I received a weak Nuc last night that consisted of a frame of brood and a half frame of nectar/pollen/honey.
I want to fortify it with some frames from my existing hives. I have read where you can add frames of brood/nurse bees and/or honey to splits or Nuc's, but wanted to confirm that doing this would not jeopardize my new queen (putting a frame of capped brood from one of my existing hives would probably double the population of bees in this Nuc - the newcomers will be the stronger force and I do not want them to kill the new queen.)
This post is to make sure that it makes sense to grab a frame of capped honey and one of capped brood (with nurse bees) and drop them in this weak Nuc.
Also, I am wondering how I would transport these frames. Ideally, I would like to take the frames from a donor hive that is about 30 miles away.
I would move a frame of capped brood only, minus the nurse bees. No honey at this time, other than what little is on the frame of brood.
Give them a week to emerge, then maybe do it again.
Heat the car to 80 or better and just move them.
I thought the nurse bees kept the temp above 90 degrees in the pupae state. Maybe I have it wrong on what the 'pupae' state is. I thought it was the period when the bees were capped.
If you put in nurse bees you may jeopardize the queen in a small nuc. I would move 1 frame of capped brood only and wait a week to see that it look like.
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
Quote from: BeeMonkey on May 29, 2010, 12:11:02 AM
I am wondering how I would transport these frames. Ideally, I would like to take the frames from a donor hive that is about 30 miles away.
Put on the heat no the. A/C :evil:
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
Ok, I will give it a shot. Thanks to both of you for the advice.