I picked up a 7 frame and 5 frame nucs a week ago from a local beekeeper. There is a lot of brood in all stages, a great laying queen and lots of honey and pollen.
I heard from beekeeper that new foundation gets drawn out quicker if he sprays on sugar water. I have heard of guys painting on wax but never sugar water. Thoughts? Has anyone ever tried this?
Thanks guys.
PhillyJoe
Joe,
I do this quiet regularly. The only difference is I mix my own homemade honey bee healthy in the syrup. They love it.
I sure would do everything I can to get them to draw comb as it is very hard to get done in the fall. I hope you can get them someplace to store feed other than the brood frames they still need to be raising winter bees in. Consider putting one of those frames of foundation between two frames of open brood and seeing if the bees will draw that frame out to try to restore the integrity of their brood nest. I would make 1:1 syrup available to them and I would use a zip loc baggie internally so robbers don't start working your nuc. Good luck with your new bees.
I was going to wait one week to see what they start to draw on their own before I started manipulating the brood frames. I did start with 2:1 (water/Sugar) which was recommended for my area. They are sucking that down pretty fast.
I know people winter nucs pretty easily and this one has some honey and pollen in each frame and two frames have all honey and 1 still needs to be capped. I was hoping to get another super put on before the next few weeks. The Beekeeper who I got these from said this nuc should double in size the next few weeks so have a super ready.
The other one actually has a lot more activity with foragers and only and has 3 frames of brood and 2 frames of honey and pollen so that's the one i'm worried about. I did see eggs in both hives so that was pretty cool to see today.
PhillyJoe
Philly, did you buy those bees or were they given to you? If you bought them, I hope you got a bargain. I highly doubt it will double in 3 weeks since it takes that long to hatch. I have sprayed 1/1 with hbh on the foundation, I've read that it puts there scent on the wax from them licking on it and they will accept it faster.
I would think about combining these 2 nucs when the weather starts getting cold, if they aren't strong by then.
Just this rookies thoughts.
One frame of capped brood will make 3 frames of bees.
Thx GSF. That's exactly what the gentleman I bought these from said. He is also one of the most well known and respected beekeepers in this area. So I trust what he tells me about these bee's. If he says they'll double I don't have any doubt they will. In fact, the one nuc has 3 frames of capped brood with emerging bee's and 1 uncapped. The other has 2 1/2 capped and semi capped with each already having lots of bee's. Today it was pretty neat to see them taking (what I think were) their orientation flights.
There are 3 frames with just foundation in one nuc and 4 frames in the other. I did put the sugar water on them earlier tonight so we'll see what happens by next week. They are taking lots of sugar water...
PhillyJoe
Sorry Philly, I did not intend to come off as a negative nelly. Just thought people sold nucs in the spring, especially where it gets cold in the fall.
I do hope you get as much frames drawn and stored as needed. Good luck to you and all.
Rookie;
On behalf of Philly and others, no problem. The written form of communication is most difficult at best. I've written things then read them the next day and had to go back to clarify.
Joe,
From what I have read from beeks on this site, I would leave them in the nuc for the winter, especially where you are. I normally have all 10 frame hives for winter but this year I have a couple that I intentionally left in nucs to see how they do.
Jim
On plastic it helps.
wrap the hive with foam to help keep it warm