Examples from British Columbia of How Nucleus Hives Can be Made Up, Wintered and Managed

摘要

No matter what number of hives you manage, having nucleus colonies on hand is very useful. Nucleus hives are a smaller version of regular hives. Typically they are four or 5 frames of standard size. We prefer 5 frame nucs that are in individual boxes.They are much lighter to move and handle yet have plenty of room to service a large enough cluster to winter. They are insurance against winter loss. Nucleus hives are handy for adding to colonies that have gone queenless. Or they can provide an extra income in the spring. They are always in demand in early spring when beekeepers find they need to replace winter losses. Having an established locally bred queen and 3 or 4 frames of brood they are a much better "deal" than a package being sold at the same time. They also offer a means to increase your hives by wintering in a smaller unit that can grow to a honey producer in time for most flows. They are less expensive to feed and treat. They offer a better means to efficiently treat for varroa. For queen breeders, nucs can serve as a preliminary test of queens. As I will describe in detail next, making nucs can sync in well with other hive management practices as equalizing hives and requeening.