I just brought my nuc home on Tuesday. Today is Thursday. The person I got it from said to feed them, transfer the nuc to my hive the next day. So far so good, but how long do I feed them for?
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Hello and welcome to the forum!
It does depend on the nectar flow situation where you are. However, most seem to recommend that you feed them until they have drawn out all the frames in the brood nest - have youdecided about single or double brood setup? This is another question for a local beekeeper…
Typically, if there is good forage available the bees will take that over sugar syrup. So, if you find they are not drinking the syrup, then you probably don’t need to feed as much.
There are different feeders available - I used a hive top Miller-type feeder but the round feeders are also popular as are feeder buckets and jars. You want to avoid creating a robbing situation if you’re feeding during a nectar dearth so open feeders or entrance feeders are typically not the best option.
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I have an entrance feeder so far, wasn’t sure there was room for a top feeder. I was planning on a double box , just in case, the local supply store has all supplies on sale right now. We only have a few months in the winter when there isn’t nectar , and we feed the hummingbirds then anyway
I think there are some that fit under the peaked roof but you can also use your second brood box as a spacer/cover for the feeder while they’re working on the first box.
The Miller feeders are their own box so you don’t need any additional space for them.
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