Drawing out Comb

Hi,

My nuc has been installed into my hive for the past week. Checked today (just crownboard off) and it appears they not drawn out much comb at all.

Just a slow colony or is there something miss.

Here is a picture to aid diagnosis





could it be the location of the stores frame?

thanks

That's a small colony, you should have had a full nuc of bees and at least 2 frames of brood, I would pop them back in the nuc until the colony has grown. Just an observation try to keep the frames together otherwise you will get uneven drawing of wax and the whole hive gets messed up

Just another observation, what's that strip of wood next to the hive wall ?

The colony looks pretty small. I agree with REDWOOD that you need to keep those frames together. I presume you have seen the queen and some eggs?

REDWOOD said:

Just another observation, what's that strip of wood next to the hive wall ?

Click to expand...

Thats the dummy board

agree, thanks for the heads up, will and sort now, yes I saw a queen and some eggs when I installed it

Alternatively, take out some of the frames and push the dummy board up so they have less space to fill.

I know opinions differ on this, but if it were me I would push the drawn frames right up to the front of the hive and then have a couple of frames of foundation behind them. That way all the wax drawing can be concentrated in one area, rather than on both sides of the brood nest. As frames are drawn add more frames of foundation.

It does look rather small, if you bought it you should expect four fully drawn frames with brood to start with.

So is it alright to have that much stores in the middle. Seems all the bees are jammed in there

I agree with REDWOOD's observations, it wasn't ready to hive up just yet.

They will decide where to put stuff and how fast to draw wax, but as I say, if it were me I would have the brood nest near the entrance and the undrawn frames at the back.

Ok, that's sounds like my first bee keeping challenge then, acted in good faith based upon the instruction supplied...

does this mean it'll just take longer or am I knackered one week in?

Davelin said:

They will decide where to put stuff and how fast to draw wax, but as I say, if it were me I would have the brood nest near the entrance and the undrawn frames at the back.

Click to expand...

Yeah I like that idea thanks, so starting at the top, remove the first 3 frames then push everything up ?

No great worries, just give them a while longer in the nuc.

Bees are remarkably resilient at withstanding our most inept efforts!

They will be fine, just advice to help them better.

andyww said:

Yeah I like that idea thanks, so starting at the top, remove the first 3 frames then push everything up ?

Click to expand...

Yes

where is the best place to put the one with all stores?

Keep the frames in the same order that they are in now.


Just another thought, have you fed them at all? Some 1:1 syrup will help with wax drawing.

andyww said:

where is the best place to put the one with all stores?

Click to expand...

add your location, rather than just the uk, as it's a big place, you may find someone on your doorstep that can give you hands on help or advice

thanks, I've now changed them about, see how they get on now. (saw the queen and a whole frame of larvae which was encouraging)

Yep I've been feeding them - they've been guzzling up buckets of the stuff

ratcatcher said:

add your location, rather than just the uk, as it's a big place, you may find someone on your doorstep that can give you hands on help or advice

Click to expand...

Yep will do