# Nucs



## woodsy (Oct 13, 2008)

I'm new at this so have a lot to learn.

I take it a Nuc is like an overflow hive, when the colony gets to large it needs more space so a Nuc box is put out so they have a place to go.?

Does a Nuc need a queen ? Do nucs use deep frames ?

Please talk to me about Nucs, will i need a Nuc my 1st year of operation ?


----------



## Judy in IN (Nov 28, 2003)

Woodsy,

A nuc doesn't need a queen; it has a queen. It is basically a very small hive. Usually, it's 4 or 5 deep frames with brood, honey, queen and bees. You can transfer these frames into your hive body, where they will keep building up to fill it.

Beekeepers usually pull brood frames out of a regular hive and either give them a queen or queen eggs. It's a business of it's own in some apiaries.

The advantage that nucs have over packages, is that there's no drop in population. The bees in a package must pull foundation before the queen can lay. Therefore, you'll see a dip in your population before they start to take off.

Packages can do well. Nucs can do well. It all depends on the season and how impatient you are for honey. Nucs cost more than packages. Swarms and cut-outs are free.:grin:


----------



## OkieDavid (Jan 15, 2007)

A nuc consists of frames with larvae and capped brood made from an existing hive. It will come with a queen that has been accepted by the hive and is proven to be laying. Think of it as a "starter set".

ETA- sorry Judy. I guess I should have refreshed my screen before responding LOL. Just wanted to ensure the OP got a response.


----------



## woodsy (Oct 13, 2008)

OK thanks Judy and David,
A Nuc is a colony in itself like a package is a colony in itself except a Nuc is a pre-started hive.
Been having a hard time understanding this Nuc thing for some reason but that
clears it up. 
Have two packages coming in May and am a total newbee other than having read 
beekeeping for dummies and reading on the internet.


----------



## indypartridge (Oct 26, 2004)

woodsy said:


> ...am a total newbee other than having read
> beekeeping for dummies and reading on the internet.


I'd recommend getting involved with a local bee club. Clubs often offer beginning beekeeping classes, and are great places to find mentors and get connected with nearby beekeepers:
http://mainebeekeepers.org/chapters/


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I also use double nucs. A double nuc is a normal deep cut in half with a divider board. Of course you have to make your own.My double nucs contain two frames of honey on the ouyt side edges of each compartment. one frame of capped brood and two frames of eggs and larva.

A screen bottom board is the foundation.







































I do cel punch queen rearing and have an even smaller 2 frame nuc to place the cells in I have punched out. Once the cells have been turned into queen cells I put a queen cell in each side of the double nuce to hatch mate and start laying befor moving them into a singler deep.

I also have the normal 5 frame nuc, it's loaded much the same way 2 frames of honey on the outside edges one of capped brood and two of eggs and larva.










I also have a few 4 frame nucs. They are simular to the 5 frame nucs just narrower and loaded different. two frames of honey on the outer edges one frame of nearly all capped brood and one frame of larva and eggs.


 Al


----------



## woodsy (Oct 13, 2008)

Al what has your experience been with screened bottom boards ?
Any noteworthy difference from solid bottom board ?


----------



## Grundsau (May 31, 2011)

In addition to buying a Nuc to populate a hive, you can also keep bees in Nucs on a continuing basis.
Think of them as support staff for your main colonies of bees.
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesnucs.htm
This is part 1 of a video of Michael Palmer who advocates Nucs and raises them in the North:
[ame]http://vimeo.com/23178333[/ame]

If you decide to try making a Nuc, you can stack 2 or 3 supers on them just like a regular hive.
They build up fast because of their smaller space so you have to keep track of them more so they don't swarm. Which means you keep adding supers and frames.
After a certain point, you can pull brood frames and give them to your main colonies.
That will weaken the Nuc for a bit and they will build up again.

Some plans for building your own:
http://www.beesource.com/build-it-yourself/5-frame-nucleus-beehives/
http://www.beesource.com/build-it-yourself/5-frame-nuc-d-coates-version/

Once I get my winter losses made up, I'm going to make at least one Nuc for every two colonies of bees.
To save time, if you have access to a mated queen supplier you could give a mated queen to a Nuc and that should get them going faster.

Here is a google search for Nuc info: https://www.google.com/search?q=making+nuc+hives&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari


----------



## woodsy (Oct 13, 2008)

Thanks everyone, very informative.


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Only used a solid bottom board my first season with the one colony I had. That colony didn't make it. I had joined a club and got the plans for the screen bottom boards. all I have ever used since all these many years.

 Al


----------



## woodsy (Oct 13, 2008)

alleyyooper said:


> Only used a solid bottom board my first season with the one colony I had. That colony didn't make it. I had joined a club and got the plans for the screen bottom boards. all I have ever used since all these many years.
> 
> Al


Do anything different with it in the winter or leave it open ?

Can get 15-25 below zero here . Mine came with a metal slide out tray


----------



## k9 (Feb 6, 2008)

Al,

Are you using screen bottom boards on you hives all year around, or are you just talking about nucs here? Also do you use baggies filled with syrup with slits in the top across the top frames for feeding this time of year? It has been so cold that they are not using entrance feeders but i think the hives are getting a little light....


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I use screen bottom boards on every thing includeing the 5 frame nucs I built. If you go up to the stickies at the top of this section you will see my post on making them. I started out useing alum. flashing to close them up but switched to galvinized when I found the critters could pull the alum. ones down and out.

For feeding right now I am useing the gallon jars with a deep around them.
I have a few top feeders I use when it is warm enough to take the intercover off.










This is a fake split I did for the taking of a picture to show the set up. Two bottom deeps full of bees eggs larva and brood a double screen board and a single deep above with some bees brood larva and eggs and a new queen and the gallon jar feeder above yet to get the deep around it and the outer cover.

Another nuc picture, with the feed chamber under the cover.










The intercover.










 Al


----------

