Starting Nucs

[pondman]

Hello.... :D

I was wandering if it's to late in the season to start a nuc :?:  If so when is the best time to start one :?: Thanks for any help that you can give...

James

[Michael Bush]

The best time here (in my location) would be April, but now would work.  It's starting to get late in the season though and it might not build up enough for winter, or it might.

[manowar422]

Michael,
I'm thinking about starting a nuc next spring, with one of your
feral queens, but I've got some questions...


Thanks to your example I have only medium frames to start
off the nuc, do I just cut down a new medium sized super to
five frames, or just start the nuc in a 10 frame medium super?

All the pre-cut kits I've seen for sale, have been deeps. :roll:

I could buy a complete nuc kit, make my own 5 frame medium
box, then use the deep box that comes with the kit to go over
the inner cover to house a feeder jar or whatever.

How's your work going on cutting down all your supers going?
Your back must be really bad for you to do all that work

Thanks for your time :D

Regards,
David

[Finsky]

I was wandering if it's to late in the season to start a nuc :?:  

If you have a strong hive, you may split  two now. It means that 2 deeps winter hive is then two one box hive.

When Mikael says that April is best. I may say in our climate, that it is the worst. After winter colony is in it's smallest. If I devide it, it  can not develope during April and May because it is too cold (nights!).

Best time is here June because I can hinder swarming when I devive a strong hive.

[Michael Bush]

>do I just cut down a new medium sized super to
five frames, or just start the nuc in a 10 frame medium super?

I'd buy a five frame medium nuc from Brushy Mt. or make a nuc of even less size.  I start a lot of nucs in two frame medium boxes.

WHEN depends on your climate.  HERE April MIGHT too early to do a split depending on how much the hive has built up and if I've been feeding to stimulate, but I'm guesing in Garland TX it's a good time.

[manowar422]

Best time is here June because I can hinder swarming when I devive a strong hive.

That's what I'm trying to avoid Finsky (swarming).
My hive is really strong going in to this fall, but I'm waiting
until spring to start a nuc instead. Michael guessed right. our
weather here will be warming up as early as of the middle of
March.
If we get some good rains in the spring, I might even get two
nucs started before the end of April. :D

Thanks Michael for the heads up on Brushy Mountain, I'll check
them out for my needs.