I received my new NUC last week, which isn't too bad if the NUC is already vigorous. Irregardless you will want to feed them (sugar water usually, sometimes with supplements) to get them ready for their first winter. The later in the season you start, the less likely for success, so I have a lot of feeding to do. The goal is to get them to flush out at least one super, preferably two with a lot of honey stores.
Last year's hive I lost the queen in, started in early July because it was so wet, and wound up with a lot of drones for a while until a new queen was raised. It was too late for them to make it through the season at that point and I lost them to starvation.
