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Author Topic: Installing nucs question or 3  (Read 8737 times)

Offline Billybee

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Installing nucs question or 3
« on: April 29, 2012, 07:47:07 pm »
I will be getting 2 nucs May 19th. I have no other  comb in frames. All of the videos I watch on installing nucs have people putting comb from other hives in with the newly installed bees. Not to mention some of what I think are some really sloppy handling habits.

So does anybody have a link or advice on what they would do in this situation? I want to be foundation free like I was in Florida. Should I put a sheet in for starters? Do I need to feed as well? I cant seem to find anybody showing the process in the kind of detail I am looking for starting from having the nucs, empty boxes and frames.

I really dont want to fail due to being unprepared for this!

Like the guy with the cardboard sign says "anything helps"

Thanks

Can somebody tell me where I can find a foundation tree?

Offline AllenF

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Re: Installing nucs question or 3
« Reply #1 on: April 29, 2012, 09:51:43 pm »
I like the idea of starters if you are going foundationless.   But drawn comb is really nice to have, never turn down a change to use it.  And feed them to start with.   They like that little help to start with.  Beemaster has videos on here installing packages.   

Offline AllenF

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Re: Installing nucs question or 3
« Reply #2 on: April 29, 2012, 09:55:22 pm »
Check this one out.  Installing Package Bees.wmv

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Installing nucs question or 3
« Reply #3 on: April 30, 2012, 03:18:35 am »
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
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"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline Billybee

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Re: Installing nucs question or 3
« Reply #4 on: May 13, 2012, 06:55:14 pm »
That is a great video and I will be doing my best to make his moves. As usual I will video tape and post.

Can Not Wait to have bees again! Saturday cant get her fast enough.
Can somebody tell me where I can find a foundation tree?

Offline buzzbee

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Re: Installing nucs question or 3
« Reply #5 on: May 13, 2012, 06:58:35 pm »
Are you getting your packages local?

Beemasters video:
http://youtu.be/5a4a-Tw-qFI
« Last Edit: May 13, 2012, 07:17:24 pm by buzzbee »

Offline Billybee

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Re: Installing nucs question or 3
« Reply #6 on: May 17, 2012, 09:38:54 pm »
Brushy Mt.

Had poor or no response from the locals I tried to contact. That was really troubling. Now I have to drive 3hours! Each way :(

If I wasnt traveling for work  would just do a couple of cut outs for free because I love the challenge of leaving with a hive in tact.
Can somebody tell me where I can find a foundation tree?

Offline buzzbee

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Re: Installing nucs question or 3
« Reply #7 on: May 18, 2012, 06:04:50 pm »
Picking up a package for myself tomorrow.They are having an install demo at 11 I think.

Offline CVBees

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Re: Installing nucs question or 3
« Reply #8 on: May 18, 2012, 08:20:09 pm »
I will be there too Buzz.. I can confirm that time frame.
Bees are the key to life as we know it.

Offline buzzbee

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Re: Installing nucs question or 3
« Reply #9 on: May 19, 2012, 12:04:40 am »
I may hang around a little while,see if I know anybody.I may try to be there through the eleven o clock hour anyhow,as I live only about 35 to 40 minutes away.

Offline Billybee

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Re: Installing nucs question or 3
« Reply #10 on: May 19, 2012, 06:53:19 pm »
Did install today. One queen box all dead worker  bees and her. Lots of dead bees too on bottom board.  Dead queen

I guess I need a queen for the rest of the bees? They are all in the nuc box. NOw what?

Anyone near Hammonton New jersey got a queen?
Nobody seems to respond in these parts when I call or email
Other hive looks normal

« Last Edit: May 19, 2012, 07:18:01 pm by Billybee »
Can somebody tell me where I can find a foundation tree?

Offline Billybee

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Re: Installing nucs question or 3
« Reply #11 on: May 19, 2012, 09:53:01 pm »
Looks like all of the bees from the 2nd nuc install are gone or dead.:(

1st hive is feeding and night has fallen.

I will post video when it uploads and see. I do not believe I did a sloppy job.

Wonder why one nuc was half dead including the queen and the other was fine. Plenty of air for ride, no heat.
Can somebody tell me where I can find a foundation tree?

Offline buzzbee

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Re: Installing nucs question or 3
« Reply #12 on: May 19, 2012, 10:42:05 pm »
Were this bees sheltered from the wind on the way home?How did you transport them? My packages had only a few dead bees on the bottom.
Why is the sugar plug so broken up?

Offline Billybee

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Re: Installing nucs question or 3
« Reply #13 on: May 20, 2012, 07:24:51 am »
They were in the back of my pick up which has a cap and side windows were open for air. There was lots of gear in there so I dont THINK wind was a factor. Nucs next to each other. Low wind as far as I know yet ventilated. I broke up the sugar candy once I saw they were dead. Was gonna pull her out to take pic but then could see her through the screen. No prior medling with queen or cage. I am not the kind of person who does too much handling.

The first hive looks like they are eating and functioning normally. Check on queen today?

I opened the 2nd box this morning and saw that there were still some bees clustered in an upper corner. By the way. When they were back in the nuc box from when I dumped them into the hive body its as if they were clustered around a queen although I did not see one. So I dumped that whole bunch back into the hive body and closed the lid yesterday evening.
If you go to 8:09 on this vido you can see what I mean. I did what I could. Worst comes to worst get another nuc?
Bee install 1.avi

Plenty of ticks on me this morning too!

Can somebody tell me where I can find a foundation tree?

Offline buzzbee

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Re: Installing nucs question or 3
« Reply #14 on: May 20, 2012, 07:31:34 am »
Contact Brushy,I am sure they will replace the queen. I do not know the package policy.

Offline buzzbee

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Re: Installing nucs question or 3
« Reply #15 on: May 20, 2012, 07:50:56 am »
There is a lot of confusion for the bees when dumping them.there is still queen smell in the package box,and a lot of fanning pheremones from both packages in the air. I would remove the syrup can and shake all those bees right on the front entrance and remove the package box completely now to get them interested in the hive itself.The bees that come in packages do not generally come out of the same hive as the bees .They are still associating with one another.
I did not see in the video where the queen was put in the hive?I heard it mentioned.

I am not sure I would have put them in without any foundation at all.Perhaps some frames had foundation or some drawn comb?
How are you feeding your bees? I see you have the entrance resstricted with a excluder type screen but saw no top feeder.

Offline Billybee

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Re: Installing nucs question or 3
« Reply #16 on: May 20, 2012, 10:21:20 am »
I do have a slice of foundation on each end of both boxes. I have nothing to start with so there really is NO choice.
I have an outside feeder on a small stand outside of the hive with the edge of the feeder on the entrance of the hive.  I have never used one of these before and what a sloppy process indeed. Gotta be a better way. I am probably gonna take the excluder off and set it up right as I am feeling like this hive may be fine.

On the hive thats not doing well They are all (the ones that are left) inside the box in a corner. They seem lethargic.

How long until I remove (check on)the queen and cage in the hive I think is doing well?

Update: I took the excluder off of the entrance to the so called "good" hive because I saw quite a few dead bees on the bottom board in there as well. I did see them start to toss out bodies but, couldnt stick around because of the ticks creeping all over me.

After having a couple of hives in Florida where I always removed bees from somewhere and kept them I must say this whole nuc process is real dissapointing along with the zero responses I got when trying to inquire about bees with New Jersy beekeepers. Sad,sad, sad when it is supposed to be about the bees!. I wish I would have paid more attention to what was in the boxes when I walked away from Brushy's wearhouse. Too many dead bees and I cant be sure when the death took place.

Monday May 21 2012. Just couldnt resist checking queen cage in good hive. She was still in the cage ALIVE but, they had not made much progress getting her out so I popped the cork, put the entrance excluder back  on and am gonna let them do their thing only going out to feed. Will see what Brushy says today.

Bill
« Last Edit: May 21, 2012, 08:09:04 am by Billybee »
Can somebody tell me where I can find a foundation tree?