Nuc Stacks

[Bush_84]

How high does everybody here let Nucs get and how high do you winter?  My Nucs from packages this spring are getting a bit high. I?ve shaken nurse bees from them to make mating Nucs but they are still getting pretty tall. One has four deeps. The other has three deeps and two mediums as supers. I figure if I want to winter them as two high stacks I could take a split from each. Like split them in half. If I wanted to winter them in three high stacks I?d maybe use both of them to make a single split.

[cao]

Most of my nucs are mediums.  I do have a few that are deeps.  Usually by the time they get three tall, they are transfered to full size boxes.  I have overwintered some that were three mediums tall 2 years ago.  Last year the ones that I tried didn't make it.  I think the difference was last year I didn't set them side by side like I did 2 years ago and the fact that last winter was colder.  They still had honey but couldn't break cluster long enough to move to it. 

I may have some taller stacks this year due to lack of the right equipment.  Going from 30 to 70 hives puts a strain on keeping enough boxes ready.

[beepro]

The nucs in snow country stack them side-by-side and cover them as usual.  They are either single or double stack depending on how strong is the hive approaching winter time.   Last year and other years I overwinter them in double stack as they like to use the upper box away from the cooler bottom.   I then put sugar bricks and patty subs on the top bars using a 3" tall hive cover.  This is sufficient because we have a mild winter here.

[Bush_84]

I keep my hives in a shed overwinter and it?s temperature controlled. So while I feel like I could easily winter them in a 5x5 deep arrangement, I also feel like it?d be safer to winter them in a 5x5x5 arrangement.

[beepro]

The overwintering secret is overcrowding!

[VermontHoneyBee]

I currently use 8 frame hives.  My brood boxes are 2 deep and 1 medium.  My plan is to overwinter in double nucs (side A and Side B) - sold by BetterBees, with three deeps and one medium.  That will essentially mean that each hive will have a total of 12 deep frames and 4 medium frames.  I am not sure if that is too much but I am worried about the cluster not having enough stores.  I would have to re-listen to Mike Palmers overwintering strategy but I think he does 3 deep (a total of 12 deep frames) per nuc.  The nucs sold by BetterBee closely follow his overwintering strategy.

[BeeMaster2]

When my 5 frame nucs (medium frames in a deep box) are full, I cut out and frame the wax under the frames and move them into a medium 10 frame box. I usually get close to 10 frames of bees.
Jim

[Bush_84]

I will soon have to either move them to 8 frame equipment or split them. My nucs I started packages I are bearding at all entrances. Top to bottom. I?m thinking the nuc that?s stacked four high in deeps I?ll put in 8 frame equipment. The nuc in three high deeps and two mediums I?ll probably harvest one of my queens and make a split. I?ll leave two deeps and the medium supers.

[cao]

I'm glad to hear that you bees are doing well, especially after your last winter.  Is your shed finished yet?  Is it big enough?

[Bush_84]

I'm glad to hear that you bees are doing well, especially after your last winter.  Is your shed finished yet?  Is it big enough?

Once things got warm other projects became the priority. Electric is all run and walls are framed. My next task is doors and plywood.