Last week I bought a nuc only to find it dead when I opened it up.
Since I learned a long time ago that smart pills were expensive, I want to
report this experience to you so that you don't have to learn the hard
way.

    I had taken one of those styrofoam nuc boxes to get the nuc. It is
totally enclosed except for two approximately 1.5 inch diameter holes in
the front. The top hole is screened from the inside. The bottom hole has a
circular disc that has 3 different openings--one full open, two with
slotted openings that are of two different widths (most likely one smaller
to act as a queen excluder). The holes are about 2 inches from the top and
bottom.

    The fellow I bought the nuc from said I didn't have to worry about the
bees overheating since the box was well insulated with styrofoam. He was
kind enough to put in some extra bees and an empty frame to fill up the
positions since the box was five frame and the nuc was four frame.

    When I got home it was almost dark so I opened the bottom hole to let
the bees out if they wanted and a few cam out and looked good. I decided
to wait until morning to transfer the bees to a hive.

    The next morning when I went to the nuc to start the transfer I saw
dead bees outside the nuc. This didn't look good and when I opened the nuc
what I suspected was true---the bees were dead.

    My friend that also bought nucs had no such problem. He had brought
along a one box hive. A screen was stapled to the front entrance (that had
an entrance reducer) and a screen was stapled over the inner cover hole.
After installing the nuc a strap was tightened around the hive (minus the
outer cover) to hold everything together during transit. These nucs
survived.

    My conclusion is that the styrofoam nuc couldn't support all the bees
inside and they suffocated, overheated and died. From now on I will only
pick up a nuc in a full 10 frame hive with the front entrance fully open
and screened with the top cover removed and the hole in the inner cover
screened. I am tempted to make a fully open screened "inner cover" for the
top  (just a frame and screen) so that the hive can get maximum
ventilation during transit.

    I hope my reporting this experience saves someone from the same
experience.

Jim Stein

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