everything looks like it should, you don't have to do a complete frame by frame inspection every time.  There is may times on larger hives that I just go deep enough to get to the broodnest just to see how the queen is laying.  Some of the bottom boxes only get checked in the early spring before they build up. 

As far as the nuc boxes, I'd hold on to them for now.  To me the main reason to have nuc boxes around is for making splits.  Once your hives grow you will have the opportunity to split.  If you inspect your hive and find multiple queen cells on different frames you can take one and add a frame or two and you have a new hive. 


Offline Rurification

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Re: Packages Installed / What about nuc back-ups?
« Reply #3 on: May 08, 2016, 09:52:34 am »
I second what cao says about the nucs.   You may ignore the empties for a while, but when you need one, it's really nice to have one.    One of these days, you're going to find a few frames with queen cells and then you can take one and start a nuc with it.    In the meantime, those boxes are useful for holding frames temporarily or transporting a couple of frames.   You won't be sorry you have them. 
Robin Edmundson
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Beekeeping since 2012