Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: Do I have to cage the queen if I add new bees to her nuc?  (Read 2905 times)

Offline TwoHoneys

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 358
  • Gender: Female
    • TwoHoneys
Do I have to cage the queen if I add new bees to her nuc?
« on: July 06, 2013, 09:57:12 pm »
I've been rearing some new queens, and a number of them are still in 3-frame queen castles.

My question: I'd like to move the queen and her 3 frames and the attending bees into a larger 5-frame nuc. I'd also like to add bees and two frames from other hives to fill the nuc. But...do I risk the queen if I add bees from other hives? I hate to think that I have to cage her if I decide to shake more bees into her hive.

Thanks all.

-Liz
"In a dream I returned to the river of bees" W.S. Merwin

Offline don2

  • Doak
  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 536
  • Gender: Male
Re: Do I have to cage the queen if I add new bees to her nuc?
« Reply #1 on: July 07, 2013, 03:32:11 am »
I would just move the 3 frames to a five frame box. add two frames of foundation or drawn  frames. After a week move to an 8 or 10 frame box, or add another 5 frame box. If she is a good layer extra bees shouldn't be necessary.  :) d2

Offline Mircea_63

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 24
  • Gender: Male
Re: Do I have to cage the queen if I add new bees to her nuc?
« Reply #2 on: July 07, 2013, 03:54:21 am »
   The old bees , the foragers don`t love another queen. But the young bees - nurse- don`t make trouble.
Usually I add frames from other hives,but  I spray them before. A bottle with pump used for clean windows and filled with...I use some local alcohol drink, made from plums, strong smelling, but diluted with water. Essential is to bee smelling.
Spray both hive. The bees don`t recognize who is stranger.  

Another method. Brush the frames added and put them in the hive. In a box brush bees from 3 hive. (more than 2)
Little secret... from 2 hive, they do a battle. More hives...peace.
Live alone the box for a half hour and the foragers is gone home. The nurse don`t know the way. Now shake nurse in the new hive.
 

 For my, simply the best. Smelling both and go away.

Offline TwoHoneys

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 358
  • Gender: Female
    • TwoHoneys
Re: Do I have to cage the queen if I add new bees to her nuc?
« Reply #3 on: July 07, 2013, 10:08:33 am »
Thanks, friends. I think I'll try the "add bees from more than one hive" method.
"In a dream I returned to the river of bees" W.S. Merwin

Online Michael Bush

  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 19806
  • Gender: Male
    • bushfarms.com
Re: Do I have to cage the queen if I add new bees to her nuc?
« Reply #4 on: July 08, 2013, 03:32:19 pm »
I would combine them in the same box and blow extra smoke in to cause some confusion.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin