I'm planning to overwinter as many nucs as I can in the fall/winter of 2009-2010. I'm trying figure out when the latest time to make a nuc would be for simply overwintering them. Here are my approximate nectar flows:
May 1st - June 15th...very strong spring flow. A hive that built up really well in the spring will put up between 25-50lbs of harvestable honey.
June 15th - July 1st....a weak flow. A good hive will still put up 15lbs of harvestable honey.
July 1st - August 15th durring this flow a good hive will usually put up 50-100lbs of harvestable honey.
August 15th...derth.
Then we usually have a fall flow, but it seems to be a little hit and miss.
Anyway....I'm wondering if it would be a bad idea to make nucs around August 10th. If I can, I'd like to split each hive into four nucs and overwinter. So my question is, would this be to late to make nucs for overwintering?
May 1st - June 15th...very strong spring flow. A hive that built up really well in the spring will put up between 25-50lbs of harvestable honey.
June 15th - July 1st....a weak flow. A good hive will still put up 15lbs of harvestable honey.
July 1st - August 15th durring this flow a good hive will usually put up 50-100lbs of harvestable honey.
August 15th...derth.
Then we usually have a fall flow, but it seems to be a little hit and miss.
Anyway....I'm wondering if it would be a bad idea to make nucs around August 10th. If I can, I'd like to split each hive into four nucs and overwinter. So my question is, would this be to late to make nucs for overwintering?