First year I own a mating nuc so not able to compare. I went with Kielers as they can be used for overwintering queens by adding "supers". Some even overwinter without those supers but losses without seem to be bit high. Planning on trying overwinter next winter.
I make my NUCs according to this plan:
http://www.beekeepingforums.com/threads/2011-Easy-5-frame-nuc-plans
I made a spreadsheet for calculating sizes of pieces according to wanted configuration (number of frames, frame size etc). I need to debug that little bit more but it could be used for...
Thanks Carol, I just read most of your posts on this forum and I will read the rest some other time. You paint a very interesting picture about wasps. I am certainly fascinated about them but they did caught me at bad time. How can I tell when wasps are after honey and when they are after meat?
That sounds like an interesting idea. Hmm, did I get this straight? So you make atube out of mesh, plug one end, make small opening on the other end, one side of the tube is open and you place tube's opening next to the normal opening of the hive?
Today was easier day. Only one or two wasps were circling the hives and they caused very little disturbance. Weaker hive seems more alert now with guard bees at the reduced entrance.
Yesterday my hives were experiencing their first real wasp attack. Strongest hive was doing okay. Lucky wasps left the hive like bullets from the barrell of a gun, unlucky ones got beehandled. I have two NUCs on the yard. Stronger one had three or four guard bees to meet every wasp that showed...