The styrofoam nucs that johanesson saw in Canada are those of Dave
Tegart.  We started selling them this year and have sold quite a few of
them. We haven't had any experience with them bringing nucs through the
winter in upstate NY but will try about 50 this winter.  Rich Biehn
brought several back from Apimondia and wintered nucs in them on Long
Island which is about 10 degrees warmer than upstate NY.  When we first
put them in the catalogue, I called Dave and asked him about the thing
most  people on the net seem concerned about - moisture condensation.
These Nucs are very tight, and I could not see how the moisture was
getting out.  They only have a 3/4 inch hole for an entrance. Dave feeds
his 2000 nucs through this hole in an hour or two with a hose.  Yes, the
syrup just sits in the bottom of the box and the bees don't drown! Well,
his response to the moisture question was this.  "As long as there is
not too much honey in the nuc, you will not have any moisture
problems."  He feeds twice during the winter and then gives them a frame
of last years pollen in March as there is no pollen coming in in British
Columbia in March.  How much is too much honey - I'm sure only Dave
knows and found out by trial and error for his particular winter
situation.  Remember he is making up these nucs in the fall from summer
hives.  He can put as many bees and as much honey as he wants in each
hive.  That is a little different from the way we are doing it - making
nucs from 2 frame splits in late July. I am very concerned that we will
have enough bees to make it through and might shake some extras in
during October. I do not know whether to feed these nucs now - they
definitely could use it to get more bees in there, but I have Dave's
remonstration in the back of my mind and do not want to get "too much
honey" in there.  I guess the conclusion is that as with any new
beekeeping management technique or device, it will take us awhile to
adapt it to our local environment.   It sure is fun to try new stuff,
however, and if it develops into a viable management technique that
helps us compete with the third world beekeeper, it sure will make our
trip to Apimondia worthwhile.

Bob Stevens