PACKAGES of NUCS?
Getting Bees: Packages of Nucs?
A “Package” of Bees: A 3 Lb. Package containing about 10,000 Bees, an Unrelated New Mated Queen in a queen cage, and a feeder jar.
A “Nuc” of Bees: A pre-started mini hive containing (usually) 4-frames with drawn comb, honey, nectar, honey, eggs, larvae, capped brood, and a laying queen already introduced. A great head start if you can get it early enough. You install these 4 frames in an 8 or 10-frame Langstroth hive.
First, we will discuss the lower-cost option:
3 LB. PACKAGE OF BEES
PROS:
A 3-Lb. Package of Bees is the least costly of any way to purchase bees. Generally $145 to $225 per package depending on type bee and where purchased.
Packages are readily available to order in season. (December to April)
Packages contain about 10,000 bees and a queen. Enough to start a hive.
CONS:
Packages start with absolutely nothing except the bees and queen.
The queen is unrelated and not yet accepted. They could kill her.
Starting with nothing in New England, they may not have time to build up food stores if a cold snap comes. They will starve.
They have no drawn comb and will need to build everything from scratch,
It takes approximately 3 to 5 days before the package queen is accepted and starts laying eggs.
Generally ordered from southern states (Mainly Georgia) with southern bees who have never experienced a Maine winter.
A NUC OR NUCLEUS COLONY
PROS:
A Nuc is a ready-made mini hive with related and an accepted, laying queen.
A Nuc comes with 5 drawn frames. 2-Frames of Honey, 2 Frames of Brook (unhatched babies), some new bees hatching, and a frame full of a mixture of honey, pollen, and nectar.
When inserted into a hive body, this colony will already have ½ of the first deep completed. A MAJR HEAD START.
Hive population will swell very swiftly which couldn’t be any better for the colony!
Nucs are usually purchased locally from local apiaries with northern bees who have already shown they can survive a Maine winter!
CONS:
The cost, depending on the type of honeybee and where you get it, is substantially more than a Package. Generally, between $175 and $250 per nuc.
Nucs are made by local beekeepers and made of northern stock bees. This means there is a very limited supply, and they go VERY quickly! You must watch and order VERY EARLY!
Often there is a deposit on the Nuc box the bees come in. If not, the nuc will be a higher cost and you keep the box.
I’m hard-pressed here to find many “Cons” with Nucs!
