Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: a nuc and using foundationless frames to fill out.  (Read 2134 times)

Offline bayareaartist

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 76
a nuc and using foundationless frames to fill out.
« on: June 28, 2005, 01:04:42 pm »
I have the chance to get two 5 frame nucs and I am going to put them in a 10 frame box but I will fill out the other five frames with foundationless frames with starter strips.
The question is, how do I space the existing frames out, do I put three of the nuc frames in the middle then space out the frames in between?
Or just space the frames empty then full then empty all the way across the box?
Donn

Offline drobbins

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 244
  • Gender: Male
    • bee pictures
a nuc and using foundationless frames to fill out.
« Reply #1 on: June 28, 2005, 02:00:48 pm »
Hi Donn,

I think this depends on temperature.
I think I've heard you mention it's still cool where your bee's are.
I believe I'd keep the frames from the nuc bunched together in the center so they can keep the brood warm.

Dave

Offline Phoenix

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 139
    • http://www.cafepress.com/beeholder
a nuc and using foundationless frames to fill out.
« Reply #2 on: June 28, 2005, 02:20:28 pm »
They will be plenty warm enough this time of year.  Alternate your frames of foundationless between drawn frames, this will encourage them to draw out the foundationless frames, and they will be drawn straight.

The center of the broodnest is the most critical in acquiring smaller cells.  Keep feeding the foundationless frames into the center of the broodnest and move the frames with the larger cells toward the outside, and as you add another box on top, move the larger cells up top, feeding more foundationless frames into the center of the broodnest.

Online Michael Bush

  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 19807
  • Gender: Male
    • bushfarms.com
a nuc and using foundationless frames to fill out.
« Reply #3 on: June 28, 2005, 06:23:18 pm »
It is a delimma.  In the middle of two drawn combs is the best way to get small cell and also to get nice straight combs, but I'd tend to be conservative with a five frame nuc and maybe put just one empty in the middle until they have drawn it and then feed more into the center.  It's a lot of stress to break up every other frame.  If the bees can't cover it well then the brood could get chilled on a cool rainy night.
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

 

anything