New beekeeper here. First ever nuc installed a week ago. I have an 8 frame Flow and the nuc was 6 frames, one more than I thought it would have.
There is rapeseed blooming now, possibly a day or two past its prime. Spring has been very slow this year where I live, and we have had about 4 days above 60 degrees (in the afternoon) so far.
I have to go out of town on Wednesday, May 17. For a week. I’m afraid that with only two frames to build out, the nuc will want bigger accommodation right when I am away.
So I’m going to put a medium with frames on top to give them more space whilst I’m gone. Then put the flow frame super on top when I get back.
Does this sound like a good plan? Or maybe I should just put the super on now and not worry about the extra room to keep them occupied?
I can’t find very good answers about the nectar flow in my area, mostly everyone just shrugs their shoulders, as it changes so much year on year, and except that it doesn’t really come in until late June. But I would think that with rapeseed all around us it would be on now…
I don’t know what to do. Mostly I don’t want my bees to swarm or abscond whilst I’m away. sigh
I totally get where you’re coming from! My queen was there, but went missing the first week, so I’m dealing with emergency queen cells and potential swarms. Trying to figure out the best next steps and I am stressed, lol.
Two empty frames on a new nuc and the temperature only gets above 15 degrees celsius in the afternoon and a bloom of rapeseed. You will only be away for a week.
Personally I would sit on my hands. At those temperatures it will take them a while to build out those frames and often the best thing you can do with a new nuc is to leave it alone. Adding extra space that they have to heat will just stress them. If there is a lot of rapeseed flowering around there I would just let them forage for nectar and check when you get back. Better to feed them when you are there to keep an eye on them.
Ask 10 beekeepers a question and you will get 11 answers
Thanks Rob. and the others. It great to be able to ask dumb questions and actually get a good answer.
I just emailed a local beekeeper and he said the same thing.
I think I might be overthinking the whole thing. It’s like being a mother for the first time! Every little gasp and groan is an emergency….
I’m going to leave them alone and have a good visit with my son.
(Then I can go back to worrying when I get back.)
They are sweet ladies and healthy. If they fly away my husband has instructions to tell them to write when they get there!
Cheers.
.
