-The total cost for this item is $180.00. This payment of $90 secures your deposit.  The next $90.00 payment will be due in full at time of pick-up. We accept credit card, cash, or check.
On February 15th, 2025 the price will go up to $190.00. We are offering this price as an “early bird special.”

-Nuc must be picked up at our farm between the hours of 7 am and 10 am on the date specified. The earlier you can come, the better, as they get hot by 10:00 if it is sunny. Our farm is located at 9642 Randle Road Williamsport OH 43164

-We do not have medium nucs. If that is the equipment you wish to use, it will not be compatible with our nucs.

Description

-The nuc itself will consist of three frames of brood in various stages, one foundation frame being drawn out and one feed frame of honey and pollen. They come in EZ nuc boxes which are made of corrugated plastic.

-The brood and bees come from our own central Ohio hives. Queens come from one of the two following queen breeders.:

Merrimack Valley Apiaries- The B Farm

Rufer's Apiaries, Inc. & Deep East Texas Queens LLC

Why start your apiary with a nuc?

-Unlike a package, a nuc is basically an established hive. It consists of a growing brood nest, has drawn comb, stored honey and pollen, and most importantly a young laying queen has been accepted. You are buying a strong little power pack of bees, ready to explode into Spring.

-If you are interested in honey production or even expanding your apiary with future splits, a nuc is the way to go. You are getting a jump on the season. (Approximately a month head start on a package.)

-Nucs take away some of the risk. The dangers of getting started are often exaggerated with package bees through no fault of the beekeeper. Supercedure issues can arise when you combine a young mated queen with unrelated loose bees, pheromones unfamiliar to all. And often a new beekeeper is installing this collection of confused bees into a new hive body containing frames of undrawn foundation. This can amplify problems further when the introduced queen has no place to lay eggs.

A Few Side Notes:

-The nucs should be transferred into your larger equipment within a few days of pick-up. Spring growth seems almost exponential, and they will soon be running out of room!

-I have been asked about our methods of mite treatment. We have managed our colonies without the use of hard chemicals, however, we DO treat. Please keep in mind, you are not buying mite resistant bees! Last year our treatment schedule went like this:

            March / April - MAQS - (formic acid)

            June - MAQS (formic acid)

            August - MAQS (formic acid)

            October -  MAQS (formic acid)

            November - Oxalic acid vapor

You will be getting bees that are relatively mite free, but any experienced beekeeper will tell you that this holiday won’t last forever. You need to explore treatment options by mid to late summer. Monitoring helps! A nuc can become a monster honey producer in June. It can also become a dwindling, mite-infested scourge by late September. Just the hard reality of modern beekeeping.

-But another reality of modern beekeeping is that it’s a wonderful endeavor! It takes a little knowledge, a little skill and maybe some luck, but it’s one of the most rewarding things you’ll ever do. Good luck!