what is a nuc?

[FordGuy]

Hi folks.  probably a dumb question, but I haven't read any books like I should have...

anyway, why a nuc, when would you need one, how do you use them?

[Kris^]

It's a mini-hive, with 3 or 5 frames.  I haven't used one (yet).  They can be used to build up and transport starter colonies, or to raise and bank queens.  I understand that the advantage is that it gives a smaller colony less empty space in the hive to defend or keep warm.

-- Kris

[thegolfpsycho]

There are all different sizes of nucs.  I used to have a bunch of 2 frame mating nucs.  The frames were not much larger than a slice of bread.  The easiest way to set up some quick nucs is just with some division boards in a regular hive body.  Purchasing nucs as starter colonys are usually 5 frame nucs.  They are nucleus colonys, set up for specific tasks or goals, from the bare minimum to thriving colonys ready to expand.

[Michael Bush]

People often assume by the context whether what is being refered to is actuall a nuc (nucleus colony - aka - a queen and a small number of workers to maintain a small viable colony) or a nuc box (a small box to keep a nucleaus colony in).  So the term could mean either.

A handful of bees in a large box will peter out and die.  A handfull of bees in a space they can manage and defend will flourish and eventually outgrow it.

I run all medium depth boxes.  I use a lot of two frame nucs for a place to put that nice juicy swarm cell and some honey into a two frame nuc and let them raise the queen.  Or put a frame of brood and a frame of honey and use it for a mating nuc for queen cells raised in a queen rearer.  I put packages in a five frame medium nuc until they are established and then move them to an eight frame nuc and then a ten frame nuc.  Yes a ten frame box is, in theory a full sized box, but my ten frame nucs have solid bottoms and they are attached so I can move them easily and my ten frame hives have screened bottoms and they are not attached (at least by me).

Here are some pictures of some nucs:

http://www.bushfarms.com/images/AssortedWidths.JPG

What Nuc boxes are good for:

Splits.  You can put a frame of brood with eggs a frame of emerging brood a couple of frames of honey and pollen and put them in a nuc and shake another couple of frame of bees from some brood in and the bees will raise a queen and you will have a new hive.  When they fill the nuc, move them to a standard box.

Artificial swarm.  If the bees are trying to swarm, do as above except add the old queen to the nuc and take out all but one or two of the swarm cells in the hive.

Making queens from swarm cells.  As above you can do a split to get them to make a queen, but also when they are trying to swarm you can as in the first (splits) and put a queen cell in each nuc with the brood and honey and bees and they will hatch the queen and you can use them for requeening or selling or whatever you like.  Of course you can also do queen rearing to get the cells to put in.  If you have multiple queen cells you can cut some off and put them in nucs.

Keeping a backup queen.  When you requeen take some of those old queens and put them in nucs with a frame of brood and honey and if the new queen gets rejected you still have a spare.  Also, if you just keep a nuc with a queen in it for a spare, you can requeen a hive with that queen.  To keep it week, keep taking sealed brood out and giving to other hives.

Foolproof requeening.  If you do as in the first (splits) and put a caged queen in the nurse bees will quickly accept the queen.  After she is laying you can kill the queen in the hive to be requeened and do a newspaper combine.  Bees readily accept a laying queen.

Queen bank.  I built a shim that is the size of a nuc but ¾” thick and put queen cages with the wire down to keep them for several days or weeks before introducing them.

Comb building.  This is especially nice with regressed bees.  Since the problem with 4.9mm foundation isn’t getting the bees to use the cells, it’s getting unnatural large bees to BUILD the cells.  If you start a nuc with small bees as in the first (splits) and after it’s established, put frames with 4.9mm foundation in the 1,2,4 and 5 position. Feed it well and remove some drawn frames everyday. If there are eggs, put it in another colony to let them emerge and then steal the frame.  Keep 3 or 4 pounds of bees in the nuc.

Swarm catching.  Nucs are nice for hiving small swarms.

Bait hives.  Nucs are nice for bait hives for swarms.  You could use a 10 frame box and that is a nice size too, but is harder to attach in a tree and for best results they need to be 10 feet or so up a tree.

Shaken swarms.  You can put a screen bottom on the nuc and shake bees from brood frames from several hives (being careful NOT to get a queen) and you have a bunch of homeless queenless bees.  These can be put in hive with some brood so they can raise one or added to a nuc with a caged queen.

Transporting honey.  Nucs are nice and light even with five frames of honey, compared to a ten frame box.  Nice for putting frames in as you brush off the bees to harvest and nice to carry around.

[Stan]

I am also a Novice so please forgive any dumb statements I may make.

I want to build some NUCs.   I found a couple of plans on the web.   So next step.    If one sets up NUCs in late summer (August) is it possible they would be able to generate enough honey to surive the winter?
I am thinking of a 5 frame NUCs.

I think the NUC would generate it's own Queen?   If so any disadvantages or advantages of doing so?

Any good books or web articles on building and using NUCs?

Thanks, Stan

[Michael Bush]

>If one sets up NUCs in late summer (August) is it possible they would be able to generate enough honey to surive the winter?

Maybe.  Maybe not.  July would be a better bet.

>I am thinking of a 5 frame NUCs.

Deeps or mediums?

>I think the NUC would generate it's own Queen?

If they have eggs and young larvae.

> If so any disadvantages or advantages of doing so?

25 days.  That's how long it will take them to raise a new queen, have her mate and she starts to lay.  They will lose 25 days of brood rearing, so basically, it sets them back a month.  THere's nothing wrong with doing it.  You just have to allow them enough time before winter to raise the new queen AND build up for winter.  The advantage is locally adapted queens, no AHB, unless you live in an AHB area, and not having to buy the queens.

>Any good books or web articles on building and using NUCs?

There are plans on www.beesource.com

But basically you just make a hive that in't as wide.  :)  A five frame is usually about 9 1/4" wide.