Position of Mating Nucs

[prakel]

A few photo's of this new site now that it's been formally agreed with all concerned.

photos edited out on by prakel.

No real need to upload them but my day has been as quiet as this forum of late so maybe it'll work as a gentle 'bump' for more oppinions.

[fatshark]

That site looks like a good one to select for strong flying queens Is that the sea in the background of pics 2 and 3? How windy is it there? Access looks pretty good.

[prakel]

It is indeed the sea, but then, you're never more than a mile or so from the sea on Portland. We normally have a couple days each year which aren't windy! It is a good testing ground though; I often joke about living in the tropical South but to be honest the tropics don't begin till you cross the causeway to Weymouth.

[Poly Hive]

B. Mobus used minis on the ground and did not have any stands for them I am aware of. I would think myself that it would be easier for the queens to obtain markers at ground level than from on a post. I place mine on a board on the ground, the board to suppress grass and so on to avoid damaging the slides and or blocking the entrances. Pretty good success rates obtained.

PH

[prakel]

B. Mobus used minis on the ground and did not have any stands for them I am aware of. I would think myself that it would be easier for the queens to obtain markers at ground level than from on a post. I place mine on a board on the ground, the board to suppress grass and so on to avoid damaging the slides and or blocking the entrances. Pretty good success rates obtained.

PH

I think that I pretty much agree. I've definately now decided on keeping the nucs down low, probably on boards which have a couple of lengths of fence post screwed to the underside. No point in over engineering the thing.

[Jon]

I know people who have had apideas chewed up by foxes or badgers so up on a post is safer.
But the main reason for me is to avoid the stooping.
I wrecked my back a couple of years ago when I was looking after about 70 apideas at ground level.

[prakel]

A couple of good reasons Jon, but the stooping aspect isn't a problem as I actually prefer to kneel down when dealing with bees, I did write about this on another thread back last summer. The boxes I'm going to be using this year are basically like the wooden ones which I trialled last year (designed to take the Lyson mini plus frames) but with a few design tweaks. Just as well as the rats have now made huge holes in four of the mini plus'. Sad to see such good quality kit ruined...

[Dark Bee]

I recall listening to a lecture on grassland management. The lecturer stated that temperatures at ground level can be significantly more than a few feet higher up. Assuming this to be the case and I have no reason to believe otherwise; it may be of relevance as to why mini-nucs located there thrive or abscond !

[Jon]

HI DB
A couple of years ago when I was at the Galtee apiary I remember Michael Mac said to make sure they had plenty of shade and to push them well into the hedge if you have them lined up there.
That picture I posted earlier in the thread is along a north facing hedge with a huge Lime tree above providing additional shade.
I only had 6 of my own apideas on that site but I got 9 mated queens from them.

[Dark Bee]

I'm pleased that you had an opportunity to visit Dun Aonghasa Apiary. Glengarra Wood adjoins the site and M.M. uses the shade from this to position the apideas. They used to be on upturned pallets supported on posts a couple of feet high - one apidea in each corner.
In full sun it is easy to turn them into mini "cookers", I have heard of the comb melting and honey flowing out the entrance of apideas positioned thus. It probably did happen, but as I did not witness the event, it is difficult to know how much credence to give to the claim.