Madeleine asked "If a nuc can survive an Alaskan winter, it could survive
even here in NJ! How
do you do it?"

Many hundreds of nucs are overwintered successfully here in upstate NY and
in Northern Vermont.  Moreover, many of them are 4-frame nucs (rather than 5
frame).

I gather you don't subscribe to the magazines as both have recently had
articles on the subject.  A very brief summary is:
1.  Have the nucs just about plugged out with honey.
2.  Use the 'right' kind of queen.  One that will turn off brood production
when it gets cold.  Carniolan is ideal, Italian is probably the least
desirable.
3.  Provide lots of upper ventilation.

In northern Vermont the guys I know put the nucs on top of regular hives.
Two nucs in a standard deep with a divider board and entrances on opposite
sides.

Here in upstate NY I overwinter both on top of regular hives and in single
5-frame boxes left to their own devices.

Unless you are in the Jersey mountains, I'd suggest using 5-frame nuc boxes
as they are somewhat more simple to manage.


Lloyd
Lloyd Spear, Owner Ross Rounds, Inc.
Manufacturers of Ross Rounds Comb
Honey Equipment, Sundance Pollen Traps
and Custom Printer of Sundance Labels.

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