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  • looking for tips for overwintering mini mating nucs

  • Queen breeding specialism discussion forum.
Queen breeding specialism discussion forum.
 #9023  by NigelP
 26 Sep 2020, 18:41
Little experience of overwintering small colonies myself. Some I've talked to who do have used the Abelo crown boards, remove inserts and let colony beneath provide the heat for the mini nucs. Or variations on the same theme.
 #9046  by AdamD
 29 Sep 2020, 20:23
I got a triple stacked 'arrangement' through last winter. These were swibines, gaffa taped together with bubblewrap over all three - a piece of polystyrene was taped over the top two entrances/mesh panels as they would otherwise have lost too much heat. By spring, once I had prized it all apart, there were enough bees to fill one mini-nuc. The swibines have a plastic ventillated floor - different to the solid Apideas. I fed them until quite late in the year, I recall - provided the weather was OK for the bees to fly, they could cope with the syrup going in. (They do seem to use a fair amount of food and starvation is a concern with small hives like these.

This year I have two of the swibines left, but they are now queenless and as soon as the remaining bees emerge, they will be shaken out in front of other small colonies to strengthen them. (This will be my first winter with some Abelo mini plus boxes, two of which could benefit from a cupful of bees each).
 #9047  by Chrisbarlow
 29 Sep 2020, 21:52
Cheers Adam

I've got some swinebine ones and some kieler ones. I like the stacking idea and they'll certainly need more feed.

The kieler ones have a brood extension to go on each one.

I think some are still gonna get upgraded to 6 frame poly nucs

But the ones left, south facing and stacked will help.