OPERATION CHARACTERISTICS OF TRANSFORMING MULTI-SECTION NUC HIVES

P. Hristov

Abstract: An author’s type of transforming multi-section nuc hive was tested, which makes it possible to unite the bees from the nuc sections in a combined colony for the winter and spring seasons, and in the end of March – to facilitate
the transformation into separate nuc sections for raising queens.
The aim of the research is to study the possibilities for creation of an all-year-round active compound nuc hive, intended for regions with harsher winter conditions, which is easily maintained and has high operation characteristics.
The following indicators were monitored: bee settlement time, splitting time, feeding time, percentage of acceptance
of the superseded queen cells and percentage of the raised fertile queens.
Three-frame nuc colonies on three 1/3 Langstroth-root mini-frames were used as a reference group.
It was ascertained that the time for settlement in the nuc sections is 11 times less than that in the traditional ones, the splitting time is 6 times less and the time for regular feeding is 2 times shorter. The percentage of accepted
queen cells and the percentage of the raised fertile queens are identical with that of the reference group.

Keywords: efficiency; multi-section transforming nuc hives

Date published: 2017-03-15