Moving Nucs in Severe Cold Weather

[poppy1]

OK everyone help here,

I have 2 nucs that are starting to build up but we are having a severe cold snap and I actually have moved them into my garage, closed up of course, with ventilation for them. I take them directly back out to their exact spot when it gets a bit warm out and they seem to be fine? My question is someone told me I was disrupting the cluster by doing that, I haven't seen any issues with them. Any thoughts on this for me

Thanks everyone

[JD's Bees]

I think the term "severe cold weather" may mean different things to different people!
Usually the problem with disturbing colonies in cold weather is it could get them to start rearing brood early and use more feed than normal. This would be a problem in late fall or early winter as the colony could starve before spring. At this time of year and in your location it should not matter as they are already rearing brood and you should be able to inspect and feed at this time if necessary.

[rweakley]

If it's a difference between them freezing to death, because the cluster is too small to handle the temps that are coming VS "disturbing the cluster" by moving them into the garage. I choose the garage all week long and twice on sunday. I have nucs that I am leaving outside to deal with our extreme temps (10 or 15 degrees) and I have a nuc that I am babying. It's the difference between a nuc that has a very small cluster and nucs that have a good sized cluster. I doubt your weather is much more extreme than here in Misery so if your nucs have a good 2 or 3 frames of cluster with plenty of food, they are fine outside. If a small cluster you are doing the right thing.

[poppy1]

Thank you very much

[Joel]

As long as you handle the nuc carefully and don't knock the cluster down you'll be fine. One year I headed out from NY with hives at 13F from NY to SC over some pretty bumpy roads and did not lose one. The clusters stick pretty good.

[Ravenseye]

I think you're fine. I actually thing that you don't have to move them. Not sure what "severe" means but I'm guessing that they're nuc's has more to do with the situation than the weather. "Severe" is a relative term.