> a pool of water in the bottom of the nuc
I have had similar problems, sometimes inches deep.  It can get very nasty!  Sometimes I pour the water out by tipping the nucs up in late winter.  I've always wondered where this water comes from.  The folks at Betterbee speculate it's condensation.  Inches deep water in the bottom of the nuc box is a LOT of condensation.  I suspect a solution would be to drill a hole in the bottom and screen it over, although the bees might (probably will) propolize the screen over, as they do the screened ventillation holes at the front top and back of the nuc boxes.  Excepting the water pool, I have had good success with the poly nuc boxes.  The 5-frame nucs can overwinter with very little protection.  I overwinter many nucs in full exposure similar to (in fact right next to) full double deep hives in upstate New York.  The pooling water is my only complaint.  I have around 60 nucs set up this year in polystyrene boxes with expectation of less than 10% loss over winter.  Hard winter, upstate New York winter, to rival Maine, Vermont, and Alaska!
 
Aaron Morris - thinking brrrrr!

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