So I did a trap out earlier this year, just picked it up a couple weeks ago in fact. Decent little colony it seems. The gentleman called me up around noon and said he had a swarm flying around so I told him I'd stop by. It's a very small swarm, few hundred bees at best, and I realize the odds are against them. Question I'm wondering is if I give them a frame of larvae and eggs and feed in a3 frame nuc or combine them. I'm leaning towards the 3 frame, it might work it might not.
Any thoughts, insights, experiences anyone is willing to share would be appreciated.
Occam,
If you don?t mind feeding them for the next three months and really need another hive, go ahead and make up a three frame hive with empty frames for them to grow. You can learn a lot doing it.
Jim Altmiller
I've never wintered nucs, so no advice to offer there, but I do just want to mention that if you do decide to combine them, be sure to check their mite load beforehand and make sure they are healthy. A small swarm this late could be an abscond, and you wouldn't want to inject a healthy hive with a bunch of sick, parasite-ridden bees right before winter.
Right on, thanks!
Quote from: Occam on August 18, 2023, 06:58:43 PM
It's a very small swarm, few hundred bees at best, and I realize the odds are against them.
Unfortunately a few hundred bees of varying ages will not be able to care for a frame of eggs and brood. Doing a mite test which requires 300 bees would pretty much finish them.
Quote from: beesnweeds on August 19, 2023, 11:29:34 AM
Quote from: Occam on August 18, 2023, 06:58:43 PM
It's a very small swarm, few hundred bees at best, and I realize the odds are against them.
Unfortunately a few hundred bees of varying ages will not be able to care for a frame of eggs and brood. Doing a mite test which requires 300 bees would pretty much finish them.
Occam do you have a frame of mixed larva, honey, and pollen to give to them for an boosting asset, along with the nurse bees which are on it?
https://bushfarms.com/beesnucs.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMfIW8PzGoo
https://bushfarms.com/WinteringNucs.ppt
you said a swarm? Which should have a queen and need nothing more than a nectar and pollen frame, or perhaps a frame of capped brood, easy for them to care for and good for beefing up the population, then giving her some laying room.
Or is it a trap out with no queen, because she never came out? That's very different.
I don't know about Oklahoma, but five frame nucs overwinter fine in middle Georgia.
Geez, makes me realize how longbi was offline. Life has a way of keeping you busy. Anyhow...yes Bob, there was a queen. I put themnin my nuc box with some sugar syrup. Noticed bees flying in and out for about a week then everything went still. Opened the nuc and there were a few bees wandering but they had the "guilty robber" type actions, not "hey you're intruding activity. Sadly I think they must have taken off petty much right away since there was no sign of having tried to lay, build comb, or add resources and I think done bees from another hive or boxes robbed or the feeder