Mating Flights?

[Greywulff]

Something that struck me when reading another post.

If I was to aim for 20% more queens than i needed to ensure enough were hatched out, is there anything i can do to increase the % return of queens to there nuc's once they've made there mating flight? or should 20% cover me for any loss....

Oh while I have yee...

When placing my nuc's in my apiary i was thinking of using 16' timber rails for fencing to make up collapsible stands. This would allow me put 5 nuc's at 3.2' apart is this far enough away from each other if I face them 1 forward 1 back etc?

[Robo]

There are so many variables that play a part in the success rate.  Things like weather, predators, drone populations, etc.  make it quite difficult to project. At times I have had low as 25% and as high as 95% success using the same set-up.   

I think your 3+ ft is more than sufficient,  some would suggest painting them different colors to help as well.  I use 4 - 2frames nucs in a deep with an entrance on all sides.  I have had these corner to corner and still had queens readily find their way back.

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,16515.0.html

[Greywulff]

Nice one love the design. Intend to use mating nuc's as I've a limited number of bee's to start with and don't want to risk them totally with splits.

So I was going to use the apidea hives to get the queen mated with the smallest amount of bee's (cup full in each) and let her expand numbers in the apidea hive then set up nuc's with one frame of bee's frame and pollen either side and unite them with the apidea over the top allowing the queen to move into the nuc and once there was sign of her laying in the nuc the apidea mating hive could be taken away.

Does that sound like a plan? anyone see any problems here?

[Robo]

Personally,  I have never had any luck with the mini mating nucs.  Unless you can give them drawn comb with brood (which is a hassle), I find they dwindle too much to support the queen. Why not just give the queen cells to your 2 frame nucs from the get go instead of dealing with the combining and all?   That would be my suggestion.

[Greywulff]

Had thought of that but, and see if this makes sense.

I have 3 hives and in spring I could take 2 frames from each?  Which would give me 3 nuc's on 2 frames add the queen and I'm sorted with 3 nuc's.

But if I brought on 6 mating nuc's and let the queen lay for a few weeks after she starts laying to strengthen them again after they dwindled abit. I would then have 6 mating nuc's with about a frame and abit of bee's, this then combined with 1 frame from each of the 6 frames I can take from the main hives would give me 6 nuc's. on 2 and abit frames.

Or am I just getting myself into alot of bother that way.