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Author Topic: OVERLAND NUC WINTERING BOARD  (Read 3213 times)

Offline Evan W

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OVERLAND NUC WINTERING BOARD
« on: July 30, 2013, 01:38:16 pm »
Any comments on this wintering board that brushy mountain is offering? It is designed to overwinter two nucs side by side on top of an established hive with a double screen bottom board. This allows heat from the lower hive to heat the upper smaller nucs.

Thought about making and overwintering 5 frame nucs for queen replacement or to start another hive in the spring.

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: OVERLAND NUC WINTERING BOARD
« Reply #1 on: July 30, 2013, 02:25:12 pm »
In my experience any exchange of air between the strong colony below and the weak ones above will cause too much condensation in the colonies above and lead to their failure.  I simple 1/4" luan sheet between them works fine as it allows heat through but no air.  If you need a bottom entrance (I wouldn't want one) you can put the dividers on that if you like.  I would give all of them a top entrance so I would cut the luan to fit the bottom hive and put shims under it to make the top entrance and, maybe put some strips of wood on the top to make a beespace under the frames of the top colonies.  A 1/4" luan divider in the top box could make it into two nucs with the same heat sharing qualities.
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Offline derekm

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Re: OVERLAND NUC WINTERING BOARD
« Reply #2 on: August 07, 2013, 07:07:03 pm »
why chill one colony to provide heat to 2 others. Just insulate all 3 with 3" of polystyrene
If they increased energy bill for your home by a factor of 4.5 would you consider that cruel? If so why are you doing that to your bees?

 

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