Last year (2019) was one of the worst I can remember for queen rearing. I finally managed to get some mated in late July early August so some of my nucs are rather precarious.
I set out 16 for the Winter with the ambition of (with luck) getting at least 10 through. Of that number, I intend selling 4 (or more) and using the remainder to bulk up to 24.
The point is that the Nucs from now on will be self- sustaining. They will provide the material for queen rearing (though obviously not the grafting material) and so I can avoid hitting on the production colonies for frames of brood and bees.
I have invested in Maisemore 6 frame poly nucs and have several on double broods. I am pondering on what I can do to make second broods for my now rather elderly 5 frame nucs. Mind you there’s still considerable life in them, it’s finding 25mm insulation board of sufficient density to work with that’s the problem.
My next move in spring will be to find a second site so that the Nucs can be totally sperate from the main colonies and out of the way.