nuc growth?

[Just5398]

Once you install a nuc how quickly should it be double in size?  Does the weather impact the growth THAT much?

[don2]

I Started my 5 frame nuc, "which was just 3 frames of bees, brood, and queen" in a 10 frame box on May 11th. this is medium size. on the 27th  I added the second box. On June 14th I split the top box off and put another empty in its place. I added the third box a week ago this past Friday. The split off resulted in 8 queen cells, I split that into two with 4 cells in each. I spotted one queen and will know in about another week if I have 2 new queens. I did feed the original hive till the first box was filled with bees and brood. I am still feeding the new nucs. I just hope with all this rain we are having I will get some mating time in the next few days. If you get a few hours of flying time every day or so they should do ok. I was concerned about having enough pollen for a new hive that didn't have a large amount of stores.
It would be good if you could give some pollen or substitute if you approve of it. Myself I will be running some pollen traps next year. hope this helps.  :) d2

[hjon71]

Don you sound like a splitting machine lol. I like honey too much to try that many splits in 1 summer.

[Just5398]

Lol,  yes it helps.

My nuc is LIMPING  along.   Probably won't make it through fall let alone winter.   

[don2]

hijon71, The original nuc was the one I purchased in May. I just took the second box, first one I added. It had 5 and one half frames of capped brood with bees. Two other frames was the only ones that had some fresh hatched brood and eggs. the rest of the frames was food. this is the one I left as 10 frames and let them make queen cells then split it. that's all the splitting I have done this year. Now I am just waiting out the time for the queens to get mated and start laying. I will give them enough time so I may see eggs and/or brood when I next check in on them because I spotted only one queen last time I checked.

Just 5398, I would suggest feeding if you are not, that gives them food when they cannot fly and it should be done till some of the bees get old enough to get out and start collecting nectar and pollen. From the looks of my radar you will have rain on and off for the next several days.   :) d2

[Finski]

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It depends how big is the start and how warm is the nuc box.

Then if you feed the nuc, they have not space to lay when yiu fill cells with sugar.


But I do this way with my 3 frame mating nucs.

- first it takes 10 days that the queen emerge and it start to lay. I give tio queen only one frame of bees.
- when the queen lays, I give a frame of emerging bees. Now the queen can fill those 3 frames with brood.
- if honey flow is on, they get one frame honey and that I put into a big hive.


- the new bees start to fill the nuc  about 4 weeks after laying start.
- it is time to get more room and the nuc fills 6 frames.
- Now I give again a frame of emerging brood, and the nuc will fill the whole box of Langstroth.
- if it does not succeed, I give more emerging brood.

This way 3 frame nuc will be triple size in 5-6 weeks.

If you let just nuc live its own life, it is unsure what happens. Honey flow will fill half of the nuc and it is impossible to grow.

If you have a mere nuc, start should be 5 frames.
Smaller nucs are not able to live in practical sense. They are too slow.  It is better to use brains even if you are a beekeeper.

But if you make a 5 frame nuc inside yield period, it makes a big hole into main hive's yield.
One box bees from main hive may totally ruin the honey yield.


After yield season  you may split the whole hive and put a laying queen into each box.

6-box hive and you get at least 4 good hives for winter, even here in north.
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[BlueBee]

It is better to use brains even if you are a beekeeper.

I'll have to try to remember that one. :-D

It’s also possible your nuc has a bad varroa infestation.  That really slows the bees down. 

[Finski]

It’s also possible your nuc has a bad varroa infestation.  That really slows the bees down. 

Nuc may have what ever, if a beekeepr does not notice.

Forexacple the British use much mesh floor in nucs. That will not work.

3 frame nuc nees only 2x2 cm entrance and nothing more.

I have splitted polynucs to 3 frame nucs. They build up amazingly well.

If you make a nuc in home yard, foragers return to the home hive. It takes 2 weeks that nurser bees becomes foragers.

When nucs has special backround they are often short of pollen.

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