Last Queen

[Greengage]

Last Queen inserted into Apidea box this week fingers crossed weather stays good.

[Jon]

I did a graft on Thursday 31st so even more optimistic than you!

[Greengage]

We have had five good days so far so fingers crossed Il let you know if it was successful. I would be curious as to what would be the latest time to get mated and get a colony through the winter or even an apidea. We still have drones flying.

[mbc]

My last batch went out yesterday, 22 cells as well formed as any during the season. I hope the drones I see about are in good health and they get a chance to do the necessary.

[Mellifera Crofter]

With this late queen-rearing, Jon and MBC, will you overwinter them in mini nucs, or do you have colonies waiting for them?
Kitta

[mbc]

With this late queen-rearing, Jon and MBC, will you overwinter them in mini nucs, or do you have colonies waiting for them?
Kitta

.
For myself the plan is to overwinter them in mini plus hives, some will get used elsewhere and the mini plus boxes they've come from amalgamated to make wintering units but the majority will simply be the last cells on their box and fingers crossed. I don't have high expectations but you never know some might get mated usefully and be good to go next spring.

[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