@WBVC...
Well, July and August 2013 is when I put these nucs together.
I like them strong, so each had at least 3 frames of capped brood, all the adhering bees and another frame or two of nurse bees shaken on top. One or two frames of honey/pollen depending on each situation... Some, I made with the queen from the hive I was splitting...some I made with mated queens freshly pulled out of my mating nucs...some, I made with some mated queens I bought.
Each one requires a little different approach...the ones with the original queen are pretty much left alone and making sure they have enough resources to build up for fall/winter.
The other ones, I check more often to make sure the new queens are accepted and get to laying. Most end up humming pretty good before the fall gets set in.
These, with new queens, I also feed 1:1, regardless of flow. The acceptance seems better and they get going good. Some, if not all, require another box before winter, especially if a good fall flow materializes. I did not have to feed them 2:1 at all.
Another thing I noticed with these nucs, is that if you continue to feed them, and give them frames of foundation, they will draw beautiful worker comb. Also noticed, 2013 queens mated after the end of June, were laying well into the fall and all these nucs appeared to have more bees ( young bees at that) going into the winter.
Some of this comb, they back fill with honey and/or syrup...and these frames can be then set up as winter reserves ( keep in the freezer maybe for later use ) or give to other hives, or keep them on the nucs. Lots of options...
Where I am located, I was able to feed all the way till November, even mid November. Now, going into the winter, they all had plenty of reserves and plenty of bees...but also, all have been provided with a sugar brick on top of the reserves. Coming January of 2014 I provided all w/pollen sub. Most of them by Feb 2014 have started brooding really good, starting to move into the top box so they were all reversed.
Some needed another box...
Despite an unusual long and nasty ( for this place anyways) Winter, with false Spring starts, I sure love to see these puppies gearing up for what is to come...