Making Double Nucleus Colonies Part I

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thank you to everyone for watching and supporting our videos! If you have any questions about our videos, please check out our list of FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS on our website, which can be found at honeybee.uoguelph.ca/videos/frequently-asked-questions/

[@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork]

Absolutely fantastic educational material! THANK YOU! Great demonstrations and explanations!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

You're very welcome!

[@wendybachman6224]

I am so very grateful for the information you share. This is my first year of being a Bee Steward, and I feel confident in your advice. I had questions as I watched this video, but in taking the time to read all the other comments, you answered them all already. Just want to express my appreciation for the work you do and the knowledge you are willing to give us Newbees!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks for your kind comments. It's nice to hear that you've found learning opportunities by perusing the comment section!

[@lintonmacnamara1469]

Very good stuff. So good for amateurs like myself. Clearly presented. Wonderful strong hives, lovely bees

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks again Linton.

[@mvernum]

Thanks for this video. I really like this idea of dividing colonies and building up your stock if the parent hive is strong enough for it. Pretty quick way to increase your inventory.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks Blake!

[@framcesmoore]

this was great thanks u do a wonderful job teaching bees

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

You are welcome Frances. We enjoy sharing - just like all other beekeepers.

[@2012historyproject]

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with such professionally produced video. I am a huge fan! What and how do you feed your double nucs when you overwinter? What IPM methods do you use?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Kathy You are most welcome. It's nice to hear you find the videos useful. Good question. We feed all our colonies the same way. Barrel feeding. You would need specialized feeders for double nucs otherwise. I'm just thinking though, a hive top feeder above a queen excluder might work to feed both sides. You may have already seen our video 'feeding bees and overwintering'. We are steering clear of advice on IPM mite control etc as the regulations are so different from one place to the next. We do make sure we stay right on top of varroa mite control.

[@aliseyed3298]

I am lokking for a video camera so I put it inside honeybee hive to record their activities during night. Anybody can give an advise, please ?

[@igorcampana568]

May you be so kind to explain what kind of gray plastic foundations you use? Do you put wax on it or will the bee do everything theirselfe?

[@jasoncaldwell9493]

I enjoy learning from you all. I noticed a green frame in one of your hives I know some people use those frames for drones to help control varroa mites. Do you all use them to create more drones for your colonies for breeding? If so how many drones can a colony safely produce and not be to much? I’d like to start breeding my own queens now that I have gentle and hygienic bee lines.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Jason. We have enough old comb with drone cells that we don't need green drone frames for drone production. I like to let the bees decide how much drone brood they want to rear so they can care for it properly. We use the green frames to mark and take up the space where we've removed a brood frame for research purposes. Not the answer you expected I'm sure. Nice to hear you enjoy learning from our videos. Thanks Jason.

[@kristinaybarra2065]

When do you put on the super box to the hive, and add queen excluder?

[@triace9145]

Fantastic information! I really appreciate the effort you put in to making these videos. Where can I find more information about that queen incubator you are using? Did you make it yourself or buy it somewhere? Thanks in advance!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Chri You are welcome! Thanks for your very generous comments. Since we are getting encouragement from people like you we'll be doing 25 more videos this summer. The incubator we use is a Caricell and is made in New Zealand. They are very expensive. Some beekeepers in Ontario have started to use styrofoam chicken egg incubators. For up to five hours we've also found with tests last year that we get good results with the following -A small incubator -A rubber hot water bottle filled with hot tap water and placed on the bottom of the incubator - 4" of wood shavings on top of the water bottle. Make holes in the shavings to place the cells just under the surface of the shavings. Here a link to Dancing Bee's description of Canadian and New Zealand made incubators dancingbeeequipment.com/collections/queen-rearing ( bottom of page)

[@triace9145]

UoG Honey Bee Research Centre Great! Thank you so much!

[@beebum1909]

Where can I find that type of incubator

[@bobmayesb]

thanks for video... very helpful altho how come u don't have protection gear... don't u get stung????

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Bob We do get stung some but I think that's a good thing. Our bees are very gentle so that helps a lot. Great to hear the videos have helped you.

[@emileferreira9224]

I didn't understand why you would do this over splitting the normal way (only 1 extra hive at the end, instead of 2 small ones in one box). do you then transfer one of them to their own box once they're strong enough? or do they share the honey boxes on top? sorry for wrong terms, not used to it in english great videos !

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Emile We did three videos on this topic. The other two will answer your questions. Thanks!

[@clifsportland]

I've never seen a flexible inner cover like these, what is it made of?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi FE We are working on a FAQ list and this will definitely be #1 on the list. I like the canvas inner covers for a few reasons. Easy to take a quick peek, cheap and easy to make, light, lids sit down well, less excess wax on the frame top bars, never need to scrape the inner cover. I could go on... We'll do a video about them since we are getting so many questions. We use 18 oz (#8) canvas - otherwise known as duck. It's a bit hard to come by here but I see it's available from online distributors. www.bigduckcanvas.com/number-8-18oz-cotton-duck-canvas.html We flip it over periodically when new so the bees thoroughly coat it with propolis. An alternative is a feedbag folded in half.

[@WilliamMcNett]

@@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre Thanks, weight was going to be my question :-)

[@X2O8MZV9]

2 Nucs with on Honey super? Great idea! I would love to try that during the winter to save some space. You think it would be possibe? or is there a danger, that the bees move up into the honey super an leave the queen alone in the lower part to freeze to death? Thanks.

[@NielsenValleyFarms]

What time of year do you start this process? And when would you transfer to full sized colonies. Or since time of year may not work for everyone, what average temp do you start? Thanks

[@donaldhudson1956]

Great video with detailed information. What is the material attached to the back of the queen cell cups shown in the portable heated cell box? Are the cups attached to this backing during grafting the larva or prior to queen cell installation into the 5 frame nuc? Thanks Don

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

HI Don The cell bases are attached to both the graft bar and the queen cup by 'welding" with beeswax.You can see the cell bases better in our video on grafting. They are pieces of pine that we make up so the cells are handled safely and easily. Thanks for your comment Don.

[@rayjohnson8329]

If both sides are 5 frames with a divider where are you getting the boxes? That would have to be an oversized box, yes?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Ray Good question. Our partitions are very thin at only 1/4". We can fit ten frames in them but it is a bit tight. You have to make sure their is no wax on the frame shoulders so they will fit.

[@makewar17]

Why do you treat the center of the brood nest as if it was against the partition? Wouldn’t it be in the center of each half of the double nuc?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

The two nucs share heat better that way.

[@baddestbees5924]

Very good but I find they draw out frames faster when u put it AGAINST divider which is actually center of brood nest in dbl nuc or put drawn comb and let her lay it up but your bees always look strong and ur very intelligent TEACHER im NOT knocking u I have learned some from u and always easy and thoroughly made videos keep sharing ur knowledge

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

That's a good thought. Thanks for your feedback and encouragement . I'm sure they do draw the comb out faster that way. We keep the brood close to the middle so the two nucs can share heat and grow faster. Lots of ways that work :) Some that don't :(

[@markcunningham6611]

Can you please advise why you started your donor hive off to one side, instead of the middle? Thanks

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Mark We take a lot of bees away from the donor nuc. Weaker colonies like this grow better when they are better able to defend their food stores and keep warmer off to one side of the box. Good question.

[@HeartPumper]

If you position brood frames closer to the limited nuc hive entrance, and honey stores bit "deeper". It will prevent few things. Worker bees won't leave nuc (it is personal now: never leave brood behind). Colony will be more 'vigilant' and protect the hive, so there's no chances of evt "successful robbery". Even if it's still cold, it will force more bees on that side. But of course it's not the only & right way of making nucs :)

[@rodgercampbell2441]

Great video guys! Tell me what's the difference between a foundation frame and an empty frame? Is one a frame thats been drawn out by bees already and one hasn't?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks Roger What we call a foundation frame is a brand new frame with undrawn foundation. An empty frame is one with the comb drawn out but without much stored in the cells.

[@mariakeenan4908]

Don't you check your queen excluder when you take it off in case she's on there?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

No. We smoke the reducer before we take it off. If the queen happens to be there she'll move down.

[@carlmerkey9370]

Paul I live in Michigan near the 44 parallel not to much north of you would really like to try the single brood box. This is my second year over winter this year with 2. Do you think that much farther north it matters? Most people here run 2 deeps and a full honey supper. Sure would like to try one of my hives this year have 4 . Also would like to try and make a couple of nuc's this year,I think you said end of May frist of June. Really can't tell you how much I like watching your videos can't wait until you start posting more this spring. Thanks again

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Carl Try one single as you suggest to see how you like it. I didn't find the transition from doubles to singles hard. In fact everything got easier - that was 20 years ago. We'll do a video on singles this year.

[@WilliamMcNett]

same here in southern Michigan :-)

[@IceBug1337]

Why do you use three people for that job? Is it an educational thing?

[@familyhearingandbalancecen9777]

What is the plan for the green drone frame?

[@debbierodda2203]

What sort of canvas do u use for your hive covers?

[@gabriellorinczi4386]

Please let me know what type of canvas are you using. Thank you

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Gabriel Please see FAQ #1 below. 1. Why do we use canvas for the hive inner cover? A: We use canvas inner covers for a few reasons. They make it easy to take a quick peek in the hive, and are cheap and easy to make. They are light, the lids sit down well, less excess wax on the frame top bars, and we rarely need to scrape the inner cover. We use 18 oz (#8) canvas -otherwise known as duck. It's a bit hard to come by in Ontario, but it is available from online distributors (US: www.bigduckcanvas.com/number-8-18oz-cotton-duck-canvas.html, Canada www.jtsoutdoorfabrics.com/18oz-Cotton-Duck-Canvas-Untreated--Natural-60_p_15038.html). Bees chew through thin canvas so a heavy weight is better. We flip it over periodically when new so the bees thoroughly coat it with propolis. An alternative is a feedbag folded in half. 2. Why do we use single brood chambers? A: Our preference is to keep hives in single brood chambers. We use queen excluders above the brood chamber and then add supers. We produce bigger crops managing our hives in singles vs doubles and we find the hive management much easier. It's become quite common here, especially over the last twenty years. We will be making a video about single brood chambers soon! 3. Are our queens for sale? A: We sell some queens but don't export. To contact us about our queens, please email us at [e-mail]. Our Buckfast collaborators also sell queens: Munro Honey www.munrohoney.com/ (for CAN sales) and Ferguson Apiaries fergusonapiaries.on.ca/ (for CAN and US sales). . 4. What breed of honeybee do we use? A: We work with Buckfast bees. Check out our website if you would like to learn more about them: www.uoguelph.ca/honeybee/breeding.shtml 5. Will we be making any more videos? A: Yes! We are looking forward to creating more videos for our KZbin channel this year! Here are some of the topics we will be covering: Working with single brood chambers, indoor overwintering. 6.How do you overwinter double nucleus colonies? A: At the University of Guelph, we winter our double nucleus colonies indoors. You can also winter them outdoors by wrapping two double nucs together with insulation on the sides and top. 7. Are double nucleus colonies prone to swarming? A: With a young queen and the supers above we don't have any problem with these nucs swarming in the first year. We do have to transfer them into a full size box early enough the following spring to prevent swarming. 8. Do we add a frame of pollen or honey into a new split? A: Ideally you add both pollen and honey. Of the two, honey is the most important. 9. Where to purchase some of the products that we use: Coveralls: We really like these Dickies all cotton coveralls. www.dickies.com/coveralls-overalls/deluxe-cotton-coverall/48700.html?dwvar_48700_color=GY#start=3. We use two sided velcro to strap up the wrists and usually tuck the legs into our socks. Plastic Queen cages: Mann Lake and their Canadian distributors sell these and they are made by the French company Nicot. www.mannlakeltd.com/hair-roller-cages. I use a wooden plug on the bottom and screw it in place with a #4 screw after pre drilling. Grafting microscope: www.amscope.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=gooseneck+binocular Mini/mating nucleus boxes: Mann Lake (US) and their Canadian distributors sell these. They are originally from Europe so are widely available there. www.mannlakeltd.com/shop-all-categories/hive-colony-maintenance/queen-rearing/nuc-boxes Queen Pheromone: The pheromone strips were developed here in Canada. They are called Tempqueen and are made by Intko Supply Ltd.Suite 604, 3345 Kingsway VANCOUVER, BC, V5R 0A7 Canada [phone]. [e-mail]. Mann Lake in the US and several Canadian bee supply companies carry them. Bee belt and bulk bee box: Our apiary manager Paul Kelly manufactures the Bee Belts and bulk bee box. If you are interested in more information, please email him at [e-mail]. 10. Should you remove any queen cells in a colony before introducing a new queen in a cage? A: Yes, you should remove the queen cells. Look very carefully to make sure you don't miss one. Shake the bees off each frame to make sure you can see them all. Accepted queens are sometimes killed by virgins that emerge from queen cells. 11. Can you make a split without adding a mated queen/can a split raise their own queen? A: A split can raise their own queen (if they have eggs), but you'd be better off buying a mated or queen cell from a local bee breeder. Queens raised by a split are reared under the worst possible conditions, are physiologically inferior, and you aren't taking the opportunity to improve your hive genetics. For a number of reasons, colonies get more aggressive if we let splits raise their own queens. We always use queen cells that we have reared from breeder colonies so we can maintain and improve our genetics. Cells found in hives can be poorly reared if conditions aren't good or if you use swarm cells you are unintentionally breeding for swarming behavior. 12. How often do we check for swarm cells? A: We check for queen cells only in colonies that are stronger based on our ratings as described in our “Swarm Control” video. We only do this at the time of year bees are prone to swarming (ie just before the main summer nectar flow). In some colonies, we check twice, a week apart, if we have the time and we've found cells in them previously. We stop looking once the nectar flow gets going and the time for swarm preparation has passed. 13. How old is a queen when we replace her? A: We re-queen if a queen isn't doing well or when she is in her third year. 14. How often should you be stung to lessen the chances of developing anaphylactic reactions? A: Please speak with an allergist if you have any concerns regarding bee sting reactions. You don’t need that many stings to build an immunity and reduce your chance of developing an allergy. However, reactions can be very different from one individual to the next. For about three years after starting beekeeping you swell more in the spring when the bee season starts. After that most people don't swell up much at all. Some beekeepers apply stings through the winter to keep building immunity. 15. What do we use as candy for the queen cages? A: You can make the candy using honey and icing sugar but the candy you see in the tubes in our videos are purchased with the cages from Mann Lake beekeeping supplies and their Canadian distributors. In our province, it's not legal to use honey in queen candy if you are distributing queens. Honey can contain American Foulbrood spores. A specialized, non-drying, sugar syrup (Nulomoline invert sugar) can be used instead of the honey. In any case the candy must be made dry enough that it's crumbly. 16. How do we make pollen patties? A: The patty is made from pollen we collect using a pollen trap. We mix the pollen pellets with sugar syrup to a dough like consistency, form the patties between layers of wax paper and then keep them frozen until they are needed. They will keep for several months frozen. 17. How do we make our grafting bars? A: We cut the wood pieces and attach them to the graft bar with liquid beeswax. We then attach the cups with liquid wax. In both cases the liquid wax is applied with a syringe. Previously, we made the wax cups but now buy them from www.kelleybees.com/. 18. Do we move full honey supers to the top of the stack so the bees can fill the lower ones? A: Some beekeepers do shuffle the supers around and do what's called bottom supering. We place supers back on in the original order and only add new supers on top (top supering). That way it's easier to see when the bees need more space. The bees also ripen the honey before moving up. We sometimes harvest full lower supers and put the top ones that aren't full back on in the original order. 19. Do we ever add brood frames to the cell builder colonies to keep their populations high? A: We do add other frames of sealed brood and sometimes we shake in more young bees from brood frames to boost the hives. About once every three weeks we'll boost the hives in one way or another. 20. How do you level hive stands? A: We level the hive stands periodically with pressure treated wood shims. If the hives are already on the stands, we use a hardwood pry bar and a brick fulcrum to lift each end for shimming.

[@jdbordercolliesandcorgis9405]

hello I would like to know what I do with thousands of bees but no queen in them and no brood comb. thank u

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

You could shake them on the ground in front of a queen right hive. Sometimes colonies have virgin queens in them but they appear to be queenless.Inspect the colony a few times before shaking them out.

[@badassbees3680]

I was wondering if your "Duck" Canvas is like a actual painting canvas you would paint picture on,or more like a canvas to protect furniture if you were painting a ceiling in a house? It's so hard to tell,it looks like an Artist Canvas you'd paint on ... But also looks flexible,so I'm lost..I may be waaaayyy off course lol

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi BB Heavier than both of those. It is very heavy canvas. Please see our FAQ posted under each video. Your question is our #1 FAQ. You could also see our video 'Our Equipment ' for more details.

[@carlmerkey9370]

Thanks can't wait to see it

[@justing9561]

Awesome video series! I am wondering how you overwinter your double nuc colonies?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks Justin! We winter our double nucs indoors most of the time. When wintering outdoors we wrap them up and use a little extra insulation. Similar to what we show in the video Feeding Bees and Overwintering. We'll be doing a video on indoor overwintering soon.

[@RonnelVP]

Looking forward to your indoor wintering video. Any thoughts on when they are available?

[@draintheswamp1700]

Is there a particular reason why you start the bees off on one side of the box you don't center the queen and brood

[@draintheswamp1700]

I can believe I asked that question I forgot your making support hives. I made 30 this year and there looking positive. Grafted 88 got 74 laying queens

[@Josephstang]

What do you use to print the tags to label what queens are in each hive that u tag on the front of the hive?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

We use a label maker. DYMO LetraTag LT-100H or something similar The labels it prints last very well outdoors and I find the black text on yellow background read easily.

[@missile1506]

I know this is an older video, but can you tell me what time of year you performed these splits? I know it was published at the end of October, but was that when the video was actually recorded? Thanks.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

We do these splits late May to late June. The best time is usually early June in our climate. Think peak swarming season in your area.

[@baddestbees5924]

Does the donor Hive that you / down recuperate and make honey, I mean like a production Hive would or do they have to grow again this year even though they have the Field Force

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi BB No they don't make a lot of summer honey after this spitting. Our goal is for them to be strong enough for our fall nectar flow and strong enough to winter. By making up several nucs from each hive we don't need to this to many colonies. All the rest of the hives are kept for production.

[@vigermartin3516]

At what time of the year was this made? Wouldn't the bees abscond if they only have half a deep?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Viger We make these up in late May to mid June. They don't swarm or abscond. For more details see the reply in Making Double Nucleus Colonies Part 2.

[@trafalgarturf7531]

When would be the latest time in the season that you can make splits or double nucs

[@toufik326]

Would you please tell us which day of the year you did this?,because I think it is only doable in mid spring,to give the main box with the queen time to recover and pass winter!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Mid to late May so mid spring in our area. You're right it couldn't be done much later.

[@toufik326]

@@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre Thank you,,I'm a fan of your beekeeping efforts!

[@younginsong984]

Where did you get that hat?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Most beekeeping supply companies sell them.

[@mattmitchell9912]

What's better with a double nuc?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hmm. They a good for somethings but I like full size hives for others. 1. Double nucs give you a method to make up more beehives with less equipment. 2. Managing double nucs the way we do also means you produce honey sooner than with a splits made up into a full size box. 3. You van overwinter two colonies for the price of one.

[@checkwalkcare8128]

sir, if i am rearing lots of queen bees in the season and i dont have enough and strong beehives to split, do i have to kiil new queens? or wilö i give tbem to beekeepers? regards. another think what do you think about VSH bees?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi CC We sell the extra queen cells where possible. You could give them to other beekeepers too. I've never worked with VSH stock. The first VSH stock was varroa resistant but not great for much else. I'm sure they are better now but I value other beekeeper friendly traits first.

[@smokeydabeecharlescoleman8365]

What kind of cloth is that you place under the lid? I assume it is for moisture absorption.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Smokeydabee! We are working on a FAQ list and this will definitely be #1 on the list. The canvas inner cover is not to absorb moisture which by the way I believe to be an unfounded practise. You wouldn't put something in your attic to absorb moisture, instead for our homes we use ventilation to eliminate moisture. I digress! I like the canvas inner covers for a few reasons. Easy to take a quick peek, cheap and easy to make, light, lids sit down well, less excess wax on the frame top bars, never need to scrape the inner cover. I could go on... We'll do a video about them since we are getting so many questions. We use 18 oz (#8) canvas - otherwise known as duck. It's a bit hard to come by here but I see it's available from online distributors. www.bigduckcanvas.com/number-8-18oz-cotton-duck-canvas.html We flip it over periodically when new so the bees thoroughly coat it with propolis. An alternative is a feedbag folded in half.

[@smokeydabeecharlescoleman8365]

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I'm finishing my 1st year as a bk and have been self educated. Tried going to a club but they offered no help. KZbin is an easy way to gain a lot of knowledge, good and bad,lol. I try to find reputable channels and investigate there recommendations before I pass them on.I do free hive removals in Florida, then after have had the colony long enough to stabilize it , I donate them to new beekeepers.When those beekeeper call me up, I link your videos to them. Keep up the videos,I really enjoy them.

[@mescalp]

I can't hardly believe how you don't get stung by bees. Do you just have a gentle bees. My bees are always aggressive. What do you recommend. Tired of suiting up on hot days.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Michael We breed Buckfast Bees and are careful to select for gentle behaviour. Ask around your area to see who is breeding and supplying a more gentle bee than you currently have. Introduce queens you purchase into splits made from your hives. You shouldn't have to work with aggressive bees.

[@WilliamMcNett]

stop smashing them LOL that's normally when I get stung, pulling a frame and smash 1 bee makes them defencive real fast. I did put a hot hive queen in a nuc and them calmed right down, not having so much to defend. just keep pulling frames of brood to use in other hives. keep them small.

[@mikeries8549]

"Gentle bees" is an oxymoron. My gentle kittens err bees are cute and cuddly until they're queenless or its a nectar dearth. They still pretty good but there's always a pissy colony in the yard when you've got dozens. Beekeepers are like the cat-ladies of bugs.

[@RonnelVP]

What day in the queen cycle are those queen cells when they are transferred into the mating nucs/double nuc boxes. Day 1 being egg layed and Day 16 queen emergence. Thank you.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Ronnel. Most queen rearers count from the graft day. The cells are introduced at day 10 ( day 14 from egg laying))

[@RonnelVP]

@@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre Thank you. Keep up the great work .

[@charliegotbees1337]

How far away do you move the new nucleus?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Ideally at least 3 km away

[@suzanneguiho4882]

How far do you move them from Reginald box from which was made the split! And how far do they travel to forage? Thank you.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Suzanne We move splits more than 3 kilometers as that's about the distance they forage.

[@suzanneguiho4882]

UoG Honey Bee Research Centre Thank you...I am just starting in bees...thinking of starting that in spring.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Good luck with bees Suzanne!

[@FlorinDonald]

Where did you get inner cover mats? Thank you.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Florin Please see our frequently asked questions. The link is posted under each video. This is our #1 FAQ.

[@careyemory7757]

What race of queens are you running

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Buckfast. Technically not a race but bred for specific characteristics.

[@branchbrookfarm]

UoG Honey Bee Research Centre Can we purchase queens from you folks?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Maurice I don't know where you are. We don't export queens to the US and as a consequence of these videos are sold out for local sales. See www.uoguelph.ca/honeybee/breeding-purchase-queens.shtml for contact information for our collaborators that do sell some queens to the US.

[@cecilcrump2340]

Maurice Turc

[@cecilcrump2340]

UoG Honey Bee Research Centr

[@krispapas9834]

When do you typically populate double hives?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

In June.

[@howard_mee]

What are you using for your inner covers? Canvas what? Like tent material?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

We use 18 oz canvas - otherwise known as duck. I think it can be graded by number too (#8). It's a bit hard to come by but I see it's available from online distributors. www.bigduckcanvas.com/number-8-18oz-cotton-duck-canvas.html We flip it over periodically when new so the bees thoroughly coat it with propolis. An alternative is a feed bag folded in half. Thanks Howard

[@pabloreyes6819]

UoG Honey Bee Research Centre where is that?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Pablo We are at the University of Guelph, Honey Bee Research Centre in Guelph, Ontario, Canada

[@pabloreyes6819]

UoG Honey Bee Research Centre I am looking for work I love this job you have work for me I?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks Pablo I hire our students and have enough people for this year.

[@3legrick]

How are the bees flying, in 15 degree weather?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

15 degrees Centigrade. We are in Canada where we use the metric measurement system.

[@dimkoron]

Every time I split hives with open brood and I put a queen cell as you do the bees prefer to kill the new haching queen and prefer to rear their own , this happens in a percentage of 70% of my nucleus.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi There There must be something wrong with your cells. We get a much higher acceptance rate. Something around 85%.

[@ChrisGrazioli]

14:11 mins in, You say you come back in a month to see if you have a mated queen or not. Why a month? What happens if the queen doesn't survive and mate, can't the workers start laying after 3 weeks, Are you just gambling that will not happen or is it a time constraint thing?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Chris After a month, one of three things will have happened. 1.The queen form the introduced cell will have mated and will have produced brood. 2. The colony will have raised a queen and she will be laying. 3. The colony will have a laying worker the percentages work out to about 1. 85%, 2. 10 %, 3. 5% In all cases it is clear what has happened as enough time has elapsed for all this to occur. It makes the work simpler to wait for a month.

[@ezio0078]

Hello Mr. Paul! I see that you introduced queen cells in the same day that you maked nucs in. My question is: will bees accept those cells for sure or should I wait 24h before introducing cells so they feel queenless and be more able to accept it? Thank you.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hello Mr. Ezio! Queen cells same or next day. Mated queens next day.

[@ezio0078]

@@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre Thank you for the answer 🤗 I am 23 and I was fascinated with bees since I was 10. I discovered your channel last week, I watched 45 videos in no-stop 8 hours and I had a lot of fun while doing. Please carry on!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hahaha... ! That's a lot of bee videos. Nice to hear a new generation of beekeepers are on the way. We have to keep this going Ezio.

[@ezio0078]

@@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre YES! This is for sure... and forever 🐝💕

[@suzanneguiho4882]

No mention of drones?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Suzanne We have lots of full size colonies in the area that have supply the drones. We wait until the drones are plentiful before raising queen cells.

[@I8l]

Hello Paul! thanks for the awesome video! Would these double nucs accept mated queens at the same time as well? What if there was an excluder with a super of honey on top so they could get some feed at the same time while the queens are being let out of the cages via marshmallows. Or would the super need to be seperated so the hives were segregated until both queens were laying?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hey Tanner You are most welcome. Nice to hear you appreciate the videos. Yes you can introduce mated queens to the double nucs but keep them separated for a week or so. With either mated queens or queen cells we don't super the nucs in common until the queens are laying.

[@I8l]

Alright, that makes alot of sense. Thank you for the response!

[@DEVUNK88]

are brook and dave wearing matching striped shirts for any particular reason?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

No just a coincidence. Good observation!

[@Afuturewithbees]

what are you using as an inner cover?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi There AFWB We use 18 oz (#8) canvas - otherwise known as duck. It's a bit hard to come by but I see it's available from online distributors. www.bigduckcanvas.com/number-8-18oz-cotton-duck-canvas.html We flip it over periodically when new so the bees thoroughly coat it with propolis. An alternative is a feed bag folded in half.

[@cecilcrump2340]

A Future With Bee

[@woodspirit100]

Thank you for thatgood advises. I am from Austria. I'm looking for a long time for that kind of veil taht you have but here I can't find it. Can you help me to get this veil? The hat i found here but not that kind of veil.☺

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Woodspirit You are most welcome. Say hi to my old friends Astrid and Rudi in Austria! The veils we wear are very common here and are made in the US. You could try Dadant or Mann Lake in the US. www.dadant.com/catalog/v01093-dadant-folding-veil

[@fionmor4893]

so windy.... hard to hear

[@joeo6378]

Queen cells look like morel mushrooms.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

You are right. My favourite mushroom! I often compare them to peanuts in the shell.

[@jamesbruce4595]

The good chard shortly attend because bubble theoretically sprout qua a hollow bracket. knowing, macho softball