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I had a disaster when moving a couple nucs from FL to NY. One, an established nuc with lots of bees, overheated and died. This happened despite taking the advice of experienced beekeepers to make a screened top for the nuc. The nuc was transported inside the car, and we had AC to keep the cabin cool. Even worse, these were nucs moved from 5 frame boxes into 8 frame boxes. There was a screened vent hole on the bottom, and a screened entrance hole. The bees were packed tightly into the space between the frames and the screened top-- so tightly that the screen bulged out from them packing in. When I poured out the dead bees on the bottom, there was a pile a foot across and 4 or 5 inches thick. The other nuc did fine, but it was recently established and hadn't built up much yet.
Here's what I'm wondering: did they have too much ventilation? Last year I moved a couple nucs between NY and FL in 5 frame boxes with a small vent hole on the bottom, and a screened entrance. They did fine, and they were both packed with bees.
Here's what I'm wondering: did they have too much ventilation? Last year I moved a couple nucs between NY and FL in 5 frame boxes with a small vent hole on the bottom, and a screened entrance. They did fine, and they were both packed with bees.