How to boost nucs for winter

[CountryBee]

Thank you for all the info.  2 of the nucs lost queens somehow :(  Maybe they will make themselves another queen.  Have a great day!

[Pink Cow]

Thank you for all the info.  2 of the nucs lost queens somehow :(  Maybe they will make themselves another queen.  Have a great day!

Seems like a great reason to combine. Reduce to two larger colonies to safely winter, then split in spring for the same result. No guarantees, but seems less risky to me.

[CountryBee]

Combine to one of the larger hives, then split in spring?  Use the old newspaper between hives trick?  Really want a lot of hives but no queen.  Maybe take brood from strong hive and they might make queen in 13 days?  Still not sure what to do.

[Robo]

  Maybe take brood from strong hive and they might make queen in 13 days? 

It will take up to 2 more weeks for her to start laying,  so you are looking at close to 2 months before any new bees will be born.  Is the hive population capable of that?

[CountryBee]

Just checked and with the frame of new brood they have a queen cell tonight on it!  Hopefully that will help them.  There are 3 frames of bees, it is a 5 frame nuc box.  Tommorrow I will work on the other nuc and see what they are up to.  Do you think that they will have enough time in central NY to build up with a new queen.  I will make sure that they will have 3 frames of honey.