Ok so I’m brand new. I can either get a nuc for 200 or full for 4, what is best? And It’s July so I don’t think I should add the flow super. If I get the full do I put the empty new 10 frame above it with comb guide frames so they can fill it before winter? Or do I keep them in whatever they come in until spring? Or do I swap what they come in into my new box and put the old one on top with new frames? Any help is appreciated!
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Hi Jesse, you ask some great questions & this shows your thoughtfulness - a good trait in beekeeping 
In your climate I would think your bees will not have much time to draw out new frames. It’s not just that, it’s also the fact that they can tell ‘what time it is’ so to speak, and wouldn’t commit resources to an expansion project when cold weather dictates consolidation & sealing up open spaces. People have been successful with overwintering nucs with proper insulation and food, so I wouldn’t rule it out. Just double check with someone more local. Lots of folks in Colorado on here.
Yep, correct - leave your super in the shed for next year.
About transferring frames into your own equipment, that depends on how sturdy the box is that your bees will come in. If it’s a nuc that’s made of plastic or cardboard, you’ll need to transfer. If it’s a ‘full’ which I take to mean 10 drawn frames, and it’s in a regular wooden Lang box, there’s no need to move them out of it. They already have to adjust to the new territory at a late stage in the season, so prob better to leave them.
Extra tip - plan your mite management strategy now. It’s sadly very common for a colony to look great at this time of year then be dead in October/November. Ask your supplier what treatment has been done so far, if any, and decide what to do next.
Good luck & keep us posted on how you go!
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Ok thank you very much! I will not add a box until spring then. If I get 2 nucs I’ll put them into the flow brood box but if I get a normal 10 frame hive I’ll just put them on the base. I’ll definitely keep everyone posted and I’m sure I’ll have lots more questions! Mite control seems to be a top priority, I will be sure to research the best methods of detection and mitigation!
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Not sure if this is what you meant, but don’t put both nucs into the same box. If these are standard nucleus colonies, they will each have their own queen & combining two queenright colonies can only result in fighting and death to many workers and one of the queens.
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Hey JesseH2O
I’m in Longmont. Where are you?
Eric do bee do bee do
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Hey Eric! We are close I am in Dacono. Just a few miles south east of you!
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Cool. Right now I’m in the northern Colorado beekeeper meeting in berthoud.
Are you a member of any clubs?
This is my first year keeping and have 2 hives
Maybe we could communicate and share outside the forum
Eric
Ya that sounds awesome! If you or I ever need any help we could call eachother! Only 15-25 minutes away! And no I am not a member yet ,I just got my bees 10 days ago but I planned on joining noco. How’d the meeting go? Is it worth the money of membership? lol
Hi Eric, welcome to the Flow forum!
Your opening comment forced me to post this. All your fault!!!
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@EricR - you might want to take that number out of your message and PM it to @JesseH2O instead. This forum is publicly available, and has been trawled by a number of bots in the past. They can collect e-mails and phone numbers, then rain spam down on you forever more! Just trying to save you some hassle.
To PM, just click on the avatar circle to the left of the forum members name on a post, then click the black “Message” box that appears in the pop up window. Easy, and safe from bots 
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Got it! You can take down your number now! I’ll text ya
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Hello
How is your beekeeping-fall going? I have tucked my bees up for the winter. Flow super off; entrance reduced; mite checked.
Per the suggestion of Average Joe Beekeeper I’ll keep feeding until the end of Dec. One of my hives had several frames with open cells. The other had more capped cells of honey.
Is your hive in an open area? Did you have any intrusions by yellowjackets?
My hives are on our deck so I have great access to watching the activities. I’ve see yellowjackets dragging off bees and also trying to enter the hives.
Stay cool…do Bee do Bee do…Eric
Hi Eric & Jesse,
Chiming in from Fort Collins if I may be so bold 
@JesseH2O , how is your colony doing? What do you think of beekeeping so far?
Similarly, my supers are off, and entrances are reduced. I’ve just had a spell of robbing activity from bees and yellow jackets but with entrances reduced and wet towels, things seem to have mellowed. @EricR I also have lots of yellow jackets around scavenging dead bees, I’ve been putting jelly in traps and that seems to be pretty effective.
I’m planning to take a look after this week’s cooler weather moves through to give the girls some time to recover from the robbing.
Cheers! Karina
Hello,
Chime on in! Great to hear from you.
What do you use for a jelly-trap for yellowjackets?
Eric…do Bee do Bee do
Typical “rescue” style traps - bright yellow with the upside-down cone to trap them in it. Instead of the bait packets I use jelly this time of year - a dollop in the bottom does the trick every few days right now to deter from the hives. You can see them hanging near the hives in this photo - along with the towels I used to slow the robbing frenzy.
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cool…thanks. I’ll give it a try. Much cheaper than buying the coned bait.
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Hello again, Are you going to use an entrance reducer? do Bee do Bee do…Eric
Yes - I put the flow one on in early August to keep robbing down. Just put the other one on my non-flow base at the smallest opening because of the robbing, and our weather forecast this week. I’ve had a robbing screen on that hive since the beginning of August also for robbing, but it’s a lot more air flow so closing down for the fall. You?
Hello,
The dollop of jam works wickedly well. Great tip. Haven’t had robbing occur just dislike yellowjackets.
I put my Flow super on early August after I determined that the upper deep was 80-90% full of capped honey. My other hive is a Hoover Hive. Wax impregnated and came assembled and was inexpensive. I plan to add a Flow Super on this hive next summer as I really don’t want the task of honey extraction.
do Bee do Bee do…Eric
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