• Moving the mini-nucs, say to another apiary, can be a disturbance that will reduce acceptance. Most of the time it is not something I worry too much about. Even if the bees are in the same apiary from which they came, they will have a new identity with the virgin queen that will generally keep them in the box.
• In hot weather, the mini- nuc population is prone to abscond, especially when the virgin queen is making a mating flight. Shade is therefore important as well as keeping the ventilation slots clear.
• After releasing the bees, resist the temptation to inspect for another five days at least. This will ensure that the virgin queen will have emerged. It is not essential to see her, but nice if you do. With experience, the state of the queen cell will tell you what has happened.
• Some beekeepers ‘candle’ the queen cell before giving it to the mini-nuc. That way you can be sure that the virgin is alive. I have not bothered with this.
• When the queen is mated and laying, I like to leave her in the mini-nuc until there is sealed brood present. If the queen is required, she can be removed and two days later another queen cell can be given, after destroying all the ‘wild cells’ built on the previous queen’s larvae if more than one batch of cells is available. Do not expect the mini-nuc to raise its own queen.
• Usually the mini-nucs, even if stocked at the same time will soon be different. Because they only have a small population of bees,
May 2015 Vol 97 No 5
they probably need more care than a full colony. Ted Hooper’s five points3 should be applied and the unit managed accordingly. If all goes wrong and the virgin queen fails to emerge or is lost, it is not the end of the world. The bees can be thrown out in front of a full colony in the evening. If there is a flow on,
acceptance is almost certain.
• Balancing the strength of the nuclei is also an operation that arises. Brood and bees can be moved from one to another to equalise populations. Managing these little units will give a great insight into what can be possible with full colonies. ♠
References
1 A queen-rearing and mating box or hive.
‘Rearing queens by means of baby nuclei has its advocates as well as its critics and, unless we are mistaken, there are more of the latter than the former. The pros and cons can often be based on local factors. Suffice here to state that in the miniature Box or Hive just introduced by Mr. R. Whyte, of Pinwherry, Scotland, the British queen-rearer has one of the best boxes of its type on the European markets. The accompanying illustrations are self-explanatory.’ (Bee World, February 1923.)
2 Information about nuclei.
Wedmore, EB (1947). A Manual of Beekeeping. Edward Arnold & Co, p 61 onwards.
Morse, RA and Hooper, T (1985). Illustrated Encyclopedia of Beekeeping. Blandford, p 279 onwards.
Field, Oliver (2008). Field Notes on Queen Rearing. IBRA, p 22.
Dublon, C and Dublon, P (1987). Practical Queen Rearing. Dublon & Sons, pp 30, 74.
Abbott, CP (1947). Queen Breeding for Amateurs. Bee Craft Ltd, p 31.
Jenkins, Griff (1984). Queen Raising the Jenkins Way. BIBBA, p 19.
Morse, RA (1993). Rearing Queen Honey Bees. Wicwas Press, p 81 onwards.
3 Hooper, Ted (1983). Guide to Bees and Honey. Blandford, p 102.
www.bee-craft.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48