[music]
[music]

So this stage of managing these double nucleus
So this stage of managing these double nucleus

colonies we're coming back to check to see
colonies we're coming back to check to see

if the queens have mated and we will find
if the queens have mated and we will find

and mark the queens.
and mark the queens.

We come back at about 27 days after we put
We come back at about 27 days after we put

the cells in.
the cells in.

The reason we don't come back after two weeks is that
The reason we don't come back after two weeks is that

in some cases our queen cell didn't work out
in some cases our queen cell didn't work out

and the bees will have raised their own queen,
and the bees will have raised their own queen,

so if we go through these hives now
so if we go through these hives now

if they have capped brood just because of
if they have capped brood just because of

the timing, we know that that is our queen
the timing, we know that that is our queen

and we can find her and clip her and mark her.
and we can find her and clip her and mark her.

If we find that the colony is queen right
If we find that the colony is queen right

but the brood isn't capped, we know that that is a
but the brood isn't capped, we know that that is a

cell it's a wild queen one that they have raised,
cell it's a wild queen one that they have raised,

and we can keep track of that in our records,
and we can keep track of that in our records,

but if we come back after two weeks, half of
but if we come back after two weeks, half of

them or three quarters of them are fine but
them or three quarters of them are fine but

then we've got virgins in other ones,
then we've got virgins in other ones,

it's just a confusing situation, so it's better
it's just a confusing situation, so it's better

to wait until about 27 days and then check
to wait until about 27 days and then check

on things, then you can work right through them
on things, then you can work right through them

and finish them right up.
and finish them right up.

So Dave's going to take this hive apart now
So Dave's going to take this hive apart now

and check to see how the queens have done.
and check to see how the queens have done.

So peel back one inner cover,
So peel back one inner cover,

the inner cover on one side,
the inner cover on one side,

we can see this partition inner cover here
we can see this partition inner cover here

as you can see this is a good strong one.
as you can see this is a good strong one.

There's the queen cell right here,
There's the queen cell right here,

so he'll pull that out first,
so he'll pull that out first,

and does it look like she hatched out Dave?
and does it look like she hatched out Dave?

Yep, alright.
Yep, alright.

So everything looks normal here,
So everything looks normal here,

let's hope that we find that she's mated then.
let's hope that we find that she's mated then.

So we'll take out some frames, start at
So we'll take out some frames, start at

the very outside here, loosening everything up.
the very outside here, loosening everything up.

This frame was foundation when we put it in
This frame was foundation when we put it in

27 days ago and they have drawn that out nicely,
27 days ago and they have drawn that out nicely,

lots of comb there and they've stored some honey.
lots of comb there and they've stored some honey.

So now we're looking for the queen, and we'll
So now we're looking for the queen, and we'll

look to see if we can find eggs, larva and pupa.
look to see if we can find eggs, larva and pupa.

They have to be in kind of a shady spot here,
They have to be in kind of a shady spot here,

a littler trickier to find the queen in the
a littler trickier to find the queen in the

shade like this, but Dave is pretty good at
shade like this, but Dave is pretty good at

finding queens, so I think he'll do alright.
finding queens, so I think he'll do alright.

There she is. Good work Dave.
There she is. Good work Dave.

Nice buckfast markings there.
Nice buckfast markings there.

Pretty heavily striped.
Pretty heavily striped.

So now Dave will pick her up
So now Dave will pick her up

and mark her and clip her.
and mark her and clip her.

You've all seen that in other videos, so we'll
You've all seen that in other videos, so we'll

just carry right on.
just carry right on.

So he'll mark her and clip her, put her back in there
So he'll mark her and clip her, put her back in there

and then work on this side and do the same thing.
and then work on this side and do the same thing.

If this side is pretty strong,
If this side is pretty strong,

and it is,
and it is,

then we will be able to super the colony.
then we will be able to super the colony.

So we are going to just move over here
So we are going to just move over here

to this hive
to this hive

and we've marked and clipped the queen
and we've marked and clipped the queen

on both sides here, lots of bees on both
on both sides here, lots of bees on both

sides, so now we are going to super them
sides, so now we are going to super them

and we will take this excluder,
and we will take this excluder,

and this is a wire rimmed excluder,
and this is a wire rimmed excluder,

they tend to get a bit of a bend on them
they tend to get a bit of a bend on them

so we don't put the bend up
so we don't put the bend up

or the queens would be able to go back and forth
or the queens would be able to go back and forth

like this to get at each other and you'd only
like this to get at each other and you'd only

end up with one queen.
end up with one queen.

So what we do is we kind of fluff up
So what we do is we kind of fluff up

this cloth here,
this cloth here,

so we'll just raise it up a little bit there
so we'll just raise it up a little bit there

so that it is nice and sealed down in here, but raised
so that it is nice and sealed down in here, but raised

a little bit there and what we are trying to
a little bit there and what we are trying to

accomplish by doing that is to make a good
accomplish by doing that is to make a good

seal so when that queen excluder sits down there
seal so when that queen excluder sits down there

there's a when that queen excluder sits
there's a when that queen excluder sits

down there it fits nice and tight up against
down there it fits nice and tight up against

that cloth down below.
that cloth down below.

And now we can add a honey super on top of this
And now we can add a honey super on top of this

and close it up.
and close it up.

The bees from this side of the double nuc
The bees from this side of the double nuc

come up and work on this side of the box,
come up and work on this side of the box,

the ones from the other side come and work
the ones from the other side come and work

on there and then they work towards the middle
on there and then they work towards the middle

and as they fill that up we can then add another box.
and as they fill that up we can then add another box.

So we have two colonies sharing the same
So we have two colonies sharing the same

honey supers in common, and by doing that they
honey supers in common, and by doing that they

can put all the honey up in the honey supers
can put all the honey up in the honey supers

and the queens have room to lay down in those
and the queens have room to lay down in those

small five frame units down in the bottom,
small five frame units down in the bottom,

but it's important that they don't get clogged
but it's important that they don't get clogged

up with honey down in the bottom or there
up with honey down in the bottom or there

won't be any room for the queen to lay,
won't be any room for the queen to lay,

and so we can harvest honey from our nucs
and so we can harvest honey from our nucs

the first year that we make them up.
the first year that we make them up.

At the end of the year we take that honey off,
At the end of the year we take that honey off,

winter them as a double nuc and as you will see in
winter them as a double nuc and as you will see in

the next section of the video, we can divide
the next section of the video, we can divide

those in the springtime into two separate hives.
those in the springtime into two separate hives.

So that's it. We'll just close the hive up.
So that's it. We'll just close the hive up.