For orientation, this dossier is published in two parts. The table below summarises the content of each part.

Part 1	Part 2
1. Overview of the main methods 2. Why make increase with young colonies? 3. Which method to choose? 4. Decisions to clarify before acting 5. Common rules for all methods 6. The methods in detail 6.1 Natural swarm 6.2 Artificial swarm 6.3 Queenright shook swarm 6.4 Brood split 6.5 Combined brood nucleus	6.6 Flight nucleus 6.7 Nurse-bee attraction nucleus 6.8 Queenright split 6.9 Split of a colony in swarming mood 6.10 Nucleus made with super bees 6.11 Small reserve nucleus 7. Follow-up of young colonies after their formation 8. What to do with the young colonies?

6.6 Flight nucleus

This chapter describes the flight nucleus, which uses the natural return of foragers to the original location to reinforce a young colony.

The flight nucleus relies on the homing behaviour of foragers. The parent colony is moved, and a new unit is placed at its original location. The foragers returning from flight then quickly reinforce the new nucleus box.

This method is useful when no outapiary is available to move the young colony. It does, however, require good preparation: the new unit must receive brood, food stores and a realistic possibility of obtaining a queen.

In which situations should this method be chosen?

The flight nucleus is suitable when one wants to form a young colony at the same apiary, without moving it several kilometres. It can also serve to relieve a strong colony, reduce swarming pressure or reinforce a unit that lacks foragers.

The method must be carried out in fine weather, during a period of active flight, ideally in late morning or early afternoon. At that time, foragers are numerous outside and will then return to the original location.

Principle of the method

The parent colony is moved a few metres away or to another spot in the apiary. At its original location, a nucleus box is installed, prepared with brood, food stores and, depending on the variant, eggs or very young larvae, a queen cell or an introduced queen.

The new unit quickly receives a large population of foragers. The parent colony, on the other hand, loses some of its foragers and must therefore be monitored in the following days, particularly with regard to its food stores and its overall balance.

Procedure

• Choose a strong, healthy and well-developed colony, preferably with many foragers.
• Intervene in fine weather, when the bees are flying well, ideally between late morning and early afternoon.
• Prepare a clean nucleus box or hive at the original location of the parent colony.
• Place brood frames and food frames in it. If the young colony is to rear its own queen, at least one frame must contain eggs or very young larvae.
• Carefully check that the queen of the parent colony is not transferred by mistake, unless the chosen variant explicitly provides for it.
• Complete with recent drawn comb, foundation or a dummy board, depending on the strength of the unit.
• Move the parent colony a few metres away or to another spot in the apiary.
• Place the new unit exactly at the original location so that the foragers return to it naturally.
• Reduce the entrance if needed and verify that food stores are sufficient.
• Also inspect the moved parent colony, since it loses a significant proportion of its foragers.

Queen management

The new unit can rear its own queen if it has eggs or very young larvae. This variant is simple, but it takes time and depends on the mating weather and on the presence of mature drones.

A queen cell, a virgin queen or a mated queen can also be introduced. A mated queen speeds up the start, but its acceptance must be carefully prepared. A queen cell saves time, but must be handled with caution.

What happens to the moved parent colony?

The parent colony in principle keeps its queen, but loses a significant share of its foragers. It must therefore be inspected to verify its food stores, brood and strength after the intervention.

If it was in swarming mood, a clear decision must be made about the queen cells: remove them all, keep one, introduce a queen, or apply another management method. The aim is to avoid simply moving the swarming problem without solving it.

Inspections after formation

The first inspection of the new unit must verify that the population is sufficient, that the brood is well covered, that food stores are present and that the colony is following the planned route to obtain a queen.

The decisive inspection comes later, when the presence of a laying queen can be checked. Frequent openings during the emergence, mating and start of laying of the young queen should be avoided.

Link with the varroa management concept

The flight nucleus generally contains brood and may therefore carry some of the varroa mites present in the parent colony. A useful window can appear once the initial brood has emerged and before the new brood is largely capped. Any intervention must respect the actual state of the brood, the BienenSchweiz/ApiService recommendations in force and the leaflet of the veterinary medicine used.

Points to watch

• Carry out the method during a period of active flight, not late in the evening or in bad weather.
• Place the new unit exactly at the original location to gather the foragers correctly.
• Provide enough brood, food stores and bees for the young colony to remain balanced.
• Verify that the queen of the parent colony is not transferred accidentally.
• Monitor the moved parent colony, since it loses some of its foragers.
• Do not multiply, without reflection, an overly swarm-prone or mediocre colony.
• Avoid frequent inspections during the sensitive phase of rearing or mating of the young queen.
• Adjust feeding and the entrance to the risk of robbing.

The flight nucleus is a practical method when one wants to form a young colony at the same apiary by using the natural return of foragers. Its success depends above all on good timing, a sufficiently strong parent colony and attentive follow-up of both units after the split.

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See also:

• Practical Guide: 1.4.5 Nucleus – midday (Flugling)
• Multiplication of a nucleus

6.7 Nurse-bee attraction nucleus

This chapter presents the nurse-bee attraction nucleus, which uses the attractiveness of brood to draw nurse bees up onto brood frames before forming the nucleus box.

The nurse-bee attraction nucleus consists in placing brood frames, first taken without bees, above a strong colony and separated from the queen by a queen excluder. The bees, especially the nurse bees, then move up to cover the brood. The frames can subsequently be transferred into a nucleus box.

This method allows a young colony well stocked with young bees to be formed, while limiting the risk of accidentally transferring the queen. It does, however, require a two-step procedure and good organisation of the equipment.

In which situations should this method be chosen?

This method is suitable when strong colonies with surplus brood are available and when one wishes to form a well-populated nucleus box without spending a long time searching for the queen. It is also useful when one wants to take brood from several colonies without weakening any single colony too heavily.

It must remain reserved for strong, healthy and regular colonies. The brood taken must come from colonies that one is genuinely willing to use as a basis for multiplication.

Principle of the method

Brood frames are taken without their bees, then placed in a brood box or super above a very populous colony, separated from the queen by a queen excluder. The bees gradually move up onto these frames to warm and care for the brood.

When the frames are sufficiently covered, they are transferred into a nucleus box with food frames, possibly a pollen frame, a dummy board and, depending on the objective, an introduced queen, a queen cell or eggs allowing the rearing of a new queen.

Procedure

• Choose one or several strong, healthy and well-developed parent colonies.
• Take 2 to 5 brood frames, preferably with capped brood and open brood.
• Carefully brush or shake off the bees so that the chosen frames are introduced without bees into the attraction step.
• Fill the spaces left in the parent colonies with recent drawn comb or foundation, depending on the season and the strength of the colonies.
• Place a queen excluder on a strong and very populous colony.
• Place above this excluder a brood box or super intended to receive the chosen brood frames.
• Install the brood frames between food frames or close to sufficient food stores.
• Let the bees move up onto the frames for a few hours or until the next day.
• Then transfer the frames now well covered with bees into a prepared nucleus box.
• Add food frames, a pollen frame if needed, then constrain the unit with a dummy board.
• Introduce a queen, a queen cell, or let the young colony rear its own queen if it has eggs or very young larvae.
• Move the nucleus box to a sufficiently distant nucleus apiary, or choose a suitable management if it stays at the same apiary.
• Feed if needed and reduce the entrance to limit the risk of robbing.

Queen management

The young colony can rear its own queen if it has eggs or very young larvae. This solution is simple, but it takes time and depends on the weather, on the presence of mature drones and on the success of the mating flight.

Introducing a mated queen allows a quicker start, but requires a well-prepared nucleus box: queenless, sufficiently populous with young bees, properly fed and with a delayed release of the queen. A queen cell or a virgin queen represents an intermediate solution, but also requires caution.

Inspections after formation

The first inspection must verify that the frames are well covered, that food stores are sufficient and that the young colony is following the planned route to obtain a queen.

If the colony rears its own queen, handling must remain limited. Queen cells must not be shaken, chilled or damaged. The decisive inspection comes later, when the presence of a laying queen can be checked.

Link with the varroa management concept

The nurse-bee attraction nucleus contains brood and may therefore carry some of the varroa mites present in the parent colonies. If the young colony rears its own queen, a window can appear after the emergence of the initial brood. Any treatment always depends on the actual state of the brood, the BienenSchweiz/ApiService recommendations in force and the leaflet of the veterinary medicine used.

Points to watch

• Take brood only from strong, healthy and regular colonies.
• Make sure that the queen cannot move up onto the frames intended for the nucleus: the queen excluder is essential.
• Do not let the brood frames chill during handling.
• Form a sufficiently populous nucleus box: the brood must remain well covered after the transfer.
• Provide sufficient food stores from the formation of the young colony.
• Adjust the volume of the nucleus box to the actual population.
• Avoid repeated openings during rearing or queen acceptance.
• Watch the risk of robbing, especially if the young colony is small or fed at the apiary.

The nurse-bee attraction nucleus is a very useful method when one wants to obtain a young colony well supplied with care bees, while reducing the risk of accidentally transferring the queen. Its success rests on three points: brood of good quality, a very populous attraction colony and a quick transfer into a well-prepared nucleus box.

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See also:

• Practical Guide: 1.4 Overview of methods for forming young colonies
• Practical Guide: 1.4.4 Young colonies with brood

6.8 Queenright split

This chapter presents the queenright split, which consists in transferring the queen with part of the brood, the bees and the food stores, then following up the parent colony, which has become queenless.

The queenright split consists in forming a young colony with the queen of a strong colony, a few brood frames, bees and food stores. The parent colony becomes queenless and must then rear a new queen or receive a queen cell, a virgin queen or a mated queen.

This method is useful for intervening in a very strong colony, sometimes already in swarming mood. It allows a young colony to be created that is functional rapidly, while obliging the parent colony to renew its queen or to accept a chosen queen.

In which situations should this method be chosen?

The queenright split is suitable when the parent colony is strong, healthy, well developed and its queen is worth keeping. It can be used in spring or early summer, when the colony has enough brood, bees and food stores to withstand the split.

It is also indicated when a colony enters swarming mood. Removing the queen with part of the bees and brood strongly modifies the balance of the colony, but does not exempt one from subsequently inspecting the queen cells and the development of the parent colony.

Principle of the method

The queen is transferred into a nucleus box with brood frames well covered with bees, food stores and, if needed, additional bees. The young colony remains immediately functional, since it already has a laying queen.

The parent colony becomes queenless. It must then follow a clear path: rear a new queen itself, receive a queen cell, a virgin queen or a mated queen. This choice strongly influences the time until regular laying returns.

Procedure

• Choose a strong, healthy and sufficiently populous colony.
• Prepare a clean nucleus box, with food frames and, if needed, a dummy board.
• Find the queen and take the frame on which she is found, provided this frame is suitable for the formation of the young colony.
• Add one to three other brood frames well covered with bees, depending on the desired starting strength.
• Add food frames in sufficient quantity.
• If needed, shake or brush the bees of an additional frame to compensate for the possible return of foragers to the original location.
• Make sure that the parent colony retains eggs or very young larvae if it is to rear a new queen itself.
• Fill the spaces left in the parent colony with recent drawn comb or foundation, depending on the season and the strength of the colony.
• Move the nucleus box to a sufficiently distant nucleus apiary, or manage it at the same apiary while taking the return of foragers into account.
• Feed the young colony if food stores are insufficient or if the nectar flow does not cover its needs.
• Reduce the entrance if the young colony is still weak or if conditions favour robbing.

Management of the parent colony

The parent colony must be followed up with as much care as the young colony. If it is to rear its own queen, it must have eggs or very young larvae. After a few days, it will start rearing queen cells.

If the colony was in swarming mood, the queen cells must be managed clearly. Keeping too many can lead to cast swarms. Removing all cells without a replacement solution can unnecessarily prolong the queenless state. The aim is to lead the colony to a new laying queen.

Inspections after the split

In the young colony with the queen, the first inspection serves to verify that the queen is still present, that laying continues or resumes, that the population covers the brood well and that food stores are sufficient.

In the parent colony, the inspection depends on the chosen strategy. If it rears its own queen, the necessary time must be allowed for emergence, mating and the start of laying. An absence of laying detected too early does not necessarily mean failure; a prolonged absence, on the other hand, must be corrected promptly.

Link with the varroa management concept

The queenright split modifies the brood dynamics: the young colony retains brood, while the parent colony undergoes a brood break until a new queen is installed. This interruption can create a useful window, but any intervention must be decided according to the actual state of the brood, the period, the BienenSchweiz/ApiService recommendations in force and the leaflet of the veterinary medicine used.

Points to watch

• Choose this method only if the queen is genuinely worth keeping.
• Do not weaken the parent colony excessively, especially during the main flow.
• Make sure the young colony has enough bees to cover the brood after the possible return of foragers.
• Ensure sufficient food stores in both units, especially if the parent colony loses some of its foragers.
• Verify that the parent colony has eggs or very young larvae if it is to rear its own queen.
• Manage the queen cells in the parent colony clearly, especially if the colony was in swarming mood.
• Avoid automatically multiplying overly swarm-prone, aggressive or irregular colonies.
• Adjust the entrance and feeding to limit the risk of robbing.

The queenright split is an effective method for forming a young colony quickly while renewing the queen of the parent colony. It does, however, require attentive follow-up of both parts: the new unit must remain strong enough to develop, and the parent colony must regain a laying queen within a reasonable time.

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See also:

• Practical Guide: 1.4.4 Young colonies with brood
• Splitting colonies

6.9 Split of a colony in swarming mood

This chapter explains how to turn a swarming mood already under way into a controlled formation of young colonies, without blindly multiplying overly swarm-prone lineages.

The split of a colony in swarming mood consists in intervening in a colony that is already preparing its swarm. The aim is not only to remove queen cells, but to use this dynamic to form one or several young colonies while avoiding the loss of a swarm.

This method can be effective, since the colony often has many bees, abundant brood and queen cells. It does, however, require discernment: systematically multiplying very swarm-prone colonies can reinforce this trait at the apiary.

In which situations should this method be chosen?

This method is indicated when a strong colony shows clear signs of swarming mood: occupied queen cells, strong population, abundant brood, possible slowing of laying or visible preparation for a swarm to leave.

It is only of interest if the colony also has qualities one wishes to preserve: gentleness, vigour, good sanitary state, regular development and good adaptation to the apiary. A regularly overly swarm-prone, aggressive or mediocre colony should not serve as a basis for multiplication.

Principle of the method

The colony is split into several units. The old queen can be placed in a nucleus box with part of the bees, brood and food stores, while the parent colony retains a selected queen cell. It is also possible to form several small nuclei from frames carrying queen cells.

The essential point is to give each unit a clear path to a queen: old queen, well-developed queen cell, introduced queen or possibility of rearing a queen from eggs or very young larvae. Without a queen strategy, the split quickly produces weak, queenless or hard-to-correct units.

Procedure

• Choose a strong, healthy colony genuinely worth keeping or multiplying.
• Open the colony with care and assess the actual state of swarming mood: number of queen cells, approximate age of the cells, presence of the queen, state of laying and strength of the colony.
• Prepare one or several nucleus boxes with food frames, dummy boards and recent drawn comb or foundation.
• If the old queen is found, form with her a small colony containing enough bees, brood and food stores.
• In the parent colony, keep a well-placed and well-developed queen cell, or introduce a grafted cell if one wishes to better control the genetic origin.
• If several nuclei are formed, allocate to each unit at least one brood frame well covered with bees, food stores and a viable queen cell or a replacement solution.
• Avoid shaking, chilling or knocking the frames carrying queen cells.
• Fill the empty spaces in the parent colony with recent drawn comb or foundation, depending on the season and the remaining strength.
• Move the nucleus boxes to a sufficiently distant nucleus apiary, or adapt the method if they stay at the same apiary.
• Reduce the entrances of the small units and provide suitable feeding if food stores are not sufficient.

Management of queen cells

Queen cells are the sensitive element of this method. They must be handled with great care: shocks, chilling, unnecessary turning or prolonged exposure can compromise the future queen.

Too many queen cells must also not be retained in the same unit, as this can lead to cast swarms. Conversely, removing all cells without a replacement solution leaves the colony without a clear path to a queen.

What to do with the old queen?

If the old queen is of good quality, she can be placed in a nucleus box with a few brood frames, bees and food stores. This unit then operates as a queenright split and allows the swarming pressure in the parent colony to be greatly reduced.

If the queen is old, poorly performing or comes from a colony one does not wish to keep, it may be preferable to aim for renewal through a chosen queen cell or by introducing a selected queen.

Inspections after the split

Units with a queen already present can be inspected sooner to check laying, strength and food stores. Units depending on a queen cell require more patience: the queen must emerge, become mature, be mated, then start laying.

One should not conclude failure too early. The weather can delay mating. The decisive inspection consists in verifying the presence of a laying queen. If no laying appears after the expected delay, the situation must be corrected by introducing a queen, by uniting or by another suitable measure.

Link with the varroa management concept

The split of a colony in swarming mood can create a brood break in some units, while the transferred frames may contain capped brood and therefore varroa mites. Each unit must be followed up as a colony in its own right. Any intervention depends on the actual state of the brood, the BienenSchweiz/ApiService recommendations in force and the leaflet of the veterinary medicine used.

Points to watch

• Do not use this method to multiply, without reflection, overly swarm-prone or mediocre colonies.
• Decide clearly which unit receives the old queen, which unit retains a queen cell and which unit possibly receives an introduced queen.
• Handle queen cells with great care.
• Do not leave too many queen cells in the same unit in order to limit the risk of cast swarms.
• Form sufficiently strong units: each nucleus box must have enough bees to cover the brood.
• Ensure sufficient food stores and feed cleanly if needed.
• Reduce the entrances of small units to limit the risk of robbing.
• Later check for the presence of a laying queen before considering the split a success.

The split of a colony in swarming mood is a powerful method, but it must not be confused with a simple emergency reaction. Properly managed, it allows the loss of a swarm to be avoided, young colonies to be formed and queens to be renewed. Poorly managed, it can multiply overly swarm-prone lineages or produce several weak units.

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See also:

• Practical Guide: 1.4.7 Splitting a colony in swarming mood
• Practical Guide: 4.7.5 Management of swarming mood

6.10 Nucleus made with super bees

This chapter presents a method that makes use of the bees present in the supers to form a young colony with an introduced queen, without taking brood.

The nucleus made with super bees consists in using part of the bees present in the supers to populate a nucleus box prepared with food, pollen, foundation or recent frames, and an introduced queen. The method is interesting at harvest time, when some colonies are very strong and the supers contain many bees.

This technique in principle does not take any brood. Its success therefore depends mainly on four elements: a sufficient quantity of bees, an available queen of good quality, attentive feeding and prompt follow-up after formation.

In which situations should this method be chosen?

This method is suitable when strong colonies, well-populated supers and an available selected queen are at hand. It can be used around the time of the harvest, provided enough time remains for the young colony to accept its queen, build, start laying and prepare for overwintering.

It is especially useful if one wants to form a young colony without taking brood from production colonies. It is not suitable if the season is already too far advanced, if the colonies are weakened or if no queen of good quality is available.

Principle of the method

A nucleus box is prepared with at least one food frame, if possible a pollen frame, several sheets of foundation or recent frames, and a queen in an introduction cage placed at the centre. Supers well occupied by bees are then placed above the nucleus box, often using a bee escape mounted so as to drive the bees downwards.

Attracted by the queen and by the prepared space, the bees gradually move down into the nucleus box. After about twenty-four hours, the supers are removed and the young colony is closed, moved or briefly placed in cellar confinement, depending on the chosen procedure.

Equipment and preparation

• Prepare a clean nucleus box, well closable and suited to the expected quantity of bees.
• Provide at least one food frame and, if possible, a pollen frame.
• Complete with foundation or recent frames.
• Prepare a selected queen, ideally mated, placed in a suitable queen introduction cage.
• Provide a bee escape or a device allowing the bees to move down from the supers into the nucleus box.
• Provide a feeding syrup to support the start of the young colony immediately.
• Adjust the entrance to limit the risk of robbing after installation.

Procedure

• Choose one or several strong colonies whose supers are well occupied by bees.
• Prepare the nucleus box with a food frame, a pollen frame if possible, foundation or recent frames, and a dummy board if the volume needs to be reduced.
• Place the queen in an introduction cage at the centre of the nucleus box, between the frames where the bees should gather.
• Place a bee escape on the nucleus box in such a way that the bees can move down into the nucleus box without going back up into the supers.
• Place two to three well-populated supers above the device, depending on the desired quantity of bees.
• Let the bees move down for several hours, often until the next day.
• After about twenty-four hours, remove the supers and close the young colony.
• Move the nucleus box to a sufficiently distant nucleus apiary, or place it for one or two nights in a dark, cool and quiet place before installing it at the apiary.
• Feed immediately with a suitable syrup, in small quantities if the risk of robbing is high.
• Reduce the entrance and monitor the cohesion of the young colony.

Introduction and acceptance of the queen

Success largely depends on the acceptance of the queen. A mated queen allows a quicker start, but must be introduced with caution. The delayed release through a queen introduction cage gives the bees time to get used to her scent.

An overly rapid release should be avoided if the cluster is not yet well established or if the bees seem agitated. Inspection must remain discreet until the young colony forms a coherent unit.

Inspections after formation

A first brief inspection allows it to be verified that the young colony still has enough bees, that food stores are present and that the queen is accepted or in the process of release. Lengthy openings should be avoided, as the young colony does not yet have stabilising brood or a renewed population.

The decisive inspection then consists in verifying the presence of laying. If the queen is mated and accepted, laying can begin quickly. The colony must then be supported by suitable feeding to sustain comb building and the first brood.

Link with the varroa management concept

The nucleus formed with super bees in principle starts without brood. The varroa mites present are then on the adult bees, which can offer a useful window before the capping of the first brood. This possibility does not replace the overall varroa management concept of the apiary: any treatment must comply with the BienenSchweiz/ApiService recommendations in force and with the leaflet of the veterinary medicine used.

Points to watch

• Form this type of nucleus only with a sufficient quantity of bees: a unit that is too weak will not build correctly and will accept the queen with more difficulty.
• Have a queen of good quality at the right time, ideally mated if the season is already advanced.
• Provide food stores from the start: super bees do not necessarily have the complete organisation of a young colony.
• Feed cleanly and cautiously so as not to trigger robbing.
• Reduce the entrance as long as the colony is small.
• Do not form this type of young colony too late if it no longer has time to develop before overwintering.
• Quickly verify the acceptance of the queen, then later the presence of laying.
• Do not count on honey production in the same year: the goal is to form a viable colony for what follows.

The nucleus made with super bees allows the use of a population available at harvest time, without taking brood. Its main limitation is the dependence on an available queen, on a sufficient quantity of bees and on attentive feeding throughout the start-up phase.

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See also:

• Practical Guide: 1.4 Overview of methods for forming young colonies
• Summer nuclei made with super bees

6.11 Small reserve nucleus

This chapter describes the small reserve nucleus as a strategic unit intended to secure queen management and to provide flexibility at the apiary.

The small reserve nucleus is a small young unit, intended above all to secure the management of the apiary. It can serve as a queen reserve, as a backup colony, as a replacement solution in case of queen loss or as a basis for reinforcing another colony later in the season.

This method does not aim to create immediately a production colony. Its main interest is flexibility: having a small living unit available, with a queen or a queen cell, can avoid the need to buy a queen in an emergency or to leave a colony queenless for too long.

In which situations should this method be chosen?

The small reserve nucleus is useful when one wishes to have backup queens or small reserve units for the rest of the season. It can be formed in spring or early summer, when the parent colonies are strong and enough time remains for the small unit to stabilise.

It is particularly interesting for apiaries where the loss of a queen, poor mating or a queenlessness problem can quickly compromise a colony. A well-managed small reserve then provides valuable room for manoeuvre.

Principle of the method

The principle is to form a small unit with a reduced volume, a few bees, a little brood or a queen cell, food stores and, depending on the variant, an introduced queen. This unit must be small enough to be easy to manage, but strong enough to maintain its warmth, feed the brood, defend its entrance and develop.

The small nucleus can be formed in a nucleus box, a mini-hive or a system suited to rearing and keeping young queens. The smaller the volume, the more precise the follow-up must be: food, temperature, population and the risk of robbing become decisive.

Procedure

• Choose one or several strong, healthy and calm parent colonies.
• Prepare a small clean nucleus box or mini-hive, with a volume suited to the expected quantity of bees.
• Introduce a small brood frame well covered with bees, or a sufficient quantity of young bees depending on the system used.
• Add a food frame or a food reserve suited to the chosen format.
• Provide a pollen supply or a pollen frame if the system and the season allow it.
• Introduce a queen cell, a virgin queen or a mated queen, depending on the goal of the nucleus.
• Strongly reduce the entrance, as small units defend themselves poorly against robbing.
• Install the nucleus at a suitable location, ideally with a clear orientation to facilitate the return of the young queen after the mating flight.
• Feed cautiously, in small quantities, in order to support the colony without triggering robbing.

Queen management

The small reserve nucleus can receive a queen cell, a virgin queen or a mated queen. If a queen cell is used, it must be handled with caution and introduced into a sufficiently populous unit to maintain warmth and provide the necessary care.

If a virgin queen is introduced, success depends on the weather, on the presence of mature drones and on the queen's ability to find her nucleus again after the mating flight. A clearly visible orientation of the entrance can help limit return errors.

If a mated queen is used, the small unit becomes quickly available as a queen reserve. The introduction must, however, remain cautious: even in a small volume, a queen can be rejected if the bees are poorly prepared, too old, hungry or disturbed.

Inspections after formation

The first inspection must be very brief. The aim is to verify that the population remains sufficient, that food stores are present and that the introduced queen, queen cell or virgin queen is accepted. In a small volume, repeated openings quickly chill the unit and can disturb its balance.

The decisive inspection consists in verifying the presence of a laying queen. If mating fails or if the queen disappears, the small unit weakens quickly. It must then be decided promptly whether it should receive a new queen, be united with another colony or be dissolved.

Use of the reserve nucleus

Once stabilised, the small nucleus can be used in several ways. It can supply a queen to a queenless colony, be united with a colony to be reinforced, serve as a basis for a larger nucleus box or be kept as a reserve until autumn if its strength and format allow it.

A small unit must, however, not be overestimated. If it is to overwinter, it must be sufficiently strong, well fed, properly constrained and adapted to the system used. In many cases, a small nucleus is mainly a seasonal tool, intended to secure queen management rather than to become directly a production colony.

Link with the varroa management concept

The link with varroa depends on the composition of the small nucleus: with capped brood, it can contain varroa mites; without capped brood, an intervention window can exist. As these small units have little margin, sanitary follow-up must be precise and any treatment must comply with the BienenSchweiz/ApiService recommendations in force and with the leaflet of the veterinary medicine used.

Points to watch

• Do not form a nucleus that is too weak: a small unit must remain capable of maintaining its warmth and defending itself.
• Strictly adjust the volume to the quantity of bees.
• Provide enough food, but feed cleanly and in small quantities to avoid robbing.
• Reduce the entrance as long as the unit is small.
• Do not open too often, especially during the acceptance, emergence or mating of the queen.
• Verify the presence of a laying queen before using the nucleus as a reliable reserve.
• Do not use brood or bees from weak, aggressive or doubtful colonies.
• Decide early about the final use of the nucleus: queen reserve, reinforcement, uniting or overwintering.

The small reserve nucleus is a strategic tool rather than a production method. Properly managed, it provides safety to the apiary, makes it easier to replace queens and allows a quick response to losses or mating failures. Its success depends above all on the balance between small volume, sufficient population, available food and attentive follow-up.

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See also:

• Practical Guide: 4.6.1 Mini-Plus
• Principles and methods of queen rearing

7 Follow-up of young colonies after their formation

This chapter sets out the essential checks after forming a young colony: queen, food stores, development, robbing, varroa and overwintering preparation.

The formation of a young colony does not stop at the moment the nucleus box is set up. The following weeks are decisive, but the inspections must remain proportionate: check the essential points at the right time, without unnecessarily disturbing the colony.

Point to follow up	What needs to be verified	Point to watch
Queen and laying	Verify whether the young colony has a clear path to a laying queen: introduced queen accepted, queen cell, young queen in mating, or laying already present.	Do not conclude failure too early. A queen from a queen cell must emerge, be mated and start laying.
Food	Inspect the food frames, the availability of pollen and the need for supportive feeding.	Feed cleanly, avoid syrup spillages and intervene rather in the evening if the risk of robbing is high.
Volume of the nucleus box	Adjust the space to the actual population: constrained enough to keep warmth, but not too restricted as the colony develops.	A nucleus box that is too large slows the start. A dummy board allows the volume to be adjusted gradually.
Brood	Once the queen is laying, observe the brood pattern: regularity, extent, presence of eggs and consistency with the age of the colony.	Patchy brood, a laying of drones only or a persistent absence of eggs must be analysed without haste.
Varroa	Integrate every young colony into the apiary's varroa management concept, taking into account the actual presence of brood and the method used.	Any treatment must comply with the BienenSchweiz/ApiService recommendations in force and with the leaflet of the veterinary medicine used.
Robbing	Monitor activity at the entrance, especially after feeding, in periods of dearth or with small units.	Reduce the entrance, avoid prolonged openings and do not leave frames or syrup accessible.
Transfer to a hive	Transfer the young colony when it occupies its volume well, when the queen lays regularly and the population increases.	Do not transfer too early into an excessive volume, nor too late when the colony already lacks space.
Overwintering	Assess whether the colony is strong enough, healthy, well fed and properly constrained to overwinter.	A young colony formed late must be assessed realistically: uniting or reinforcement may be preferable to an uncertain overwintering.
Written record	Record the date of formation, the method, the origin of the queen, laying inspections, feedings and varroa interventions.	These notes facilitate selection, the assessment of methods and management decisions for the following season.

Frequent mistakes to avoid

• Forming a young colony that is too weak or installing it in too large a volume.
• Opening too often during queen rearing, mating or queen acceptance.
• Concluding mating failure too early without taking weather and biological calendar into account.
• Letting the young colony run out of food during the first weeks.
• Feeding in a way that triggers robbing.
• Forgetting to integrate the young colony into the varroa monitoring.
• Waiting too long before uniting or correcting a young colony that does not develop.

Follow-up after formation often determines the actual success of the method. A well-formed young colony can fail if it lacks food, if the queen is not checked at the right time or if varroa is neglected.

8. What to do with the young colonies?

This chapter shows how to make use of young colonies after their formation: replacement, reserve, requeening, reinforcement, uniting or selection.

A young colony does not always have the same function. It can become a future production colony, serve as a queen reserve, replace a lost colony, reinforce a weakened colony or be united with another unit. Its value depends above all on its state a few weeks after formation: laying queen, sufficient population, food stores, health and overwintering potential.

Possible use	When to consider it?	Point to watch
Replace a loss	The young colony is strong, healthy, with a laying queen and a regular brood.	Do not promote a weak or doubtful colony to mask a deeper problem of the apiary.
Keep a reserve colony	The young colony can overwinter and serve the following spring to replace, reinforce or build up a production colony.	It must be strong enough, well fed, properly constrained and integrated into the varroa management concept.
Replace a failing queen	The young colony has a good queen and can be united with a colony whose queen is no longer satisfactory.	Decide clearly which queen to keep before any uniting.
Reinforce a weak but healthy colony	The receiving colony is worth keeping, but lacks population after a temporary weakening.	Do not reinforce a chronically weak, sick, aggressive or poorly adapted colony.
Unite with the parent colony	The initial objective was mainly swarm prevention, brood break or temporary creation of a reserve.	Uniting must be prepared to avoid a confused situation or the loss of an interesting queen.
Serve as a queen reserve	A small healthy unit with a laying queen can secure the apiary in case of queenlessness, mating failure or urgent replacement.	Before use, verify laying, brood pattern, behaviour of the bees and the absence of worrying sanitary signs.
Discard or unite a unit without future	The young colony is too weak, lastingly queenless, poorly mated or unable to develop.	In case of sanitary doubt, do not transfer frames, bees or queen to other colonies.

Points to watch

• Do not keep a young colony only because it exists: it must have a clear function.
• Verify the presence of a laying queen before using a nucleus box as a reliable reserve.
• Do not reinforce a weak colony if the cause of its weakness is sanitary or genetic.
• Decide which queen to keep before any uniting.
• Do not overwinter units that are too weak without realistic prospects.
• Integrate all young colonies, including small reserves, into the varroa monitoring.
• Avoid distributing frames, bees or queens from doubtful units.
• Use young colonies as a tool of selection, not as a mere increase in the number of hives.

A successful young colony is a strategic resource. It provides flexibility to the apiary, allows losses to be replaced, queens to be renewed, good colonies to be reinforced and weak units to be more easily set aside. Its use must remain selective: the goal is to build a more stable, healthier and better-adapted stock.

Back to part 1

1. Overview of the main methods
2. Why make increase with young colonies?
3. Which method to choose?
4. Decisions to clarify before acting
5. Common rules for all methods
6. The methods in detail
6.1 Natural swarm
6.2 Artificial swarm
6.3 Queenright shook swarm
6.4 Brood split
6.5 Combined brood nucleus