I do hope this help you out in making Nucs & Splits
Notes for Making Nucs & Splits
Nucs and splits are the same thing,but generally terms used to describe their purpose. Splits are made to increase your colonies from your bees. Nucs are purchased from someone else and they make them to sell at a profit.
Nucs and splits are simply small hives containing a Queen, several frames of brood, and a frame or two of honey and pollen. They are started as 3 to 5 frames. The following steps will insure a successful start to a new hive.
Nucs can be started at any time in late spring, summer and early fall. Late season Nucs require additional brood and food to build strong populations before winter. Successful Nucs in New England are best when started in May and June.
Donor Colony-Pick a strong, healthy colony headed by an overwintered Queen. Should have 6-8 brood frames including open brood with eggs and larvae. A strong 5 frame Nuc needs 3 frames of brood plus two with honey and pollen.
Steps for making a Nuc
1) Setup Equipment. Any size box will work. When using a ten-frame hive use a follower board to create a false wall for the frames
2) Select the frames. 1 frames. 1 frames of capped brood,1 frame open brood with eggs and larvae, and 1 frame of honey and pollen. Extra brood frames can be added to make it a 5-frame Nuc.
3) Introduce a mated within 24 hours After 24 hours the bees may start Queen cells. A mated Queen will not kill developing Queens and may be killed by an emerging Queen.
. Do not let Nuc raise its own Queen. This does not normally result in a quality
Queen. Often they are from old larvae and become intercaste Queens
(part worker & part Queen).
4) The 3 mile rule says that the Nuc must be moved to avoid bees returning to the old hive.This is not necessary if you pull brood frames with the adhering young worker bees. Screen the entrance for 24 hours allowing the new Queens pheromones to be distributed and the bees will know they are in a new location and reorient themselves to the Nuc location.
5) Feed syrup & a pollen patty. The Nuc will be populated by young house bees and emerging brood.It will lack the older foraging bees making feeding a necessity for the first month.
. An extra advantage making Nucs is that it that it interrupts the brood cycle as the new
Queen begins laying and that reduces mite loads.
Nucs can be used for many purposes;to increase colonies, to sell bees,for mating Nucs, for holding
reserve Queens, and proving Queens before introducing to a honey producing colonies.
Common mistakes that cause Nucs to fail:
. Split too early before temperatures are consistently warm 50-70F.
. Start with too little brood and bees. Chilled brood,or neglected brood
due to low worker population.
. Queen is not accepted or Nuc is allowed to raise their own.
. Become overcrowded and swarms before additional frames are added
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)