NUC FAQs
Q: What is the difference between a ‘package’ and a ‘nuc’?
A: A nuc is an established colony on frames consisting of brood of all stages and stores whilst a package of bees is like a swarm of bees however the queen is separate from the bees in a queen cage. The bees in the package are not related to the queen, so you will have to introduce her to the bees. Packages are often used to populate top bar hives. Packages are not recommended for beginners.
Q: What is the difference between an ‘Overwintered’ or ‘Spring’ Nuc?
A: An overwintered nuc is an established colony that has survived the previous winter and is headed with last year’s queen. A spring nuc is made the same year you collect it and has the current years queen.
Q: What sizes of nucs do you sell?
A: We sell nucs in the following sizes:
Q: When is my nuc ready?
A: We fulfil nuc orders in the order that we receive them, so we encourage customers who want their nuc as early as possible to get their reservation in before Christmas. It is incredibly important to note that estimated ready times are dependent on weather and the availability of queens, the following estimations are based on the previous season.
Overwintered Nucs – Mid April to Mid May
Spring Nucs – Late May to early July
Q: Are your nucs bred here?
A: Yes we make all our own nucs. Although some of our queens who head the nucs are imported all the nucs are cared for and grown here by us in Hampshire.
Q: Can my nuc be delivered?
A: Yes, we can arrange for your nuc to be sent with Royal Mail. The cost for this service is shown on the nuc page and will be invocied with any balance due when your bees are ready. Unfortunatley we not able to post packages or 14x12 nucs and these must be collected, the risk of damage to the bees is too high to send by courier.
The orders are dealt with on a case-by-case basis, deliveries may be deferred if the weather is too hot to send the nucs out by courier safely.
Q: Do you post nucs out on Fridays?
A: Yes we can post on Fridays, all nucs are posted guaranteed next day to arrive by 1pm, you must be home to sign for them.
Q: I want a particular race of bees in my nuc, is that possible?
A: Our overwintered colonies are headed mainly with Buckfast queens but we do also have some headed with Carniolan, Carpathian and Ligustica. You can request a specific race and although we try to fulfil preferences this is not always possible. If you do prefer a race other then Buckfast we suggest you order a spring nuc and we can grow one with the race required to order.
Pleae note - We do not sell colonies headed by Mellifera Mellifera.
Q: Can I use my own nuc box to collect my bees?
A: As we are DASH accredited we cannot allow external pieces of beekeeping equipment on our apiaries or working premises. We recommend that you reuse the correx box to collect swarms.
Q: Can I inspect the nuc when I pick it up?
A: Your nuc will be all ready for you when you collect from our unit. The bees will have been sealed in earlier that day. If you were to open them to inspect, you would lose too many flying bees. We offer a guarantee on all our nucs so if you have any concerns about your nuc when you arrived home we are here to help.
Q: How do I install a nuc?
A: We will provide you with a care sheet prior to you picking up your bees and it will give you all the knowledge necessary to install your nuc.
Q: I have a FLOW hive, which nuc size do I order?
A: FLOW hives are only sold by FLOW and at the time of writing they take Langstroth frames so you need to order a Langstroth Nuc.
Q: I have a nuc on order, can I delay it?
A: Of course, please just get in touch with your order number and we will keep this noted on your order.
Q: Can I make changes to my nuc order?
A: We can often allow any changes to your order, the sooner you give us notice the more likely we can make this change without affecting when your nuc will be ready.
Q: What is the latest in the year that I can pick up a nuc?
A: We cease sending out nucs in August, depending on the year there may not be enough time for you to build up your colony to survive the winter. Depending on your circumstances and experience we can make allowances so please contact us directly for a chat.
Q: Are your queens marked?
A: Yes they will be marked appropriately for the year colour. Please note that marks do rub off, but we will re-mark the queen prior to being boxed up if necessary.
Q: Can you clip my nuc’s queen?
A: This is possible, please let us know in advance.
Q: Do you treat your colonies for varroa?
A: Yes, we can give you a history of treatments used on your nuc so that you will not repeat the treatment that we have used in spring.
Q: What do I need to bring when collecting my nuc?
A: Your nuc will be in a box sealed ready for you to collect so you don't need to brign anything else when you collect your bees. However it is always a good idea to have a beesuit to hand when travelling with bees.
