Description: All nucs are filled with healthy frames of bees, brood, honey, pollen and a mated, laying queen. 2 frames of brood, 2 frames of honey/pollen, and 1 frame will vary, brood, honey or foundation for expansion of the nest. Our queens are mixed race both Italian and Carniolan. These are gentle races, and are perfect for backyard beekeepers and side liners.

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Cost/Payment:

1-4 nucs - $200/each

5-10 nucs - $180/each

More than 10 - Contact Us

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We accept payment at time of pickup via cash, check, credit card, Apple Pay, Paypal, and Venmo.

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How to place an order:

Please complete the 'Nuc Order Form' at the bottom of this page.

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Pickup Date/Time/Location: Nucs will be ready for pick-up each Wednesday morning at 9am during the months of April and May. They are released on a first order/first pickup basis. Our CA address is: 80 Geraldson Road, Newcastle, CA 95658, please follow the signs back to the office.

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Transport: Nucs are packaged with 5 frames of bees and resources in a temporary plastic nuc box for transport. When you pick them up they will be robust and ready to transfer into your equipment that same day. We will plug the entrance of the nuc to reduce bees escaping during transport, however this does NOT guarantee bees won't escape during transport. I always have a few random bees flying around inside my pickup, but for most people this is their worst nightmare, so we recommend hauling nucs in the bed of pickup using ratchet scrap tie downs. If you don't have access to a truck you can place the nuc in your vehicle, however we recommend using a bungee strap or other securement method to prevent the nuc from tipping over during the drive.

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What you provide:

You need to have a deep hive body with bottom board and cover, and deep frames. You will keep the 5 frames from our nuc, so you only need 5 frames of your own, but we advise purchasing a hive kit that generally includes 10 frames, that way you will have replacement frames for the future. You can purchase all the necessary hive equipment at the following locations:

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• Grass Valley - A to Z supply (530) 273-6608 - 13396 Ridge Road, Grass Valley, CA 95945

• Woodland - MannLake (866) 880-7678 - 500 Santa Anita Dr, Woodland, CA 95776

• Online at: Dadant , MannLake or Pierco

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Post Purchase Support: We want everyone to have a successful beekeeping experience and there are a number of free local resources to assist beekeepers and answer their questions. These include, Nevada County Beekeepers Association, Placer County Libraries, and many hours of YouTube videos and tutorials. Spring is an extremely busy time of year for us and with our limited crews we are not able to provide post purchase training and support at this time. Hands-on training and assistance is available locally from Master Beekeeper Sandy Honigsberg, info at https://bees.sandyhonigsberg.com

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Longevity/Guarantee:

A new queen is generally productive and fertile for 1-2 years. However, there are many factors that affect this, we have seen queens that fail in a matter of months, and others live 4+ years. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee hive survival for any length of time, however if your queen becomes a drone layer within the first two months we will provide a free replacement queen.

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FAQs​​

• Do you sell packages of bees?

We don't currently sell packages. We have found that beginning beekeepers are more successful when starting colonies from nucs vs packages. A nuc will not leave the new hive because there is brood, honey, and pollen present at all times.

• When do install my nuc into the hive?

If the temperature is below 60º you can install the nuc as soon as you arrive home. If it is above 60º we recommend waiting until evening to transfer the bees. When you arrive home, place the nuc box on top of or next to your hive body and open the entrance (careful they will be in a foul mood) so the bees begin flying and orienting themselves. It is important that the nuc is as close as possible with entrances facing the same way, that way they will quickly orient to their new home once transferred. 

• Can't I just use the nuc box as my hive?

Yes you can, however your colony will soon outgrow the nuc box and there isn't a convenient way to add additional supers onto a 5 frame nuc​. Some people use the nuc box to catch swarms, isolate their queen, or start new colonies.

• Do I need to wear protective gear when working with the bees?

Some experienced beekeepers feel comfortable working bees without protective gear. We highly recommended that you wear protective gear including coveralls, veil, boots, and leather gloves.