5 frame nucs arriving

[James Barry]

I have two hives set-up in yard for arrival of two nucs on Friday. I have frames from a winter die off that are capped with honey and some that are open comb. I am hoping to distribute them into the hive with the nucs.

Advise pls. I know the order of the nucs must be maintained but what order do i put the older frames in to the hive?

Thanks

Jim

[Mark Lewis]

I would put the nuc into the middle of bottom box and go ahead and add 2nd box now.  In general, bees like brood in the middle surrounded by a dome of honey outside and above. The art is raising this dome up as the colony grows while mindful of not allowing things to get so cozy they decide to divide and multiply. This mostly involves going back in and making cracks in the dome by giving the queen open frames to lay into.  

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[James Barry]

Thanks Mark. I will build out the bottom surrounding the nuclear and then put the second box on with open frame in the middle and more orders surrounding that.

I hope I got that straight. I would also think that I wouldn’t need to sugar feed them with all of this honey from older frames?  Two boxes both with new uncombed and the older built out frames. 

All the best

Jim

[James Barry]

I see spell checker was helping me there…. “older" not orders and “nucs" not nuclear

[Mark Lewis]

No, you shouldn't need to feed now. 

Sounds like you have the arrangement right.  The nuc will likely arrive with a lot of honey in the outer wall-frames, and you'll want to move that out to the walls of your box pretty soon but you could wait a week or do it step-by-step, bringing open frames in closer to the brood nest for the Q to have room to lay.

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[James Barry]

Thanks again Mark, Good advise and I just needed that direction. Much appreciated.

Jim