Nucleus – Bees on Frames

Here are the instructions for transferring the nucleus into a hive:

ON ARRIVAL
Place the transport box in the shade and let the nucleus rest.

TRANSFERRING THE NUC TO ITS FINAL HIVE
We recommend transferring your nucleus at the end of the day or early in the morning.

Place your hive in its final location.
1. Open your hive and remove the 5 middle frames. Lightly smoke the nucleus through the wire mesh.
2. Remove the top of the transport box and gently transfer the frames in the same order inside the hive. Don't look for the queen, she's free inside the nucleus.
3. Turn the box over the hive and gently tap the remaining bees.
4. Close the hive and feed the colony with 1 liter of 1:1 syrup, in a Boardman-type entrance feeder. You can also put half a protein patty on top of the frames.
5. Reduce the hive entrance to limit draughts, while leaving space for the bees to come and go.

After 5 days, open the hive and check if the queen is laying eggs. If you don't find any, look for small larvae. If you do, it's a sign that the queen is laying eggs. If neither eggs nor larvae are found, you need to act quickly and introduce a new queen. The queen may have been crushed during transport or handling. In this case, you need to get a new one quickly.