>How long can I bank virgins...will bees care for them at all?
In my experience, no, they don't care for them and they often die. A few days is the maximum. From emergence they have a window of three weeks to find good weather and get mated. After that they will mate but become drone layers.
>How best to release them in nucs?
Smoke the nuc. Run them in.
>I am not certain the QCs will emerge so don't want to pull apart hives to make up nucs I may not need.
You can always recombine.
>If the consensus is to place QCs rather than virgins I will do so.
That's what I would do. You have no introduction issues...
In my experience, no, they don't care for them and they often die. A few days is the maximum. From emergence they have a window of three weeks to find good weather and get mated. After that they will mate but become drone layers.
>How best to release them in nucs?
Smoke the nuc. Run them in.
>I am not certain the QCs will emerge so don't want to pull apart hives to make up nucs I may not need.
You can always recombine.
>If the consensus is to place QCs rather than virgins I will do so.
That's what I would do. You have no introduction issues...
