Sometime during the spring in Australia, 2015, I captured a beehive. The comb structure was closely attached to a branch, and I naively placed the whole branch, and one frame into a nuc. Long story short, the bees largely went unattended and have now entirely filled every section of this nuc with thick honeycomb.
It's summer here in Australia now, it's going to be 39c/102f here in two days time. Though they've already been through worse this year, I'm concerned for them, as such a tight density of space would be hard to keep cool, even under shade.
I'd like to transition them into a medium super, not a deep, as I'm shying away from using deep frames/supers now. Meaning, the single frame that's in the nuc isn't that useful.
I'm not sure what the best way to proceed would be. I've been thinking that I might just remove all the honey and extract it, put all the bees into a medium super, and place whatever brood structure I find on top of the hive mat. I've done something like this before and it worked out well, but I'm not sure how much actual brood comb is in there, I doubt it'll be all neatly composed based on the chaotic state of the hive. I'm also rather concerned about killing the queen this way. I believe a lot of honey will be spilled(I can't even lift the lid using a hivetool without it getting quite sticky, there's honey crammed in everywhere inside), which would be easy for the queen to drown in, and I wouldn't be able to find her without making a mess.
I'm going to salvage the situation the best I can tomorrow. Any thoughts?
How would it work if you added another nuc on top with frames. Foundation or no foundation this would give them room. Just use a long knife cut the comb from the top, leave it there. Let them do their thing and at a later date do your thing and get the nuc straightened or move to a hive. I had a similar trap hive FULL of comb and bees, I added another 5 frame trap body and they are 9 months old and strong. They have a new home in a two 10 frame deep.
I would do as Paus says if you do not think you can save the queen.
Another way would be to open the side panel and work your way in. Is it screwed together or is it nailed and glued together. If glued it would not come apart very easily.
Jim
If that was my SNAFU, then I'd also put another nuc box over the existing one. If you have a spare frame with drawn comb handy, then put that in the middle to act as a ladder to encourage upward movement. If you don't then you'd have to trust to luck.
If the girls play ball, then begin keeping a check on the combs in the top box - as soon as you see brood being reared there, then place a Q/X (a plywood q/x would be ideal) between the boxes, and place yet another nuc box on top of the stack. The girls should then relocate their stores etc up into that new top box. At some point you should then be able to remove the bottom box and clear it out without too much risk to the colony.
LJ
I've just re-read what you've written - there'll be lots of comb attached to the crown board/ inner cover - or whatever you have on top of the box. What I'd be tempted to do is run a length of piano wire/ cheese wire/ guitar top 'E' string etc. slowly between the cover and the box, and let the combs fall. From what you've described, the combs will support each other to some extent, and the bees will quickly jump on the cut surfaces to save the honey. There is a risk of hurting the queen, but it's a small one, as she normally operates away from the top of the box.
Didn't end up doing the job due to the owners not wanting bees flying around that day. The nuc is glued and screwed, and all my nucs have glued and screwed bottoms to them; I have no nuc sized supers to put on top.
If my memory is correct, there isn't even a cover in there, the comb is entirely attached to the roof of the lid. Interesting idea with the wire. Do I want them to jump on the surface to save the honey?
EDIT:
I don't know if this idea is awful or not, but could I place the whole nuc inside a double medium super hive, with half the frames removed to accommodate for the nuc. Maybe leave the lid off, after a couple days the bees will expand out into the outer medium hive I'd assume, making them less compact in the nuc, making it easier to cut it out; would this work?
Quote from: omnimirage on January 05, 2017, 03:11:59 AM
Didn't end up doing the job due to the owners not wanting bees flying around that day. The nuc is glued and screwed, and all my nucs have glued and screwed bottoms to them; I have no nuc sized supers to put on top.
I would drill (hole saw) a two inch hole in the bottom of the nuc and place it upside down with a medium box on top. You will have to temporarily seal off the exposed bottom sides of the medium and support it so it isn't tipsy. After 3 weeks all the brood will be out of the nuc box. Remove it and crush and strain the honey. Keep up with the medium boxes so the hive doesn't swarm.
Quote from: omnimirage on January 05, 2017, 03:11:59 AM
Interesting idea with the wire. Do I want them to jump on the surface to save the honey?
Yes. "... there's honey crammed in everywhere inside, which would be easy for the queen to drown in, and I wouldn't be able to find her without making a mess." The more the bees can 'soak-up' and deal with, the less chance there is of creating a sticky ball of bees on the floor ...
In view of the less than ideal situation, I think Ace's idea is worth trying.
LJ