BBKA Forum

So I just caught a swarm and they are happy in a nuc box with 6 indrawn frames of foundation.

I’ve read the need to feed feed feed now, 1:1 sugar solution. However, I have 2 full frames of stores that I took out of my hive at the beginning of this year which I’d like to put in the caught swarm nuc.

My question is whether that will be enough or do I need to feed sugar syrup as well?

Really good question, Bananas.

I would suggest feeding syrup and giving frames of stores is doing two slightly different things.

Giving a couple of frames of capped syrup will certainly stop them starving if the weather makes foraging difficult and is good insurance. They will probably not uncap the stores to use the syrup to fuel drawing wax unfortunately. If they can fly then they will bring in nectar as well and start to draw out foundation but at a rate determined by the ability to find and gather nectar.

Feeding them light syrup means they will instead concentrate immediately on drawing out foundation into lovely new combs, not worry about having to foraging too much for a couple of weeks and prompts the queen to turbo lay and reestablish a brood nest.

As a natural swarm they are busting to draw wax and will do it beautifully - personally I would encourage them to do so and feed. Unless it is a quite small cast swarm, I would hive it in a full box soon as and let them draw out more than just 5/6 frames. If it’s a good prime swarm they should outgrow the nuc pretty quickly.

Stop feeding when they start significantly storing syrup in the drawn combs. It’s a really exciting time, isn’t it?

Richard
That’s a really useful reply, many thanks. The forums need more people like you!

It’s a healthy swarm so will plan to transfer it out of the nuc and get feeding tomorrow. My other hive is fledgling so be good to get the swarm up to speed for the summer

Sounds good. Good luck with it