MillerThousand AnswersBeekeepingQuestions.pdf - BioBees

158 DR. MILLER Swhen you give a virgin that has left her cell you know just whatyou are giving.Q. Would you advise one-pound packages of bees rather than1, 2 or 3-frame nuclei?A The same number of bees will, of course, be worth morewith frames of brood than without; but considering the expense01 expressage on combs, it is likely that a given amount of moneyput in bees without combs will be better than the same moneyput innuclei.Q. Is there any trouble with robber-bees bothering newnuclei?A. I came pretty near saying always. I'll modify that by sayingalways if honey is not yielding, and care should be taken,even when it is yielding,Q. Is it p.ossible to winter a 4-frame nucleus packed with chaffin an outside case on the summer stand?A. It might succeed and it might not. Something dependsupon the severity of the winter, and the sheltered location.Q. Through my carelessness and a poor season I have twoweak nuclei at the commencement of cool weather, which I amdesirous of wintering over, as they are headed by two of my bestqueens. How shall I best winter them over? They are of about3-frame strength. In this locality people winter bees out-of-doorsaltogether. Our winters are, as a rule, rather open. Sometimes itgoes to zero, but that is seldom. The bees have a flight aboutevery two or three weeks.A. One way is to winter both in the same hive. Put in a division-boardthat separates the hive in two equal parts, and putthe nuclei in these two parts, each nucleus up against the division-board,so that they may have the advantage of the mutualheat from each other. It is possible they might winter throughin separate hives, if the hives are well protected. Strengtheningeach nucleus by giving brood and bees (bees alone if the broodhas all hatched out) from other colonies will help their chancesif you should try to winter them in separate hives.Q. Can a nucleus be wintered on top of a strong colony byplacing a queen-excluding board between? That is, put two orthree 1 or 2-frame nuclei in a hive and put it over a strong colonywith plenty of honey?A. I don't know that anyone has ever tried exactly the thingyou mention. Something like it is done in the Alexander methodof putting d weak colony over a strong one in the spring; but inthat case it is not continued more than three or four weeks. If