Transferring a frame of brood

[Putnamsmif]

I collected my first swarm a couple of days ago. I've recently acquired a new apiary site but was going to wait until Spring to move some hives but I am going to put this swarm there. Would it be a good idea, as it's quite late in the season and I don't have any any drawn brood frames, to give them a drawn super frame, and also a frame of brood from another hive? I'm going to start feeding them light syrup this evening. Thanks.

 

[oliver90owner]

Prime or cast? How strong, as in size?

Probably laying by now, if a prime. Is it really big enough this late in the season for anything more than uniting if healthy? Can your donor colony afford the loss of a brood frame?

Either is applicable, if appropriate, but cannot tell from here. Emerging brood is the requirement if you want to give them a good helping hand.

Even now feeding depends on the situation - size of swarm, forage, prime or cast. So many factors, but a small amount of syrup, in any case, would not go amiss, I would think.

If small it might be better in a nuc, initially and perhaps all winter. It would need dummying down if in a full hive, unless a good strong prime, I would think.

Too many gaps in the information, to make hard and fast advice suggestions. Even two boxes of drawn shallow frames might be a suggestion.

 

[Putnamsmif]

Thanks, I'll feed them later and have a quick peek. They fit quite nicely into a 6 frame nuc which is where I intended to over-winter them.

 

[richardbees]

P, looks like you know what you're doing. Apart from switching to 2:1 syrup once they've drawn the foundation, maybe you could feed some 'nektapol' pressed down between the top bars?

Good luck