Advantages Of Local Overwintered Nucs

Local overwintered nucs have many advantages over purchasing yet another package of bees.

Normally the nuc will have a minimum of 5 full frames of bees, a locally mated and adapted queen with a proven laying pattern showcasing brood of all ages, and is complete with stores of pollen and honey.

In the spring these nucs are literally bursting at the seems and are ready to be transferred into bigger hive bodies.

All of the bees in the nuc are related to each other, having their own duties, but working as a complete organism. These nucs will outperform others that have been pieced together using frames pulled from several different colonies. They also have the luxury of having most, if not all of the foundation with honeycomb already drawn out, whereas the package will have no honeycomb at their disposal and may actually decide to vacate the premises in search of a better home. The brood in the nuc will serve as an anchor to the colony.

Purchasing Overwintered Nucs

So when purchasing local overwintered nucs, you won’t have to worry about the possibility of Africanized bees or bees that may not be adapted to your climate. Also, it doesn’t hurt to get to know the beekeeper that provides your bees. They are a great source of knowledge and can be the bridge that helps you in not only keeping your bees alive, but in educating you in ways to succeed with thriving honey bee colonies.

When Picking Up Your Overwintered Nucs

When the time comes to pick up your overwintered nuc(s), Mary Cash will be more than happy to assist you. If you wish, she will show you every frame as she transfers them to your hive body. The advantage of this is that you will see exactly what you are buying. Mary Cash will point out the queen, the worker bees, drones, the different stages of brood, honey, open nectar and pollen. Another great aspect of this is that when you get your new colony home, you will let them settle for about 20 or 30 minutes and then simply open up the entrance reducer for them to orient to their new location. This will relieve some of the stress you may have if you are a beginner beekeeper. Also Mary Cash invites you to come visit her before picking up your overwintered nuc(s), so you can get some hands-on experience in her teaching apiary. After doing this, you may choose to transfer your own frames into their new home. Voila! Your bee adventure begins.