![]() ![]() Nucs can also be put together in the late-summer and early fall for overwintering. Using the screened board allows you to situate the nucleus colony directly atop the parent hive, which allows the heat from the parent colony to rise into the nucleus colony to keep them warm while building their population. That being said, however, you can make nucs in the early spring if you have a Queen available, and if you use a double-screened board. Waxed nuc-box which temporarily houses a 4-5 frame nucleus colony. Generally the best time to make splits or nucs is in the late-spring or early summer during the spring nectar flow. Most importantly, perhaps, is the fact that breaking up the brood nest is an effective way to reduce the mite populations in your hives without having to resort to treatments. This is also a good way to increase the number of hives in your apiary. In fact, many beekeepers overwinter nucs exclusively for this purpose. Why divide a colony at all?ĭividing a colony to make splits and nucleus colonies is a good way for beekeepers to replace colonies lost during the winter. They will raise a new Queen from one of the fertilized eggs of their old Queen, and either they will superceed or they will swarm. Older Queen – as she ages the Queen’s pheromones will begin to weaken, and at some point the workers will decide that she has reached the age of retirement.Lack of ventilation – if the colony is bearding off the front of the hive it’s a good indication that it’s too hot, and this may induce a swarm as well.If adequate space is not provided for the colony it will likely result in a swarm. Congestion – a hive will swarm when the colony begins to feel too crowded, with the population build-up in the spring there are a lot of young bees who hang out in the hive because they cannot yet fly to forage in the field.Today though swarming is seen more as poor management–not that it can’t happen even if you’ve done everything possible to prevent it–but more often than not, a hive will put off swarms when they’ve been neglected or mismanaged. Once upon a time swarms were looked on as a sign of a healthy hive. While a nuc–short for “nucleus colony” is a colony in miniature, it has everything a full-sized hive would have, just on a smaller scale. What are splits and nucs?Ī split is simply dividing the two hive bodies of a colony, making two separate colonies, and providing a Queen for the Queen-less portion. It’s easy and reliable, and doing it yourself, rather than purchasing nucs from another beekeeper, can save you hundreds of dollars, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Whether you want to grow your apiary, or just insure against winter hive losses, making your own splits and nucs is an ideal way to grow or maintain your apiary. Swarming is a natural tendency for bees in the spring and early summer, and making splits and nucs is just another part of good management of your hives.
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