Getting Started

1

Choose a sunny, wind-sheltered  location. The location should be protected from prevailing winds. Here in Alberta- a windbreak on the north is the best, with full sun exposure to the south. Before setting up your hive, place the bottom board of your hive in the chosen location. Take the nuc box and set it ontop of the bottom board-with the entrance facing the same direction as the bottom board.

Open the entrance of the nuc, allowing the bees to fly. The bees will reorient themselves to the new location. Leave them like this until the next day.

On the next day, you can begin transferring your nuc to the wooden brood boxes.

Take the nuc off of the bottom board and replace it with your brood box- all of the frames should be removed.

2

Carefully transfer the bees from the nuc to the brood box 1 frame at a time, being cautious not to crush the queen.  All 5 of the frames that came with the nuc should stay together. Center these 5 frames in the brood box.

3

Add an additional 5 frames to the brood box. When all frames are in, use your hive tool and push the frames close together- balancing the left over space on each side of the box.

Add your inner cover and telescopic lid and allow the colony to grow, checking on it every couple of weeks.

4

As the colony grows, add additional boxes (called “supers”) on top of the brood box for the bees to store honey.

5

Monitor your hive regularly to check for pests, disease, and the overall health of your colony.