New Nucs in Langstroth hives

SteamboatBee · May 04, 2015, 01:57:00 PM

Before I ask my question(s) I wanted to give some background so as to help get the appropriate answers. This is my first foray into beekeeping and my mind is swimming with information and questions, so please bear with me.

Since installing TWO nucs a little over 2.5 weeks ago I have been trying to do my best to leave them alone and let them "do their thing." As was suggested by many for the first few week or so I made sure the bees had a syrup solution then we got some very nice weather and so I didn't give them and syrup for a few days in hops of encouraging them to go out and find their own food sources. Then as the weather began to shift and we were due for some rain I figured giving them some syrup wouldn't be a bad thing.

As I opened up one of my hives I noticed they had started building comb up through the hole of the inner cover. I will attach a picture for clarification, but my first question is what should I do about this?

Once I noticed the above mentioned comb I decided to carefully lift the inner covers to see what was going on in both boxes since I had only peaked in a couple days since installing the nuc I was curious what was going on. Both hives have quite a bit of bur comb on the top of the frames that were in the nuc and the inner cover but there is very little if any activity on the frames I added to the 10 frame langstroth box. This leads me to my second question.

How long after installing a nuc should you see activity on the empty frames? Is it normal that they wouldn't already be building something on these frames? They have the plastic foundation, should I have done something prior to placing them in the boxes to help the bees "accept" them?

don2 · May 04, 2015, 02:32:45 PM

They are slow about building on plastic frames if they are not coated good with wax. the way I do this is fill a 2 or 3 quart pot half full of water the put wax in it don't get it too hot. once the wax melts it will float on top of the water. do not have it at a rolling boil, just enough to keep wax fluid. dip a 3 or 4 inch paint brush in the wax, work quick with this part, dip and spread. the warmer area you work in the better. the wax want set as quick. You can also get some wood frames and install some wax foundation. d2

cao · May 04, 2015, 06:06:56 PM

I don't know anything about the plastic foundation, but I would say that the bees will draw it out when they need it. It takes resources for them to make comb. If there isn't a flow of nectar coming in then they don't need the comb yet. It also takes enough bees to make it. They have to raise enough brood to have enough bees to forage, take care of the brood, and build comb. If I remember correctly,when I got my nucs three years ago, it was almost a month before they really started to take off. When they do they will build the comb. As far as doing something to get the bees to accept the foundation, some spray it with sugar water. I don't know if it would help as I've never done it.

Steel Tiger · May 04, 2015, 10:05:45 PM

My first nucs started drawing out empty frames before I even got them home. I had to bring empty hive bodies with me to pick them up. I use foundationless frames. I think they're drawn faster and allows the bees to draw out the type of comb they need, and put it where they want it. The downside with foundationless is you have to keep an eye on it while it's being built. If you don't have two drawn out frames sandwiching an empty frame, you may be wonky comb, which can be a pain to fix.

OldMech · May 04, 2015, 10:11:18 PM

just make sure the frames are coated with wax, and make sure they have syrup available. THEY will decide if they want it or not. I am still not the best judge of a "flow" Last fall we had goldenrod galore, and blooms EVERYWHERE, and it was my thought that we were having a booming fall!!! Until I checked the hives, and even had one nuc that starved to death.

At which point I pumped syrup into the hives to try to get them ready for winter.

When you want the bees to make wax, feed them, with jars over the inner cover holes, and only three or four hols in those jar lids.. enough they get the syrup, but they dont get it FAST, so they use it as fast as they get it.. in fall when you want them to store it, feed with a dozen holes in each lid...

Pay attention to how much wax/comb they have built, and make sure they are not back filling all of it with syrup or nectar. If they are, feed slower.

SteamboatBee · May 05, 2015, 04:26:23 PM

Thanks to those of you that replied to my frame question, I am feeling much better about my hives current state.

CBT · May 06, 2015, 11:32:59 PM

We have good luck when we checkerboard the foundation and frames of bees.

SteamboatBee · May 06, 2015, 11:59:46 PM

What do you mean by checkerboard the "foundation and the frames"?

Colobee · May 07, 2015, 02:17:56 PM

As you may or may not know - "checker boarding" is a technique applied to honey supers - alternating capped frames with drawn comb frames, if I understand it correctly.

Alternating drawn frames of bees and foundation, in the brood nest, might better be described as a "Crap Shoot".

mikecva · May 07, 2015, 02:46:06 PM

Almost all plastic foundation you buy have been coated with wax (some more then others.) When I introduce new plastic foundation, I will spray it with 1:1 so the bees will take to it sooner. If in doubt of the plastic you get by all means coat it with wax or the bees may never take to it. -Mike