Overwintered Nuc Becomes "The Pink Hive"

Going back to Building Up an Overwintered Nuc, Part 2, I would like to show the progress that this little nuc has made so far. This nuc overwintered on eight shallow frames, two four frame nuc boxes. I added a pollen patty, some syrup, and a deep four frame nuc with drawn comb and honey to it back in February. In March I added another four frame deep nuc box to it. Around the first of April the little nuc was starting to not be so little anymore. There were a lot of bees and it was time to put it into a bigger box. I started out by making a screened bottom board for and eight frame hive body.



I also had some eight frame equipment in need of repair and painting. After doing what I could to repair the boxes I painted them pink. This was the color my daughter had chosen for her colony and I was more than willing to oblige. I actually like the look of the hive myself. Pictured below is the pink boxes along with some other woodenware which was repaired or repainted..



After getting all of my equipment prepared, I loaded everything up to go visit the overwintered nu and to help build it up some more. Looking from the outside of the hive it appeared pretty much as I had left it.



When I started removing the frames from the nuc and putting them into eight frame equipment it began to rain. This picture is the last one I could take because now it had started to downpour. By the time I had finished transferring the frames I was standing in the middle of a full fledged thunderstorm.




In this picture you can see the eight frame pink to the left. I put the eight shallow frames it overwintered on in a shallow super above the screened bottom board I made. Then I placed the eight frames from the deep nuc boxes into the first eight frame deep hive body. I also added another deep hive body with frames of foundation above that.



I'll soon be going to go inspect the Pink Hive for progress and development. I would have liked to have been able to some pictures and would have if not for the thunderstorm. The queen is laying a really nice pattern. When I go back I will be adding a super and will do my best to remember to take some good pictures.