I have a 12-frame nuc that got started pretty late (queen started laying around August 10), but it is looking pretty well-built up at this point, so I am hopeful. I have been feeding them all along with honey and then 2:1, and the current weight is 74 lbs (12 frames in 2 mediums, 6 over 6). I feel that I should stop feeding now so that they have time to cap all the stores, but does anyone have any thoughts about whether this is an OK weight going into winter?
I sure hope that is honey from your bees that you are using. Using commercial honey is a good fast way to get American Foul Brood.
You say you have a 12 frame nuc, are you referring to 3-4 frame boxes?
If so, why are you needing to feed them?
Jim
HI Jim,
Yeah, the honey was from a deadout last year that I froze - I know about the danger of AFB spores from bought honey. The hive is 6 frames over 6 in two 10 frame medium boxes (with spacers to close out the extra space). As noted, it got started really late and we have been in a fierce drought all summer here, so I had to feed.
Ted
Did you feed capped honey or did you water it down? At this late in the game most of it should be capped. If not they need space to dry it out. The curse is if the hive is not strong enough to defend what it has it will get robbed. It can lose what it has very quickly.
I extracted the honey and fed it to them inside an empty super. When that was gone, I fed them and additional few buckets of 2:1. I stopped feeding on the 9th so that they would have time to dry and cap most of those stores. I have also left the inner cover center hole uncovered inside and empty super so that there is increased ventilation for the drying process. I will leave it this way until it starts to get really chilly, then I will close the inner opening up and get them winterized. There has been no robbing and both this nuc and my larger hive (three 10 frame mediums, 125 lb hive weight) seem to be healthy and happy here at the end of the fall. Just wondering if 75 lbs. gives the nuc a decent chance for the winter.