son,
I posted this on the forum a while ago:
What do you make your nucs out of?
!!!I keep a pretty good record of all hives. I mark the best ones and use them to provide 3 brood frames. I use these 3 frames ( not all capped brood, I like some un-capped as well to keep the generations coming) with two frames with new foundation to make a 5 frame nuc.
The early ones this Spring I let make their own queens. Try NOT to open them for a month and you will find generally eggs, some larvae in them. Occassionally some capped brood.
The absolute "best" ( exeptional pattern, large queen, quiet..) ones I transfer into a 10 framer and split them until Christmas. Some I will keep and some are sold - there is always a demand for instant singles for those who had a FLOW gifted to them - and they want bees.
The other nuc's I sell when the pattern is up to scratch.
I also make nuc's as per above but buy a mated queen - much quicker. Two weeks and they are just about readdy to sell.
At this point queens are still in rather short supply and I'm only set-up to make Queen Cells - and I use them.
At the moment I'm making some nuc's pretty well every week. Not too many as I have a space issue.
The " trick" is - I think to leave the nuc's alone for about a month. Most will make a queen if you give them some eggs and young larvae