# overwintered mini nucs



## Heavenly bees (Mar 27, 2011)




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## Tomekmiodek (May 1, 2010)

there is only three frames in the nuc?


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

What were winter temps and conditions where you are?


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## stajerc61 (Nov 17, 2009)

Where's the food?


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## Fishman43 (Sep 26, 2011)

Tomekmiodek said:


> there is only three frames in the nuc?


It is a double styro mating nuc, only has three small frames on either side.



Oldtimer said:


> What were winter temps and conditions where you are?


Winter temps in Sacramento are very mild, and this year in particular (I have family in the area). Some light frosts this year, not much heavy frost/freezing temps. Temps hit 60's (F) pretty regularly this year.



stajerc61 said:


> Where's the food?


The two middle chambers hold a couple of cups of syrup.


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## Lauri (Feb 1, 2012)

Thanks for the pics-They look great!

I was planning overwinter mini's next year too. Just to give some other ideas, Heres a pic of my quad with feeding holes. Will use candy/dry sugar/pollen patties to keep up the feed later in the winter. They are made out of 1 1/2" foam BeeMax deep hive body for insulation purposes.
I am in a colder part of the country than you are. Western Wa state. 20-45 degree average temps. 

















(Feeding holes are screened-made out of scrap cedar 3/4" planks for individual inspections)











Heres the quad with a standard Langstroth shallow box to cover the quart jars. All you do is add a 1x2 along the bottom to make up the exterior size difference. Inside dimentions are the same. After I am done feeding in fall, I will put a burlap sack filled with shavings inside the top box.


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## Lauri (Feb 1, 2012)

And if I don't end up with that many extra fall queens, I can take out two dividers and overwinter each side with ten mini frames. About the same size as five standard frames.










One reason I made my own minis, is I wanted to use deep frames for a little more 'meat' for overwintering. Still using a mini for using the minimum amount of bees to hatch out a queen cell, but eventually when they are all drawn out and full of brood-keeping them over until spring.








Here you can really see the size difference between a deep and shallow frame. (These frames with queen cells go in front of the window in my mini OB mating nucs)











I wouldn't try to overwinter in these-just 3/4" cedar-no insulation value to speak of (But these could be overwintered Inside, with tube for exterior access) Way too many ideas and choices! LOL


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## bleta12 (Feb 28, 2007)

You can see some pictures of my matting nucs in my photobucket.

Gilman


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## lakebilly (Aug 3, 2009)

Lauri, Where are entrance holes? Any screen bottom 4 ventilation? Good stuff. Better bee careful u'll get a following.....too late! any youtubeing?

Great photo's there B12!


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

What will you do now? When all that brood emerges there will be 2-3 times as many bees. 

Just asking, because I've got the same situation but with full size 4 frame medium nucs which I can (and have) put in regular boxes. I plan on experimenting with some 1/2 frame hives this coming season since I've had good luck with my nucs this winter - but what DO you do when they boom in late winter?.


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## Lauri (Feb 1, 2012)

To reply to the questions:
I did not drill the holes yet in most of the single mini's until I see where I will be placing them. if I put them on the fence they will need to be on the side. If they are on the ground they can be in the back. I just have not drilled the holes in the quad.They will be on different sides all around.
Here's a slide show of the construction of the single mini and shown on the fence

http://s425.photobucket.com/albums/...w&current=ae987fc6.pbw&mediafilter=slideshows










I put a small piece of PVC in the hole(Photo above) just to make it stand out a little better. Disk reducer for access control.A one inch drill bit makes a hole jsut right to receive a piece of 3/4 PVC pipe. You can also insert PC fittings for interior installation/exterior access:










When the mini frames get plugged with brood during the summer, I will have to cycle them out to another box to 'unload' so to speak , or continue to grow them in the summer/Fall months for preperation for overwintering. 

Early in the spring, before drones are out, I will be getting the frames drawn out on top established hives and partially full of feed.

In late winter when they start growing again, I'll have to ether remove a divider and allow them access to five more frames, or add a second story, or both. 
I plan on building a few holding/growing box's just for this reason. Perhaps just like the quad box, but with dividers that only hold the frames with a single queen per box-not actually dividing the box-just mini frame holders. Not sure how the queen will react to a cut up hive. But if you look at this wild hive we collected, well, it is every which way too-so we'll see it if works!










Yes, with any over wintered nuc, feeding and anticipating expansion would be critical late winter. No procrastination with inspections.
Using mini frames causes the problem of transfer to larger frames- No reason someone couldn't make a small frame holder to fit regular sized box's to hold 4-6 mini frames and the rest larger frames. Just let the bees move to the large frames and cycle out the minis. I'll come up with a frame rest like this. Shouldn't be too hard.


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## Beregondo (Jun 21, 2011)

Lauri, 
I suspect you are worrying more than you need to about temperature and insulation.
I've spent decades of my life living in Western Washington, as well as having lived in Germany and now upstate New York.
When weather here gets up to the temps that are normal in a Puget Sound basin winter, we call it "warm" here.

My bees have done ok through winter to February in temps that went lower than -15F in uninsulated, unwrapped pine hive boxes. I just added what the Warre guys call a quilt box with some dry chopped leaves in it last week as a precaution against condensation as the cluster starts to grow again.

As for crowding in the minis, hat would happen if you put two mini frames in a standard hivebox, with a 1x2 as a center support column btw them? The brood hatching strengthens that hive, adn you het space in the mini. It might even be a useful way to draw out frames using the resources in the bigger hive. 
Just brainstorming that one... never tried it, as I don't use mini nucs.

BTW, thanks for blogging. I enjoy reading yours.


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## Heavenly bees (Mar 27, 2011)

Oldtimer said:


> What were winter temps and conditions where you are?


this winter was very mild we were getting into the 60's lately but with highs of 70's
we did not get much rain either 



stajerc61 said:


> Where's the food?


 they were bringing in nectar and pollen like crazy if you look at the picture of the top of the nuc you can see they have built comb in the feeder and it is full of capped honey 


David LaFerney said:


> What will you do now? When all that brood emerges there will be 2-3 times as many bees.
> 
> Just asking, because I've got the same situation but with full size 4 frame medium nucs which I can (and have) put in regular boxes. I plan on experimenting with some 1/2 frame hives this coming season since I've had good luck with my nucs this winter - but what DO you do when they boom in late winter?.


i will probably just shake some bees out to some of the weaker nucs


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## Heavenly bees (Mar 27, 2011)

Lauri said:


> Thanks for the pics-They look great!
> 
> I was planning overwinter mini's next year too. Just to give some other ideas, Heres a pic of my quad with feeding holes. Will use candy/dry sugar/pollen patties to keep up the feed later in the winter. They are made out of 1 1/2" foam BeeMax deep hive body for insulation purposes.
> I am in a colder part of the country than you are. Western Wa state. 20-45 degree average temps.
> ...


thanks for the pictures looks like a good design


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