Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => RAPID BEEYARD GROWTH => Topic started by: jalentour on February 05, 2015, 12:28:41 am
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I have failed in previous NUC attempts but learned a lot. Here I go again.
I have a good understanding of splitting to make a 5 frame deep nuc. I plan to add a local queen to the nuc. Assuming I am successful, I am unclear as to the advantages of going to a 10 frame box or adding a 5 frame on top of the original nuc.
I know in my area nucs are not an option now, I'm trying to stay 4-6 months ahead of the game.
Not to complicate the topic. I build my own boxes and whatever else I need. Is there an advantage of mediums over deeps, as far as nucs go? Other than taxes, multiple college expenses, employee issues, maintaining a fleet of vehicles and figuring out a Valentine gift for my wife, I am healthy enough to lift hives.
Oh yeah, after the split, is it true that I need to move the nucs 2+ miles away? If so for how long?
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I have only made a half dozen nucs or so, but here's what I reckon.
I use 5 frame deep boxes (I make them myself). When the nuc grows I put them in a 10 frame box. It's great - I can just add a super when they need it and grow the nuc into a colony (this is my purpose of making nucs). I also have some 8 frame boxes and sometimes put nucs in these on their way to a 10 frame box. This works very well.
So;
use equipment compatible with your other hives
and it depends what your purpose is for making nucs
Hope this helps
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As far as deeps vs mediums, I started with deeps and medium supers had to keep chasing the queen out of the mediums, so I went all deeps.
You can leave the made up nuc in the same yard, you just have to have more bees in it to make up for the foragers that are going to go back to the original spot. If your light after a couple days you can always give a shake or two of bees at the entrance of the nuc, (the nurse and house bees go in and the foragers fly back) it takes a little practice but it works.
Some people say 24 hrs, I like 3 days to break the orientation.
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My experience is with all things equal, going two high with 5 frame boxes will out grow going from 5 frame to 10 frame box every time.
You don't have to move the split, but it tends to work best. If you don't move it to another yard, make sure you try and get young nurse bees and give more bees to the split as some will migrate back to the old location.
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Oh yeah, I've never moved splits to another yard.
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After I split mine last July, I added another 5 frame box on top. After they drew most the deeps out, I put a 5 frame medium nuc on that. After that I put them in 10 frame equip.
They ended in the fall with 10 deeps drawn and 20 mediums. That was a double split in July with only 3 frames each to start.
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Here is what I went into winter with, started with a package and zero drawn. Ended with 3 hives and mostly 90 frames drawn and still alive since yesterday.
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Rookie,
I remember you writing about that last year.
Nice job. I hope to do the same.
My goals are for honey production. For those who asked.
Cully, how large is your yard?
Robo, thanks. You and Rookie are saying the same thing.
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Cully, how large is your yard?
Small. I'm not speaking from much experience. I have 2 hives at one location, and 6 including nucs at another. I have had more hives which we lost when SHB arrived.
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Here is what I went into winter with, started with a package and zero drawn. Ended with 3 hives and mostly 90 frames drawn and still alive since yesterday.
Did you have to feed them much?
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Here is what I went into winter with, started with a package and zero drawn. Ended with 3 hives and mostly 90 frames drawn and still alive since yesterday.
Did you have to feed them much?
Yes, fed from April 19- mid Oct.
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5 frame nukes will grow faster if you add another 5 frame box to it.
Then to try to go into one ten frame box every time.
Not quite as important if bottom temperature at night time is above 70F :cool:
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
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Mel Disselkoen is doing single ten frame deeps for his nucs and is quite successful. Michael Palmer and Kirk Webster are doing double four frame nucs (sort of) and are quite successful. I do mine in both single and double eight frame mediums. It's more about the condition and feeding of the colony than the kind of box. The size probably needs to be somewhere in that range.
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesnucs.htm#overwinternucs
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Right now my only options are 5 or 10 frame, medium or deep.
Next winter I can build some 8 frames and give it a try.