> I move colonies from 5-frame nuc boxes to singles arbitrarily--sometimes
> when there are only three frames of bees, sometimes when the nuc box is
> packed with bees.  I haven't noticed that they subsequently build up
> differently,
>
We winter 325 to 350 6 frame nucs every year.  In the Spring they come 
out of the building on average covering 3 frames.  If I transfer them 
immediately  to a std super, they "may" become without help an average 
producing hive, depending on the spring.  If I leave them in the nuc box 
until they are hanging out or have even pushed up into a 2nd (throw 
these on only once bottom is wall to wall to get extra brood for 
boosting the few weaker units, queen yard starters, whatever), I will 
need to take a whole or part split from that colony before the flow.    
Sometimes if we have a cool spring, I place a single sheet of slit 
newspaper between the brood box of an overwintered single and the honey 
supper.   This will hold the heat on the weaker ones, but as the bees 
need the space they chew through and  move up. if I need to make bees in 
the spring, there is a fine line between crowding to maximize brood 
rearing and not letting them plug out the brood nest  on one of our 
short intense flows.  FWIW.

Dave Tharle
T'N'T Apiaries
Ardmore, AB
Canada

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