Does Mike Palmer overwinter his 4 way mating nucs , or does he combine them together to over winter them?
Welcome steadybrook,
I'm pulling off my memory - so beware! I think he squares them up with each wall touching the other and one nuc on top of another as well.
There are two ways he's overwintering nucs. On regular deep frames with 4 frames over 4 frames in equipment somewhat like this:
http://www.betterbee.com/nuc-boxes/dnb-double-nuc-box-complete.asp
Instead of inner covers he uses plastic grain sacks.
The other way is his mating nucs. that are something like this:
http://www.betterbee.com/mating-nucs-and-other-queen-rearing-supplies/qmn-queen-mating-nuc.asp
They have a TRUE division board feeder in the center of each side to make it into a four way, as you describe. Usually removes the feeder (or puts it on one side) to combine each end so they are large enough to winter. At least that's what I saw last. His methods keep evolving over the years.
Thanks, so I guess the 4 way nuc becomes a 2 way nuc for the winter ?
>Thanks, so I guess the 4 way nuc becomes a 2 way nuc for the winter ?
When I was at Palmer's place several years ago, I got the impression that was the norm. I also got the impression he sometimes does the four way and the bees tend to cluster in the center. But he does keep evolving what he is doing and he tends to adjust to specific conditions, i.e. if a hive is stronger or weaker he makes different decisions. You might search the web, he has some videos out there and posts on other forums. Some of that may be more up to date.
Michael Palmer normal nucs is the ones like Betterbee sells. For winter time he does go 4 over 4.
Plus he wraps all his colony. He is not the only one to use this configuration in New England. On a commercial scale. Like Michael Bush said a lot of Northern New Hampshire and Northern Vermont beekeepers do not use Inner Cover There are commercial beekeepers in Northern Vermont and Northern New Hampshire have not used Inner Cover in over 50 years that I know of. Michael Palmer uses very few 4 way nucs in the winter time. Last year he had about 700 nuc he over winter. one of his biggest outlets for selling nucs is betterbee in New York.
http://www.betterbee.com/nuc-boxes/dnb-double-nuc-box-complete.asp
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
Thanks I am going to try that this winter,