Last Queen

[busybeephilip]

Kitta, you can overwinter them in Apideas but you will need to have a decent population of bees. A standard apidea will probably survive into january but will quickly depopulate in bee numbers till they eventually die out. If you double up an apidea so as to have a bigger population of bees your chances will improve considerably.

If you can its best to make up at least 2 frame nucs, queens laying next month will give enough "winter" bees to allow a better chance of survival. (in my experience but every beek has his/her differing views )

[Mellifera Crofter]

Thanks MBC and BBP,

It's my first year of attempting to overwinter small mini nucs (only four of them). I don't have Apideas, but I was planning to move them over to the bigger Mini Plus hives as they're stackable - so I'm glad MBC is also using them. I also like the idea of putting them into 2-frame nucs, BBP. That might be a better option on my exposed hill. I might be able to do that.

Kitta

[Greengage]

who supplies the mini plus Nucs when I Google it I only get Canadian suppliers popping up.

[Mellifera Crofter]

Swienty supplies mini plus nucs. You can buy the units separately and build up a mini hive with more than one box. Abelo sells a similar hive that takes the same size frame (half a Dadant super, I think) called Mini Bee Hive, Mating Hive - but, as far as I know, they come in full units: floor, body, feeder, and roof. I don't know if you can buy the different parts of the hive separately.
Kitta

[Jon]

Some of the Irish suppliers have them GG. I have seen them at the trade stands.

[Greengage]

tks ill check it out

[The Drone Ranger]

Its possible to use Keilers if you have the upper boxes
What you do is lift the frames up into the upper box and let them draw comb down through both boxes
Its might too late in the season now to work though
Its only worth doing if you already have Keilers because the cost of buying a Keiler and extension would get you something better

[Greengage]

On Sunday 8/6 egg laid in cupkit.
10/8 eggs inserted into Queenless colony builder.
13/8 grafts taken.
15/8 qc capped
20/8 cell moved to incubator
23/8 queen emerges.
25/8 queen inserted in Apidea
28/8 opened entrance to Apidea
8/9 no eggs
12/9 no eggs
22/9 no eggs
28/9 Eggs Eggs yippee.
Ah now what ?

[Poly Hive]

I have taken mini nucs through the winter before with reasonable success but that was in the "balmy" east mids. I am not trying this winter as I ran out of time but I am pondering the best way to do it for next season. If I take out the partition for the food compartment they take 6 bars so I have hopes.

PH

[Greengage]

I gave it to a friend who will take it through winter as I have no room or enough equipment. Think Iv spent the budget on the extractor and need more reading material for senior scientific exam thinking of buying both Celia Davis books and one on Anatomy by Dade. What do you think.