# how do you get your girls to fill out the comb in a mini mating nuc?c



## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Are you having trouble having the bees draw out the mini-combs, or with the queen laying in the mini-combs?

I started by cutting up brood comb on my table saw, and inserted the comb into the mini-combs. 

I tried placing them over a strong colony...queen ignored most combs and the bees put nectar and pollen in them. I tried inserting them into the center of a broodnest. Again, the queen ignored most.

Now I use multiple story over wintered nucs, place the mating nuc combs in the bottom box with queen...confined by a queen excluder. The queen has no choice but to lay in the mating nuc combs. We filled 1000 mini-combs with brood last year using this method.


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## djastram (May 1, 2011)

I added some temporary bars to a medium, and added my mini frames. The pics below show the medium ready to go, and a mini frame drawn out.


http://i826.photobucket.com/albums/zz187/djastram/FILE0021.jpg
http://i826.photobucket.com/albums/zz187/djastram/IMAG0048.jpg

At 1 point, the mini frames had eggs in them, but for some reason, they never finished them.


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## gmcharlie (May 9, 2009)

I put mine on top full strength hives for recharge.


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## seamuswildflower (Apr 2, 2011)

Mike what kind of mating do you use? I have 2 types. 0ne type is divided into 4 equal sides, in quarters, with a hole drilled to enter/exit. The other is a 10 frame divided with plexiglass with 3 entrances on one end and 2 on the other. ls one better than other?


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

By putting this just over the brood or a strong hive - yesterday as a matter of fact.


















Some of them (in the center) are already drawn in this case, about half are just foundation.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

seamuswildflower said:


> 0ne type is divided into 4 equal sides, in quarters, with a hole drilled to enter/exit.


This kind


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

I put two framed end to end. they make a full frame and I put them in a strong hive and let them build it out for me then split them and put them in a mini mating nuc.


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## Jennings (Sep 23, 2012)

I put them on top of a strong hive during a good flow and the bees draw them out nicely. This is just for comb, the queen usually will not go up and lay in them. This is also a good way to get some of them filled with pollen and honey to give to you're nucs down the road.


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