I have a dedicated nuc yard about 25 miles from my production yard. This is the first year that I have overwintered nucs in a different location. When should it be safe to move those nucs into my production yard into standard equipment? What should I be looking for? What I don't want to happen is to let them get over crowded and start wanting to swarm. I am 35 miles east of Charlotte, NC. Thanks.
Mark,
Many of us will be doing the same thing this spring.
Each hive is different, so you will need to be the judge.
When I feel the nuc is ready to be put into a deep would be about the same time I would put it in a production yard. Reduce the entrance and be ready to put on another medium or deep as needed. The standard advise on this site, as I have read, is when 7-8 frames are full, add a box.
I run the bottom box a deep with mediums on top.
Mark,
From my experience, I would move them to the 10 frame box while they are in the nuc yard. The stress of the change can cause robbing and since you already have them separated, I would leave them there until they fill the full box.
Jim
Quote from: sawdstmakr on January 13, 2017, 12:10:47 PM
Mark,
From my experience, I would move them to the 10 frame box while they are in the nuc yard. The stress of the change can cause robbing and since you already have them separated, I would leave them there until they fill the full box.
Jim
That is probably what I will do. They are 5 over 5 nucs pushed side by side. I'll probably move them into 8 frame, let them settle, and then move them to the production yard. I should probably clarify that this production yard is for nucs not honey. The reason I overwinter nucs in this location is there are no colonies close. Thus reducing the chances of robbing problems when the nucs are made in the summer after the summer solstice.