Supply of Varroa free Queens

[gavin]

So there can't be one nuc "to rule them all and in the darkness bind them"

Aha! Ultimately the one ring/rule had too much power and could not be sustained in the face of a mere Hobbit (or two).

Anyway, see here for the official SBA advice on nucs ...

http://www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk...ataSheets.aspx

including ....

Ideally your Nucleus should be on 5 frames. In Scotland you should avoid getting a 3 frame Nuc after
the end of June, a 4 frame perhaps until mid-July. After this time the nucleus should be on 5 fully
drawn frames in order to allow it time to build up sufficiently for winter.

If you are on large format hives (Langstroth, British Commercial or Dadant) then the above 3, 4 & 5
BS frames can be translated to 2 up to mid-July and 3 thereafter as the frame sizes are much larger.
Ideally the bees you source should be from your area as bees become acclimatised to their local
environment. Use a reputable supplier and don't be afraid to ask for references.

Specification - A Good 5 BS Deep Frame Nucleus will:
Have a good quality, young laying queen – ideally from your area
Have all stages of brood
Have at least 3 frames with brood
Be free of signs of disease (ask advice of your local Bee Inspector)
Have at least 4 frames covered with bees
Have the equivalent of a full comb of stored honey and half a frame of pollen.
Have good quality frames and all frames fully drawn out
Have been examined by a competent person prior to purchase
Include a statement of what varroa treatments, if any, have been given

[Calum]

Mmm April one frame, may two, June three(at least), and after the solstice only shook swarms as otherwise they will be loathe to produce winter bees is the rule of thumb in Germany. I have yet to be disappointed. Going into winter on Six frames is the absolute minimum for overwintering in our local climate here at the feet of the alps

[The Drone Ranger]

Hi Gavin

That seems to suggest 3 frames of brood up to mid July and beyond would be ok
Also that a 3 frame Nuc (never seen one) would be ok up to end of June

Wonder if the answer to shortages would be affordable 3 frame nuc's early season ?
Enter Frodo with hobbit sized nuc construction plans

Nucleus specs must be the work of the Nazgul

[prakel]

One problem with building up nucs is that beginners overfeed and the queen has nowhere to lay because the cells are full of sugar syrup.
Some of the advice given out to beginners on the bee forums is terrible.

Well, I didn't say anything about feeding (at all). My point is that nucs in my experience most certainly do build up quicker in two stacked nuc boxes than they do in a brood chamber. Not sure if this is really that terrible or not. What I do know is that I spent years (a couple of decades actually) doing it in what I now know to be the wrong way. OK, there's no right or wrong way -untill, that is, you realize that by doing something different you're getting consistantly better results

I think that none of the varied nuc box types I hold are capable (in their current state) of being stacked. Perhaps that would be a useful features, but not *that* useful!

Gavin, nuc boxes which aren't stackable (prob = fixed floors) are one of my personal pet-hates.

I can't see any benefit to fixed floors other than the claim of it being 'easier' to move the nucs but the people who use that reasoning always seem to have removeable roofs so I just don't get it.

[Adam]

I've got a dozen or so plywood nucs and some have removable floors; I agree it's quite handy to be able to stack them - either if the colony is growing well or to unite two.

[gavin]

I was lucky enough to obtain four Paynes (Pains or Pa*nes for those who read another forum) nucs (version 2) with ekes when on sale last autumn. It hadn't occurred to me until now that means I do have stackable nuc boxes. Two ekes make one standard brood box, right?

[Jon]

Might take 3 rather than 2 but should work in principle if you have enough ekes. I have some so must check.

[GRIZZLY]

Might take 3 rather than 2 but should work in principle if you have enough ekes. I have some so must check.

I've done this when I was short of a hive for a rather large swarm. Yes it does take 3 Paynes ekes to form an upper chamber and has quite a wide gap between the tops and bottoms of the respective frames. Inevitably the bees fill the gap with brace comb with accompanying drones.This is useful for monitoring varroa. This stock successfully overwintered and now occupies a standard poly broodbox having dwindled somewhat this last winter.