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  • Introducing a nuc to a hive

  • General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
 #11293  by mattbat
 22 Jun 2021, 18:21
When receiving a nuc is there any preference to how these are introduced into the hive?

If the nuc is received in the morning can the bees be introduced straight away into the hive or is it best open the entrance and then let them get used to the new location and then transfer the frames (if so for how long?)

Is it normal/acceptable to add a queen excluder under the brood box for a few days to stop the queen leaving?
 #11295  by Patrick
 22 Jun 2021, 18:56
Hi Matt

Assuming you have had it delivered or collected it, I would place next to receiving hive with entrances pointing the same way, open the nuc entrance and let them settle in a few days. Assuming you bought them in, it slightly depends on the strength of the nuc as to the next move. If they are at capacity and say four frames of mainly capped brood then swap them into the hive. If still plenty of space or a couple of frames of undrawn foundation they are better off staying in the nuc, giving them a gentle feed and letting them build up in the nuc before transferring them.

Exciting times đź‘Ť

No I wouldn’t bother with the excluder under, if there is open brood there is no reason to think they will abscond - it’s a tactic to hold swarms when they have no open brood to keep them there.
 #11297  by Steve 1972
 22 Jun 2021, 19:46
X2 with Patrick..but if you have itchy feet and want to get the nuc into your brand new hive you can dummy the hive down with 50mm kingspan with all exposed edges of the kingspan taped up..then once the bees start building up you can remove one of the kingspan inserts/dummy boards and so on till you have frames of bees building up..
You have entered a wonderful yet stressfull hobby but good luck.
 #11299  by mattbat
 22 Jun 2021, 20:37
Thanks…..Given the nuc box will be correx…will this still ok to leave the bees in for a while (if so what is best way to feed them in this)

We have an empty cedar nuc box with small feeder board etc which is much studier/weather proof…would you be advice moving the nuc frames into this (in the hive position) allowing them to establish before moving to the hive or just leave them in the correx box?
 #11300  by Patrick
 22 Jun 2021, 21:14
Aha, rewind - was guilty of assumptions there.

If it’s a recently collected swarm in a nuc box, then presumably it’s on frames with only foundation? If yes , it needs to be fed to help them draw out combs. Swarms vary widely, a prime swarm can draw out five frames of foundation in no time whilst a small caste swarm will need a lot more time and a lot more support. Probably easier for them in a nuc box initially and yes I would swap over to your good nuc box with a feeder. When they have drawn out all those combs I would move them into the hive and continue to feed. Assuming the swarm has only just been collected, will be a over a month before any new bees add to the party.
 #11301  by mattbat
 22 Jun 2021, 21:28
We’re relative newbies so all advice is gratefully appreciated, especially when receiving the bees in a correx box :)
 #11304  by NigelP
 23 Jun 2021, 19:52
Don't be in a rush. Current weather correx box will be fine for a day or so.The problem you have is judging the number of bees.. As a newcomer you are more likely think there are lots whereas a few years on you may then think there were very few.
It's tricky. But by all means hive them fairly quickly but dummy down the space if required. Count seams of bees.... when you open up are all the gaps between frames full of bees, or are they only over 2 or 3 gaps between the frames. If the later then slow down. If they are covering every seam and "bursting" out then time to rehouse to a full hive. It's a judgement call and as some one new to bees you don't have that judgement yet...you can only get it by keeping bees. Although in the current warm weather you will get away with doing just about anything.

If i had one thing to add ....which idiot gives swarms to new beekeepers? They have already shown they have the worst trait you want and their future temperament is totally unknown.
If it's your local society I'd have a serious rethink, as it's totally irresponsible to dump bees of unknown origins/temperament on new beekeepers.
 #11314  by MickBBKA
 25 Jun 2021, 02:10
I put the nuc next to the recieving colony for a few days to orientate the bees, remove Q from that colony, then just shake all the bees onto the hive floor from both colonies and transfer the Q on a frame with her bees into the middle from the nuc. Never failed yet. Too many faffing methods out there tbh.
 #11315  by Caroline
 25 Jun 2021, 02:38
MickBBKA wrote: ↑
25 Jun 2021, 02:10
I put the nuc next to the recieving colony for a few days to orientate the bees, remove Q from that colony, then just shake all the bees onto the hive floor from both colonies and transfer the Q on a frame with her bees into the middle from the nuc.
A good tip, however in this instance I believe Matt is asking about transferring his nuc into a full (empty) hive, not uniting two colonies.