pretty much all you would want to know
http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?189642-Wintering-Nucs
http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?189642-Wintering-Nucs
Q: Too early for a nuc destined for overwintering?
Hi All,
One of my hives swarmed the end of May, and I found a ton of queen cells in the hive that swarmed. I pulled off a couple of frames (with the queen cells) to nucs and made 2 new queens. Those nucs are doing great!
My goal is to have a couple of nucs to overwinter. But I fear the timing of my swarm / nuc creation is too early.
Is it too early to have nucs that I intend to keep nucs in order to overwinter? I had thoughts that as the nucs grow, I could swap out a frame of brood from the nuc for an empty frame, and keep the nuc small (I'd put the frame of brood into another full-size hive to give it a boost). Is this a reasonable activity?
I really don't want to build those nucs into a full-size hive; I suppose I could sell the nucs now and make a new nuc.
I am in Massachusetts.
Thoughts and comments?
Thanks - Steven
One of my hives swarmed the end of May, and I found a ton of queen cells in the hive that swarmed. I pulled off a couple of frames (with the queen cells) to nucs and made 2 new queens. Those nucs are doing great!
My goal is to have a couple of nucs to overwinter. But I fear the timing of my swarm / nuc creation is too early.
Is it too early to have nucs that I intend to keep nucs in order to overwinter? I had thoughts that as the nucs grow, I could swap out a frame of brood from the nuc for an empty frame, and keep the nuc small (I'd put the frame of brood into another full-size hive to give it a boost). Is this a reasonable activity?
I really don't want to build those nucs into a full-size hive; I suppose I could sell the nucs now and make a new nuc.
I am in Massachusetts.
Thoughts and comments?
Thanks - Steven
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
I would say it's almost too late...not too early.
wildbranch2007 - Thank you for that old link!
I would conclude with Mr. Palmer...what is your drone population like?
This late you probably need a laying queen for the nucs when you make the splits and then you will have to push things to get them built up.
If I understand the post correctly - the Nucs were actually made at the end of May. If they area still Nuc sized now, is there still a chance that they will get over-grown?
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
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