Getting a nuc!

[Lesli]

Hey all,
For those who don't know, I'm a "wanabee." I made the decision to keep bees too late this year to buy a package, but Ihave found a place that will sell me a nuc.

Since I have all my equipment ready, I'm going to go ahead and buy the nuc. Any advice? What to expect?

Ooo. I'm so excited!

[Mchero]

Not too late to start a NUC!

My 2 NUC's I have had for just about 2 weeks now. Pump them full of sugar water (one to one mix). Leave them bee for at least a week & then take a peek to see if the queen is laying. If you have a good queen you should be in good shape & abel to build then up for the winter.

WELCOME!
 

Hey all,
For those who don't know, I'm a "wanabee." I made the decision to keep bees too late this year to buy a package, but Ihave found a place that will sell me a nuc.

Since I have all my equipment ready, I'm going to go ahead and buy the nuc. Any advice? What to expect?

Ooo. I'm so excited!

[Lesli]

I will defnitely feed them well. Right now, white clover is also blooming all through my fields and the fields next to me, along with the tulip trees on my land. So I'm hoping that there will be plenty for them when they arrive to go with the sugar syrup.

[Mchero]

The sugar water gives them an abundant flow that will help promote them to extract the foundation on the new frames. After a week one NUC was working on the inside frames on the new outer frames! Will be checking then out Thursday evening!

RM
 

I will defnitely feed them well. Right now, white clover is also blooming all through my fields and the fields next to me, along with the tulip trees on my land. So I'm hoping that there will be plenty for them when they arrive to go with the sugar syrup.

[TJ]

Good for you, Lesli. If the nuc you are getting is already used to feeding themselves, don't be surprised if they ignore the syrup you offer. But on the other hand, don't be surprised if they gobble it up. So, what I'm saying is...don't be surprised. They are living creatures and don't read the same books as we beekeepers do.  Do you have to return the nuc box in a certain amount of time, or do you get to keep it?

[Lesli]

Good for you, Lesli. ... So, what I'm saying is...don't be surprised. They are living creatures and don't read the same books as we beekeepers do.  Do you have to return the nuc box in a certain amount of time, or do you get to keep it?

I've noticed that my dog hasn't read all the dog behavior books, either, so I can hardly expect it of the bees.  

Right now, I'm giving second thoughts to where I'm going to set up. I realized that the spot I have in mind is very close to the powerlines. Workmen come every few years to cut trees etc that might interfere with them. putting the hives right under the lines might not be such a good idea. Hmmm.

The company didn't say whether I have to return the box or not. Shrug. If I do, I do.

[Lupus]

There are many different sized Nuc's. You do not say what size you have?

Most Nuc's are 5 frames instead of the standard 10 frames. Sometimes Beekeepers sell a hive body (large super) or medium super with some working bees on some drawn comb surrounded by foundation (frames that the bees have not built comb on yet).

You probably want to get your hive in standard equipment to give them room to build a large enough nest to survive the winter. A hive needs hmm maybe 60-80 lbs of honey ( a guess for your local) to make it through the winter. That means two hive bodies or 2-3 medium depth supers filled with drawn comb by fall. If they do not collect enough honey by fall, which is probable at this late date with a starter hive, then you need to feed 1-1 syrup for them to put up. If they do not have enough space to build comb they will not have enough storage space and will have a hard time getting through the winter.

You need to think pretty far ahead in Beekeeping. I would be getting enough supers together now so that they will have the space they need later. You might as well get a couple or three extra supers and get them ready for next spring which is probably your best hope for surplus honey.
Drawn comb is almost as important as the bees themselves. Bees only build comb when they have a nectar flow, which can be created by feeding syrup. Your challenge late in the season is going to be stimulating that young colony to build enough comb to get through the winter. If you want to collect early season nectar in the spring they will need comb built for that too.

I just got the material to build 20 medium supers and two double super, 5 frame medium depth Nucs from UPS this afternoon. I have only 20 good supers on hand and that want get my 7-8 hives through the winter much less handle that fast southern spring nectar flow.

I started this spring by purchasing 3 full size (10 frame) medium super hives "Nuc's". I only use medium depth supers. I bought a package, caught a swarm and made 2-3 splits getting me to 7-8 hives. The 7-8 is a double hive with a division screen that has some sealed queen cells in the bottom half and a laying queen in the top as of yesterday. I bought a few queens to have on hand and make splits with.

I'll be building and painting ( actually staining) in my spare time for the next few days trying to get supers on so they can build more wax. I had 5 gallons of syrup but that is about gone and I am having trouble finding a source to sell me 5-10 gallons. I may be dissolving a bunch of sugar soon.

Good luck!

[Mchero]

I go to WalMart and purchase 10lb. bags of sugar for $4 up here in New Hampshire. I get 18 cups of sugar in a 10lb. bag so when mixing 1 to 1 I'll add the bag to 18 cups of boiling water.

The local supermarket chain up here sells 5lb. bags of their brand name sugar for $2


Robert
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I had 5 gallons of syrup but that is about gone and I am having trouble finding a source to sell me 5-10 gallons. I may be dissolving a bunch of sugar soon.

Good luck!

[BigRog]

mix 10 lbs of suger with 10 pints of water
That would be 1 to 1
but hey close enough