mini nucs

[borderer]

I have been trying to raise queens this year using mini-nucs and have come across a couple of problems.

1) I don't think I put enough bees in to start with, can I ad more and if so what would be the best way.

2) what is the best way to refill the feeder as they have using the fondant very quickly.

 

[Poly Hive]

What brand of mini are you using?

If it is the Kieler then it needs a good mug of bees to get it off to a good start.

As for the feeder just fill it.

PH

 

[borderer]

it is an apidea and I put a cup of bees in which clearly ain't enough. Is it possible to add more or should I just start again?

 

[susbees]

Apideas in Cumbria in the weather you've been having? Hmm...Keilers might be better.

Apideas - 200ml of bees or maybe 250. But if you've had them in there a while you'd need to restock if you haven't had any queens come into lay to replenish them.

 

[Teemore]

I've been advised by a number of successful Apidea users that adding too many bees to an Apidea (i.e. more than the prescribed cupful) increases the likelihood of the bees absconding...

I helped make up three Apidea on Saturday and one lot of bees absconded on Sunday morning: that was the one that got an 'extra' few bees... Thankfully it wasn't me adding the bees!

 

[drstitson]

refilling mini-nucs

when adding more bees to mini-nucs does one need to take any precautions to prevent violence (eg perfume spray or icing sugar)?

 

[BKF Admin]

I've been advised by a number of successful Apidea users that adding too many bees to an Apidea (i.e. more than the prescribed cupful) increases the likelihood of the bees absconding...

I helped make up three Apidea on Saturday and one lot of bees absconded on Sunday morning: that was the one that got an 'extra' few bees... Thankfully it wasn't me adding the bees!

It sounds like they never got shut in and put in a cool dark place for a few days before siteing and opening.

 

[Poly Hive]

Never used Apideas as as they are smaller than the Keilers then they must (I presume) be even trickier.

Which is why I *cough* don't have any.

PH

 

[Polyanwood]

I have swi bines, Kielers and apidieas. None of them are perfect, but most of the failures were operator error on my part:
- not having time to do the 24 hours in cool dark place
- and even worse, using bees shaken from supers, that were covered in nectar and did not recover from the drenching
- not getting the right amount of bees

In case someone is going to design a perfect mini nuc I would like to put my order in.

Apideas - The QX on the front door in rubbish and they are a bit small and the frames are expensive and I keep breaking them
Swibines - Shame you can't take the feeder out and the poly is too low density and there is no proper QX, so you have to botch one, and then the bees chew all around the entrance. Obviously they are a bit small too. I love the frames though.
Kieler - On hot days if you are not careful the comb breaks off. The top bars need sides. They also need some kind of crownboard, so you have to botch one.

Am I moaning?

 

[susbees]

Never used Apideas as as they are smaller than the Keilers then they must (I presume) be even trickier.

Which is why I *cough* don't have any.

PH

I have eight apideas in the bee shed at the moment, charged and some piping going on. These are some of the grafts I took for a BKA bee improvement project. Cell checks are this evening, then a fondant recharge. Shipped a little east tomorrow they are off to a remote mating site Thursday morning.

If we get back mated queens from this (c 40 apideas, eleven lines of bees) then I will be...

...a bit more impressed than I have been so far looking after the things. And no it wasn't my idea to use them. I have a few Keilers.

 

[borderer]

Situation today

One apidea has failed completely, bees gone. The other, to my great suprise, has hatched a beautiful Queen.

Thanks for the advice hopfully next time I will get queens from both