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Author Topic: keep some nucs all summer  (Read 2897 times)

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Offline Alleyyooper

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keep some nucs all summer
« on: September 05, 2016, 06:45:29 am »
 Even If your that a back yard bee keeper with a couple hives it pays to keep nucs thru the summer.

If you get a hot hive the only course to calm it is to get rid of the queen laying the eggs with the genics causing the meanness. Having a nuc on hand supply's you with a new queen to replace that old one.

If you have a hive go queen less you again have a ready queen to place in the hive.
When fall comes it has been the practice for years to re queen a hive that has a 2 year old queen with a younger one. With nucs you have a ready supply of queens for this.

In my area is impossible to over winter bees in a nuc.  So you marry the nuc with your hives using the news paper method. Start over again come spring.

 ;D  Al
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: keep some nucs all summer
« Reply #1 on: September 05, 2016, 02:45:33 pm »
It is not impossible to overwinter a nuc anywhere.
   I have wintered them through winters that were -50 with wind chill from November to mid February...  YES, I lost a couple. lost a couple hives too, but the greater majority of them did survive that NASTY winter..
   I agree whole heartedly with everything else...
   Nucs are AWESOME for newer beekeepers, they give you an excuse to get into them often, they take more management, and they provide you with resources to keep your production hives in tip top honey making condition.

   Winter a nuc JUST like you do a full hive, put SUGAR cakes, or candy board, or Winter patties on the top bars. So those bees HAVE resources to survive the winter. If it was a decently populated nuc, they will surprise you with their ability to survive!
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Offline Knucs

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Re: keep some nucs all summer
« Reply #2 on: September 06, 2016, 12:19:09 am »
Yes Alleyyopper, Nucs are awesome, so much so that most of my Apiary consists of nucs. I'm working on getting my latest splits to winter weight now. Check out Michael Palmer about overwintering Nucs, Michael Bush, or Adrian Quiney, 2 of which, I believe live further north than you. Also, LazyBkpr has experience & great info on his site.





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Offline Wandering Man

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Re: keep some nucs all summer
« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2016, 03:30:35 pm »
I guess I have not paid as much attention to nucs as I should have.  I have always thought of nucs as something professional beeks keep to do splits or for selling to us newbies as starter kits.

I guess not, huh?

Is there a nucs 101 class somewhere?  What do I really need to know about nucs?  I thought the goal was to move your bees into a full sized hive and nurture them into bigger growth.  I hadn't thought about keeping the colony confined to a five frame nuc.

I guess a nuc'd's sole purpose in life is to be spare parts for a full hive?

There is probably more that I need to know than can be contained in this thread, so I'd welcome some handy links or book suggestions.

-WM
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: keep some nucs all summer
« Reply #4 on: September 08, 2016, 01:56:00 am »
I like Nucs!


   My take on Nucs!

   http://www.outyard.net/nucleus-hives.html
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Offline Mikey N.C.

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Re: keep some nucs all summer
« Reply #5 on: September 08, 2016, 02:56:59 pm »
WM,
I've been reading , still haven't finished yet .
Increase Essentials (nuclei•Management•Wintering)
Lawrence John Connor
Good book
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Offline Wandering Man

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Re: keep some nucs all summer
« Reply #6 on: September 08, 2016, 07:04:05 pm »
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Offline Wandering Man

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Re: keep some nucs all summer
« Reply #7 on: September 08, 2016, 07:04:54 pm »
Quote from: Mikey N.C. on September 08, 2016, 02:56:59 pm
WM,
I've been reading , still haven't finished yet .
Increase Essentials (nuclei•Management•Wintering)
Lawrence John Connor
Good book

Thank you for the reference!
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