>The figure that I heard yesterday was (as I recall) that they put 20,000
>nucs into cold storage this year, and are rapidly approaching self
>sufficiency.  I'll try to confirm tomorrow.

I'm sure there are that many or more in Alberta, but they do not make up for
the ~30% effective winter loss that has been seen lately.

30% of 250,000 hives (or whatever the number is) = 75,000 for replacement.

With 30% loss of the nucs over winter, that would require 
75,000 x 100/70= 107,000 going into storage and if 20% fail in the first 
year before winter, then that means that 134,000 nucs would have to 
be made up, just to supply Alberta.

While you are asking, though, be sure to ask what the central point is here, 
and which keeps getting lost, and that is how many nucs can they safely 
get from one hive and winter successfully.  And, of course, ask how long they
 have been doing it -- and how many wrecks they have had.

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