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Author Topic: Can I use 5-frame medium nuc for storing emergency queen?  (Read 1781 times)

Offline pjigar

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Can I use 5-frame medium nuc for storing emergency queen?
« on: September 22, 2016, 01:15:20 pm »
This is my first year of beekeeping so please bear with me. I think 2 medium = 1.2 deep so 5-frame medium nuc = 0.6 5-frame deep nuc. Isn't a 5-frame medium nuc too small? Would bees stay in this small nuc through winter in North Texas area? We have hardly any snow and the lows in winter rarely drops bellow freezing. Should I insulate and/or stack 5-frame medium nuc?

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Can I use 5-frame medium nuc for storing emergency queen?
« Reply #1 on: September 22, 2016, 02:15:38 pm »
Michael Palmer preaches using nucs during the winter. He puts 2 together or on top of a regular hive. They seem to have good survival rates that way.
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Online Jim134

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Re: Can I use 5-frame medium nuc for storing emergency queen?
« Reply #2 on: October 03, 2016, 01:17:35 pm »
Michael Palmer preaches using nucs during the winter. He puts 2 together or on top of a regular hive. They seem to have good survival rates that way.
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Jim

  Michael Palmer, Kirk Webster and Troy Hall all use the same nuc boxes for winter. They are deeps  4 frame over 4 frames. These two side-by-side much boxes If you would like to see the boxes you can find them for sale at Betterbee bee supply New York.

http://www.betterbee.com/nuc-boxes/dnb-double-nuc-box-complete.asp

Something to remember these beekeepers are all in Northern New England.
          BEE HAPPY Jim 134  :smile:
« Last Edit: October 03, 2016, 01:31:00 pm by Jim 134 »
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Franklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

Offline pjigar

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Re: Can I use 5-frame medium nuc for storing emergency queen?
« Reply #3 on: October 03, 2016, 02:39:33 pm »
FWIW, I opted to have 10-frame medium for this new nuc with 2-frame feeder in it. The queen is still not laying and should in about a week. This one box hive would be the weakest of my four. I am going to leave it alone and see how they build up until cold sets in. If they build enough stores and bees then I might over-winter it as is. If they seem too weak then I will have to combine them with another 10-frame medium hive that has 2 boxes so far.

Offline GLOCK

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Re: Can I use 5-frame medium nuc for storing emergency queen?
« Reply #4 on: October 03, 2016, 06:54:42 pm »
Wintering nucs should be apart of everyone's apiary . I run nucs all year long there are  so many uses .

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