I have two smallish hives that I've nursed along for a couple of months...each of which is still in a single 8-frame medium box. Each was queenless at one point but now they each have a queen. However, things aren't booming, and I wonder if it's a good idea to move them to nucs to help them build up (I have 5-frame medium nucs).
Will someone please explain to me the benefit of moving a slow-growing hive to a smaller box? I guess I can't figure out why reducing the size of the hive will give a colony a boost.
-Liz
The only reason that I know of is, it gives the weak colony less room to protect. If my weak colonies have too many frames in them, then the waxed moths and beetles take over.
I'm sure the more knowledgeable beeks will answer you.
Larry
Less room to watch over and heat on cooler/ cold days.
liz,how many frames do they have drawn out in the 8frame medium? they will not build comb or lay eggs if they don't have enough bees to cover the brood. a nuc is great for small hives to cut down on the space they have to protect and keep warm. schawee
Something to keep in mind also, nucs are cheaper to build/ buy than full size hives also.
Quote from: schawee on July 07, 2011, 07:33:28 PM
liz,how many frames do they have drawn out in the 8frame medium? they will not build comb or lay eggs if they don't have enough bees to cover the brood. a nuc is great for small hives to cut down on the space they have to protect and keep warm. schawee
I can't remember the number of frames they've drawn on their own...but I've already given them 3 frames pre-drawn from other hives (frames that contained larvae and brood) in order to provide resources to rear a queen. But the queens aren't laying very vigorously...everything seems sort of blah in there.
I haven't fed them...maybe I should?
-Liz
Yep, probably should have been feeding them to get them to draw out foundation. If there is no room to lay the population can't build up.
I just got back from a week in Ohio and things looked really green and in flower there. Is your flow still on? Looked like it to me with all the flowers I saw. I know it had been really rainy earlier in the season which might have slowed the girls down.
Drawing comb requires heat.
Raising brood requires heat.
Guarding space requires bees.
All of this is easier for the bees in a smaller space.