# Apidea mini nucs



## Ben Little (Apr 9, 2012)

Who here uses the Apidea mini nucs ? I just bought some and will be using them this year, wondering if they have any tricks to them or not, I like the fact that they have a removable feeder unlike the mann lake ones I already have. You can put 2 additional frames in there.

Not sure about ventilation because the bottom is solid. 
There is some beekeepers in Europe that use these and put 2 additional supers on them and winter them without any issues, might be a great way to have early queens without having a full sized nuc.

http://www.apidea.ch/media/archive1/Betriebsanleitung englisch_2013.pdf


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

As far as mini nucs go they are very well designed and thought out, probably the best you'll buy, if somewhat expensive.

Tips? Only one i'd have is put some wire mesh in the feed container, in the confusion of a newly set up nuc they can push and shove and bees drown even in that little feeder.

Management wise, here's how to do it. Put a starter strip of foundation in each frame, hot melt glue can be used.

Fill the feeder with syrup and put a close to hatching queen cell between the frames. Dump in 250 mls (one cup) of bees. Leave doors shut but full ventilation and store the nucs in a cool place for 3 days. After that the cells have hatched and bees will not abscond, move the nucs to the mating yard and open the front doors.

After the queen is mated and laying she has to be removed pronto that is the downside with mini nucs. She runs out of room to lay and believe it or not these things will swarm. So here's where timing comes in, new queen cells should be available when queen caging time comes so the queen is removed and a new queen cell put in.

Even with timely queen removal these little nucs slowly get stronger and stronger and can be split just like full sized hives. They go through winter fine where I am just put some syrup in from time to time. No snow where I am but have heard of them being wintered in snow.

The bees do eventually chew out the polystyrene but it takes a while.


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## Juhani Lunden (Oct 3, 2013)

Ben Little said:


> some beekeepers in Europe that use these and put 2 additional supers on them and winter them without any issues


 Additional supers on Apidea?? Never heard of
Some of my friends have tried to overwinter them, lots of troubles and no real success


I use them, used to use much more, today mostly Mini-Plus hives.


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

As per this. Saw the guy in the video and thought he looked familiar, Juhani .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzCGfnDpnOs


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## Ben Little (Apr 9, 2012)

I believe this beekeeper is in Bucharest Romania , I emailed him and he said he has good luck but I don't know the climate where he is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mt9vlxReIA


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## Ben Little (Apr 9, 2012)

Thanks Oldtimer, good information


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## Juhani Lunden (Oct 3, 2013)

Oldtimer said:


> As per this. Saw the guy in the video and thought he looked familiar, Juhani .
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzCGfnDpnOs


:doh:


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## Juhani Lunden (Oct 3, 2013)

Ben Little said:


> I believe this beekeeper is in Bucharest Romania , I emailed him and he said he has good luck but I don't know the climate where he is.
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mt9vlxReIA


Looks like they are selling specially made extra supers. 

Good information, thanks!

Apidea in in our climate a little bit too small to properly care for inseminated queens, that is the main reason for me to change.


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

Your going to have a blast with your new queen rearing hobby! It's one of those things that nicely gets a guy away from all the fuss and rush of the day to day happenings


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## BjornH (Nov 8, 2013)

I would say that for us in long winter climate zones, forget wintering in apidea. To small volume /stretched cluster to provide good bee insulation and give the queen a good tempered center. Five -six month without flying... Use it as its made for. Economicly mating queens. Works like charm But strictly pull the queens. Fully laid in i couple of days. Yes, they can swarm...Big umbrella is god to have...


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## amirbay (Nov 21, 2014)

Does anybody sells Apidea mini nucs in US?
I can't find any.


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## Ben Little (Apr 9, 2012)

amirbay said:


> Does anybody sells Apidea mini nucs in US?
> I can't find any.


I don't shop on ebay but you might try there if you can't get a bigger supplier to get them. Just a thought


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## Brandy (Dec 3, 2005)

The best thing is they don't need a lot of resources but most young queens will lay them up very very quickly... You'll have to be on top of them removing queens or brood or they'll be gone. Exactly as Oldtimer has mentioned... Have fun.


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