How to Modify Deep 10's to hold Winter Nucs?

[Adam Foster Collins]

I have four deep, 10 frame supers that I am thinking about modifying to house 8 4 or 5 frame nucs for wintering next year. It's my first foray into wintering nucs.

How would you advise me to set them up? Should I put in division board feeders? Should I create some kind of shim/feeder box to stack in between them? Top entrances on opposing sides?

How would you turn the 4 deeps into 4 double nucs that could stack for winter?

Thanks,

Adam

[BlueBee]

I’m wintering 5 frame double decker nucs and some 8 frame single nucs this winter.  The 8 frame nucs didn’t build up quite as fast as I hoped in October so they’re probably only about 4 frames of bees at this point.  So far both single story and doubles are wintering about equally well, but we have had a mild winter.

From a time management perspective, so far I prefer the single story nucs.  They take a little less time to analyze and balance out when compared to the double deckers.  The advantage of the double deckers would seem to be a potentially warmer heat bubble at the top of the second story.  However that can be mitigated if the bees don’t have time to finish filling the second story combs with stores.

My nucs are currently using a bottom entrance and a rather small top vent.  For my double decker medium nucs (next winter) I’m going to try Derekm’s heat bubble approach.  No top vents, but with some breather holes on the bottom of the nucs for air exchange.  Theoretically that would eliminate the chimney effect of heat escaping out the top. 

[windfall]

Adam,

You need to do some searching for Michael Palmer and Kirk Webster's overwintering nuc system (perhaps you already have?). They are doing what you are describing, and have been doing it commercially for years in a northern climate. while there are of course lots of ways to skin a cat, I think it's fair to say those guys have a pretty good system figured out and well time tested.

[Sparky]

Check out Rob's converted doubles for a easy conversion.
http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/portable-double-nucs/

[Vance G]

You might be interested in some writings at frenchbeefarm.com   They are I believe in Manitoba and winter nucs after producing a crop with them then split them out to run as singles the nesx year.  Search Pederson Apiaries.  They are in Alberta I think or Sask and winter singles.  Mdasplitter.com is great too.