Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: Using Mating Nucs  (Read 3658 times)

Offline RHBee

  • Queen Bee
  • ****
  • Posts: 1095
  • Gender: Male
  • That's my pooch.
Using Mating Nucs
« on: April 15, 2013, 09:11:14 pm »
Ok, I'm wanting to keep a few queens around for those "just in case" situations. I got it on how to make a queen but if I keep queens in a queen castle or a few mating nucs how do you keep the colony population under control. I don't want to create a bunch of small swarms. I would like to build enough queen inventory to do a complete queen flip of all field colonies and fall splits.
Kinda funny I seem to understand how to boost the population but not control population.
Later,
Ray

Offline Finski

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 3928
  • Gender: Male
Re: Using Mating Nucs
« Reply #1 on: April 15, 2013, 10:22:41 pm »
.
I have 3 and 4 frame mating nucs. They have normal frames.

If they need more bees, I can put there a frame of emerging bees.

If the nuc has toos much honey or too much brood, I may put frames into big hive and give empty combs instead.

A divided box into 3 champer is a worse  solution than solitary nucs. Queen losses are high in many cahamper box.
.
Language barrier NOT included

Offline 10framer

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 1701
Re: Using Mating Nucs
« Reply #2 on: April 15, 2013, 10:42:11 pm »
.
I have 3 and 4 frame mating nucs. They have normal frames.

If they need more bees, I can put there a frame of emerging bees.

If the nuc has toos much honey or too much brood, I may put frames into big hive and give empty combs instead.

A divided box into 3 champer is a worse  solution than solitary nucs. Queen losses are high in many cahamper box.

i'm using 5 frame nucs but managing them the same way.  i started them with two frames of brood and one of pollen/nectar plus two of foundation.  it's going to take them a while to build up to the point of swarming being a concern.

Offline RHBee

  • Queen Bee
  • ****
  • Posts: 1095
  • Gender: Male
  • That's my pooch.
Re: Using Mating Nucs
« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2013, 12:25:10 am »
Thanks guys. I should be able to do that I just needed to know the mechanics. Is it practical to make these 3 frame mediums? With the SHB and the issues with robbing how much should I reduce the entrance? Is a top entrance better?
 
Quote from: Finski link=topic=40823.msg348291#msg348291
A divided box into 3 champer is a worse  solution than solitary nucs. Queen losses are high in many cahamper box.
[/quote
What is the issue with the multiple chamber box's? Could a change of design make a difference?
Later,
Ray

Offline 10framer

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 1701
Re: Using Mating Nucs
« Reply #4 on: April 16, 2013, 01:18:28 am »
small entrance is a good idea.  robbing shouldn't be an issue again until the main flows are over.  by then you'll be using the queens.  i'd spare any queens that were really good producers instead of 100 percent replacement.  if nothing else use them next year as breeding stock and or reserve queens.  i've got one that has some terrible traits but she lays in every cell available.  rotated 3 frames out with a good queen cell and start a strong nuc.  wait two weeks then do it again.  the bees run on the comb and they are pretty hot.  but this was a medium 5 frame nuc in january and it's spawned a medium 10 frame hive and the nuc with the old queen is about to get split into two nucs.  i'm planning on taking the second one into winter as a 1 deep 1 medium (or more) hive plus the one that is a medium only now.  that's a lot of production from a 5 frame nuc considering the honey flow is really just starting.
sorry ray, the ambien makes me ramble. 

rob

Offline RHBee

  • Queen Bee
  • ****
  • Posts: 1095
  • Gender: Male
  • That's my pooch.
Re: Using Mating Nucs
« Reply #5 on: April 16, 2013, 02:11:10 am »
small entrance is a good idea.
sorry ray, the ambien makes me ramble. 

rob

Not a problem Rob. I understand. Anyway aren't you supposed to go to sleep when you take that stuff.  :-D Thanks for the ideas. I was just going to use the best queens. The breeding stock will be naturally mated russians. I want to go totally that way. Not that my Italian queens are bad I simply want them for varroa control.I also understand that fall requeening makes for a more vigorous queen in spring.
Later,
Ray

Offline Jim134

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 3047
  • Gender: Male
    • Franklin County Beekeepers Association
Re: Using Mating Nucs
« Reply #6 on: April 16, 2013, 04:33:43 am »
You may like this

http://youtu.be/qIYz65Vquxg




           BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may  remember,involve me and I'll understand"
        Chinese Proverb

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways."
 John F. Kennedy
Franklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

Offline Finski

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 3928
  • Gender: Male
Re: Using Mating Nucs
« Reply #7 on: April 16, 2013, 04:43:27 am »
Not that my Italian queens are bad I simply want them for varroa control.I

You do not mind about honey yield?

You should know that Russian bee is not varroa tolerant.

Russian bee has not get much favour in beekeeping because its yields are small. Varroa and bees destroy so much brood that foraging capacity is lower than in chemically treated hives.

.
.
Language barrier NOT included

Offline 10framer

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 1701
Re: Using Mating Nucs
« Reply #8 on: April 16, 2013, 10:21:35 am »
yeah, it works better if you go to bed. 
do you have varroa problems?  my hives came from two different beekeepers and a cutout.  geographically they were pretty spread out.  i almost hate to say it because it'll bite me in the arse.  i have yet to see a single mite on any of my bees and i do some random larva/pupae inspections too.

Offline Jim134

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 3047
  • Gender: Male
    • Franklin County Beekeepers Association
Re: Using Mating Nucs
« Reply #9 on: April 16, 2013, 02:37:28 pm »
yeah, it works better if you go to bed.  
do you have varroa problems?  my hives came from two different beekeepers and a cutout.  geographically they were pretty spread out.  i almost hate to say it because it'll bite me in the arse.  i have yet to see a single mite on any of my bees  and i do some random larva/pupae inspections too.



    Good for you  X:X X:X X:X



                 BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may  remember,involve me and I'll understand"
        Chinese Proverb

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways."
 John F. Kennedy
Franklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

Offline RHBee

  • Queen Bee
  • ****
  • Posts: 1095
  • Gender: Male
  • That's my pooch.
Re: Using Mating Nucs
« Reply #10 on: April 16, 2013, 03:03:30 pm »
Not that my Italian queens are bad I simply want them for varroa control.I

You do not mind about honey yield?

You should know that Russian bee is not varroa tolerant.

Russian bee has not get much favour in beekeeping because its yields are small. Varroa and bees destroy so much brood that foraging capacity is lower than in chemically treated hives.

.
Finski sure I want to have a good honey yield. But first I have to get drawn comb. as you can figure I got some pretty small colonies. a few of the larger ones may give me some honey.
as for the Russians being mite resistant. I'm going to give it a try what if I got to lose. I can always get new Italian Queens. they are plentiful and relatively inexpensive.
yeah, it works better if you go to bed. 
do you have varroa problems?  my hives came from two different beekeepers and a cutout.  geographically they were pretty spread out.  i almost hate to say it because it'll bite me in the arse.  i have yet to see a single mite on any of my bees and i do some random larva/pupae inspections too.


Rob I know I had some earlier in the year but I haven't seen any on any the bees yet. I'm going to wait till after the honey flow then I'm going to treat with oxalic vaporization. all of my colonies look pretty vigorus right now. I have only seen a few SHB. Come to think about it now would be a good time to treat. I don't have any honey supers in place yet.

You may like this

http://youtu.be/qIYz65Vquxg




           BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
Yeah Jim I'm kinda a fan of Mel's. I don't mention it much I especially like his method of preparing the comb for building queen cells. A lot easier than the Miller method.
Later,
Ray

 

anything