Guilfordbeekeepers.org

When to start a nuc

I would like to provide one or two nucs to the club next year for the students that complete the beekeeping class.
My question is when would I start these nucs,?
Maybe July, August, September, next Spring after the threat of freezing temperatures has passed. If I start them now won’t they out grow the nuc boxes? I just thought about drones being available. Need some guidance to start going in the right direction.

hey thats a great idea. i would like trying to make some too. i have one extra hive that i could split into two nucs.

There are many ways to make nucs. Which way do you plan to use?

I was thinking something along these lines.

Requirements: A 5 frame or more nuc with a queen that has a good laying pattern. Delivery by mid April.

All plans start with the following:
Pull a frame of open brood with eggs, frame or two of capped brood a frame of honey and pollen shake in some house bees all into a 5 frame nuc box.


Plan #1
Pull the nuc about the first of February Move to another yard to eliminate or cut down on drifting. Let them raise their own queen. That would provide about 10 weeks for the queen to start laying.

Plan #2
Same as plan #1 but…
Shortcut – find a queen cell in a hive and transfer to the nuc, saving a week or two.

Plan #3
Start in August before the fall flow and try and over winter the nucs. Would expect to have to feed the nucs syrup and pollen patties to get a jump start before winter. Enough Time?

Which would provide the best odds of meeting the requirements?
NOT a good question too many variables.

Question:
Which would you choose? Or would you go a different route?
All comments are welcome.

Plan #1...Pull the third week of Feb. Queen will lay within 7 weeks.

Plan#2.... I don't think you will find queen cells in early Feb.

Plan #3... Hard row to hoe. May lose nuc and donor hive.

Plan #4...Order queen from Kona in Hi. Build nuc when queen arrives in Feb or Mar.

Thanks Wally,
Experienced insight is always helpful.

Plan #1 - Would this also be good for swarm control of the donor hive?

Plan #4 - If I got a queen from Hawaii I would want to keep it and not give it away lol. Hmmm Could you put the old queen in the nuc and put the HI queen in the donor hive?

Why HI queens are they better then the VSH or Minnesota Hygienic? or would it be a mater of getting new genetics in the area?

It may or may not be done late enough to help with swarming.

From HI. because you can't buy them anywhere else that early in the year.

Thanks Wally
IT sounds like a plan.

Looks like maybe 5 -6 weeks away from starting some nucs per plan #1. I have pollen patties on and feeding syrup with hive top feeders when its warm enough as well as open feeding of syrup and loose pollen.

Is there anything else I should be doing or looking for in the next 5 weeks?

Drewgrim are you still planning on nucs for the new beekeepers?

not sure that i am going to be ready. i would like to but i still havent gotten any supplies to be ready. its on my list to do for next week though.

Wally,
Do you still think the third week in February (next week) would be a good time to start a nuc?
Mine do not seem strong enough right now to be pulling anything, but that may just be my small world of 6 hives.

24 days for a drone to emerge, 10 to 15 more to fly and mate.

16 days for a queen to emerge, 3 to 4 more to fly and mate.

That means there should be drone cells 20 days before the queen cells are started.

I do not have drone cells. If you do, maybe you will be in a better position to start queens than I am.