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Date: | Sat, 22 Aug 1998 09:54:22 -0400 |
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Michael Palmer wished to know how to manage two queen colonies and how to
overwinter a nuc. I can t provide any first-hand experience with two queen
systems, but I overwinter a lot of nucs.
Our temperature lows here are -20F or so, and perhaps -35F with wind chill.
On average, I d say we get around two weeks where the nights reach these
lows. If you are in an area where temperatures are much lower than this, I
suggest wrapping in addition to the method that follows.
I overwinter nucs by putting them on top of a regular hive. I remove the
outer cover and the inner cover from the regular hive. I also make certain
the regular hive has an upper entrance. I use an auger hole, but I know
others who just prop up one end of the nuc about < .
Be certain that by the end of October the nuc has at least 4 frames blocked
out with either honey or sugar syrup. My nuc is in a regular deep and has a
3/8 solid bottom board. (As I recall, wood has an R factor of 2 for every
inch of thickness.) I believe, but have not demonstrated, that the nuc gets
some heat from the hive cluster below. I know of others who have their nuc
in nuc box , that they put inside a deep and put that combination on top of
a regular hive. I also know some who use an inner cover with the hole
screened on both sides as the bottom of the nuc.
As you can probably gather, there are a lot of beekeepers out there
overwintering nucs on top of regular hives. I know of one beekeeper in
Vermont who overwinters 400 nucs every year in this manner. He sells them
in the spring.
Lloyd
[log in to unmask]
Owner, Ross Rounds the finest in comb honey production.
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