Two Frame Nuc PPT - WikiBeekeeping

1. Two Frame Nuc

2. A Very Useful Item In Any Apiary In the U.K. a nucleus is defined as "a well balanced colony on between 3-5 B.S. brood combs". I wouldn't normally disagree with that, especially if it was offered for sale, but this is for my own use. Certainly many beekeepers wouldn't normally make up a nucleus of less than 3 frames, apart from perhaps short term to keep a queen laying for a few days, or to create temporary space in a brood box for some purpose, such as to make a colony queenless to start a frame of queen cells when using one of the "artificial" queen rearing methods. The perception is it is too small and as it isn't found in books, it is not advised by teachers, demonstrators and lecturers. I have had others be openly critical, but probably because they don't understand how it operates. I encourage beekeepers to be positive and seriously consider using "2 frame nucs" because they are so useful and with a little patience can be very productive. There is also so much they can teach you. They are only 2 frames for a short while after they are made up. If everything goes to plan they can expand very quickly. You need to understand why this happens and the timing, so you can manage it.

3. Some Uses for a 2 Frame Nuc Queen mating - If a 2 frame nuc is made up early in the season, in West Sussex I can often get 3-4 queens mated in the same colony during the summer, although this will probably be reduced the further north you are. The queens when mated can be left long enough to make sure they are laying O.K. before introducing them to another colony. Once the queens have been removed, another queen cell can be inserted and by the time she is laying there is room for her to do so, because the brood from the previous queen has mostly emerged. Increase - In my experience, if things go right there will be a sizeable colony at the end of the season, well capable of wintering. If the summer is reasonable, I find there is often little need to feed these colonies in the autumn. Swarm control - The loss of a frame or two of brood or food from a colony early in the season may delay swarming for a few weeks.

4. How I make up a 2 Frame Nuc A 5 frame nuc box is the minimum to be successful. As you will see later the expansion can be rapid, so a smaller box will soon become cramped. There may be a temptation to use a split brood box (Americans call them "Queen castles"), because of their initial small size, but they will quickly outgrow them. My own design of wooden nuc box works well, but so do  poly nuc boxes. From a strong colony take a frame of largely sealed brood that is very well covered with bees, but without the queen (unless you are creating the nuc to retain the queen). I use sealed brood because it generates its own warmth and if the weather is warm it doesn't need as many bees to look after it as unsealed brood does. Within 10-12 days most of the brood will have emerged, increasing the adult population quite quickly. Add a good frame of food against the wall of the box. If there is any brood on this frame I like it sealed and on one side only, which I put next to the frame of brood. If it is unsealed and on the side away from the frame of brood, it may be abandoned if the nuc loses too many bees. This frame can come from another colony, but it may need the bees shaken off it as bees will be coming from only two colonies, so may fight.

5. Fill up the space with comb if you have it. I don't like putting foundation in the brood box at the best of times, as I find comb much more satisfactory. The queen can lay in it fairly soon and it allows the small colony to build up much quicker. If you are leaving the nuc in the same apiary, or moving it within flying distance, then some of the bees will fly home, so make sure there are enough young bees that haven't flown. If it is queenless give it a queen cell after a few hours, or protect it.

6. Some Problems with a 2 Frame Nuc There are the problems you often get when using nuclei. There are extremes and they can happen quickly. Queen failure is an obvious one, but you can get that in any colony. In general the smaller the colony, the quicker it needs dealing with. Another Q/C and a frame of sealed brood works well. In a week of good weather during a nectar flow, especially when there is no open brood, bees can fill the box up, so when the queen starts to lay there is nowhere for her to do so. Don't think that nuc's can't swarm! A week of poor weather, when there are several frames of unsealed brood, as you get soon after a queen starts to lay, the nuc can be on the point of starvation. It is advisable to fill boxes with combs and/or dummy boards. If the conditions are favourable you can have wild comb built and filled with brood or nectar very quickly.

7. Some Benefits of a 2 Frame Nuc They cost very little in terms of bees and in my opinion are more successful than mini - nucs for queen mating for the ordinary beekeeper, because you can do so much more with them. You don't get the problems of absconding as you get with mini - nucs. The queens can stay in them for some time without having to be moved on. They can be built up by adding frames of sealed brood. If these are taken from colonies that are preparing to swarm it can delay swarming. It is a simple matter to unite them.

8. They can be built up during the summer, usually with enough food to overwinter at little cost, so making up possible winter losses before they happen. Surplus in the spring can be sold. This is an excellent way of making increase. It can be used by BKAs to provide beginners with bees, as well as giving small colonies for beginners or non-beekeepers to handle. If things go well you can produce 3-4 queens and a colony strong enough to overwinter from one frame of bees and one of food.

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