Installing your nuc is actually way easier than it looks. I’m going to walk you through it every step of the way, with lots of pictures you can follow along with.
Aside from bringing your bees home, this has to be the most exciting day in your beekeeping journey so far- and also the most intimidating. The good news is this article will share everything you need to know to do it safely and easily. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and that is certainly true in this article. I’ve included lots so you can see exactly what I am doing.
Once you bring home your nuc, you want to give the bees a chance to relax a bit before you install them into their new home.
What you need before you start
- Protective gear (See my recommendations)
- Lit smoker (optional)
- Hive set up
- Hive tool
- Good weather (avoid installing the bees in strong wind, cold weather below 55 degrees, or during rain)
Time to start
Once you’re ready to install the bees, place the hive where the nuc was located. If the nuc is on top of the hive, simply move the nuc right next to the new hive. Arrange the hive with six frames less than the hive is meant to hold. (For ten frames equipment you want four frames, and two frames for eight frame hives.)
Remove the outermost frame from the nuc and place it in the new hive, keeping the frame order and orientation the same.
Here I’m removing the first frame. Keep an eye out for your queen.
Continue this process, one frame at a time.
You will have a gap of one missing frame. This frame being removed has allowed more space to work and move the frames without rolling (squishing) bees or your queen.
Check the nuc box carefully to ensure you have transferred the queen.
The rest of the bees will find their way into the box. Just put the lid on the hive and place the nuc at the front on the ground. The bees will follow the queen’s pheromone.
Gently place a lid on your hive, and you have just successfully transferred your nuc to its new hive.
If you’d rather watch this process shown step by step, here is a link to me showing you exactly that.
What’s next?
Check your bees the next day, just visually from the outside, to ensure you see activity. Perform a regular inspection a week from when you transferred the bees.
If your bees need food, then feed them. For in depth discussion of how to feed bees, check out this article.
Read next
Your First 24 Hours with a Nuc
Discover more from A Girl and Her Bees
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