Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
A can of sugar syrup supplies the bees with food for several days. A queen, snug in
her own protective cage, is kept separate from the bees in the package because it takes a
few days for the packaged bees to become acquainted with her. This complete package
is shipped directly to a customer or a local supplier.
Chapter 3
discusses how to get the
bees and the queen from the package into your hive.
If you're lucky, somebody in your local club will have truck-loads of packaged bees
shipped directly to his or her place of business to sell in the spring. Check local suppli-
ers before ordering, because it is best to buy locally. Find out what they are selling (the
size of the package or nuc), the cost, the day the packages will be available (generally
there is only a small window of opportunity—a weekend is common), and what choices
for types of bees or queens you will have. Find out, too, where the suppliers are get-
ting their bees and the queens and how long it will take for bees to be shipped. When it
comes to price, the saying “you get what you pay for” is mostly true. If you live within
a few hundred miles of primary suppliers, you may be able to buy directly, or have bees
shipped to you through the mail. However, bees can be shipped only limited distances
before the stresses of travel take their toll.
Buying Nucs, a Better Choice
There has been a change in thinking about starting with a nucleus colony instead of a
package. Certainly, and unfortunately, the majority of beginning beekeepers get started
with packages because for eons they were available in greater numbers than either nucs
or full-size colonies.
And, generally, packages are less expensive than a nuc, but it is absolutely true that
you get what you pay for. In short, if you can, get a nuc. If you can't, get a package.
A nuc (short for nucleus) is essentially a miniature, starter colony. Most nucs have
five frames, but others may have three to six. They are produced in cardboard, plastic,
or wood boxes that are not meant to be permanent. A nuc contains a laying queen, work-
ers of all ages, open and sealed brood, drones of all ages and drone brood, stored honey
and pollen, and the frames have drawn comb.
Commercial package producers produce enormous quantities of bees as well as their own
queens. When a colony is large enough they “shake” out several frames of bees into a
