Bob maxwell asks:

 Bob, please tell us in detail how you use the nuc to
requeen the hive.

I have tried several methods but the method I am using now I believe is
best. You will need to scale down the procedure as I am doing a hundred
queens and up queens at a time.

I am using deep langstroth boxes for both introducing new queens and mating
nucs. My whole queen operation is migratory. Actually my whole operation is
on skids including my breeder queens and experimental yards.

If you look at page 28 of the 2005 Walter Kelley catalog you will see they
have added a four way Langstroth deep mating nuc this year. I build my own
but they are identical to the ones Kelley sells.

 The first I ever saw of the idea was in the book "Rearing Queen Honey Bees
copy 1979" by Roger Morse (of whom I have always been a fan) page 55-56-57.

 I make mine using a quarter inch router blade  before assembly  and cut the
other boards on a table saw.

One of my skids will mate 16 queens or prepare 16 Russian queens for
introduction into hives. Seven of these skids will prepare a 100 queens for
introduction or mating.

I made 32 new boxes like on page 28 of Kelley last week and Friday my helper
is coming and we are making another eight skids for the queen rearing
operation expansion. I am taking pictures for a possible future bee magazine
article.

If you understand what I am saying so far then the rest is simple.

I use a frame of Honey and pollen as one frame of the nuc. The day before my
Russian queens arrive I add a frame of emerging brood. When the queens
arrive I install the queens in a push in cage on the frame of emerging
brood. Once released and laying I judge each queens brood pattern and mark
her. I cull the dinks!

I believe that poor acceptance comes from caged queens. After a few days of
egg laying her pheromones are normal (Dr. Gloria DeHoffman 2002 ).

I then make up either splits in single depth langstroth or dequeen hives I
want to requeen. The next day I close the entrances and load the  16 queens
to a skid (nucs on  skids) on my truck and travel to the outyards. I remove
a frame of brood and a frame of honey/pollen for the next round and install
my two frame nuc as needed.

> Do we need to strip the field bees from
the hive to be requeened?

I don't but if doing a few queens not a bad idea. Making a nuc with young
bees is easy and works good. Put the brood you want to use above a queen
excluder and let the young bees come up and then make your nuc.

if you have got further questions I will be on line late tomorrow but will
be gone into Kansas tomorrow getting fructose off a tanker truck. Hope I
have helped!
Bob

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