Nuc Sales
Our NY Grown and Certified Apiary will be selling a limited number of 5-frame medium nucleus colonies (“nucs”) this year. Nucs are a great way to start with bees or expand your apiary as they are ready to expand very rapidly and become strong, productive hives. You will be able to see the vitality of the queen when you pick up your bees so no hoping and waiting like with package bees. While there is no wrong way, our apiary exclusively uses medium supers as we feel medium hives have several advantages over deep hives.
You will get:
Options for pickup:
1. Coroplast Nuc box (no deposit; best if you are a distance away)
2. PRO-NUC box ($15 refundable deposit; easy to use and well ventilated and best option)
3. Your own equipment (morning evening pickup best and be sure you can close and secure your bees). This may be a difficult option for many.
You will need:
1. Medium super and frames to install bees into. Note that three medium supers are basically the same volume as two deeps. You will want additional supers and frames ready as the nuc will grow quickly.
2. Your protective bee equipment to install your bees.
3. Sugar and a means to feed your bees the first few weeks when you get them home
Suggestion: If you are just starting out in beekeeping it is strongly recommended to begin your apiary with 2 colonies instead of just one. That way you can compare so you know if one may be having issues.
Pricing and Ordering
Nucs are $185. All orders are first come, first served. If you would like to reserve a nuc, please send us your name, address, and cell phone so we can contact you as to when they will be available (or we will send an order form). A $50 deposit will be required. Deposit is refunded if we cannot provide bees but is NOT refundable if you cancel or do not pickup. Weather permitting we are shooting for them to be able to go to their new homes in mid-May. Balance is due upon pickup of bees. Once available, we will not hold your nuc(s) more than 7 days.
Note: We are not responsible for the welfare of your bees after you leave the premises. Please keep your bees cool on the way home, install them in your woodenware as soon as possible, and feed as necessary.
Advantages of All Medium Frames
While there is no right or wrong way, our apiary exclusively uses medium supers as we feel medium hives have several advantages over deep hives.
You will get:
- A 5-frame nuc on MEDIUM frames (Why medium? See below)
- A 2024 MARKED queen. Queens will have Carnolian lineage. Carnolians are known for their exceptional honey production, good wintering ability, and gentle temperament. They are a great line for our northern climate.
- 2-3 frames of brood, 2-3 frames of pollen and honey, one frame for bees to expand on. All frames will be < 2 years old and are drawn from foundationless comb to minimize chemicals often found in commercial foundation
- Our apiary is a NYS inspected apiary and a Certificate of Inspection for your nuc(s) is available upon request. We are also a NY Grown and Certified Honey Producer so you know we care about bee health and the quality of our apiary and products.
Options for pickup:
1. Coroplast Nuc box (no deposit; best if you are a distance away)
2. PRO-NUC box ($15 refundable deposit; easy to use and well ventilated and best option)
3. Your own equipment (morning evening pickup best and be sure you can close and secure your bees). This may be a difficult option for many.
You will need:
1. Medium super and frames to install bees into. Note that three medium supers are basically the same volume as two deeps. You will want additional supers and frames ready as the nuc will grow quickly.
2. Your protective bee equipment to install your bees.
3. Sugar and a means to feed your bees the first few weeks when you get them home
Suggestion: If you are just starting out in beekeeping it is strongly recommended to begin your apiary with 2 colonies instead of just one. That way you can compare so you know if one may be having issues.
Pricing and Ordering
Nucs are $185. All orders are first come, first served. If you would like to reserve a nuc, please send us your name, address, and cell phone so we can contact you as to when they will be available (or we will send an order form). A $50 deposit will be required. Deposit is refunded if we cannot provide bees but is NOT refundable if you cancel or do not pickup. Weather permitting we are shooting for them to be able to go to their new homes in mid-May. Balance is due upon pickup of bees. Once available, we will not hold your nuc(s) more than 7 days.
Note: We are not responsible for the welfare of your bees after you leave the premises. Please keep your bees cool on the way home, install them in your woodenware as soon as possible, and feed as necessary.
Advantages of All Medium Frames
While there is no right or wrong way, our apiary exclusively uses medium supers as we feel medium hives have several advantages over deep hives.
- Lighter boxes: One of the most difficult parts of beekeeping is lifting the heavy boxes especially if you are older or lighter stature. A 10-frame medium honey super, weighs about 60 pounds whereas a10 frame deep honey supers will weigh 90 pounds. That is HEAVY and hard on the back if you do very many and especially if you are of lighter stature.
- Interchangeable Frames: Since all frames are the same depth (brood boxes and honey supers), frames can be moved anywhere between brood boxes or honey supers interchangeably. Have some brood in your honey supers? Just move it down into a lower box. Want to make splits with the excess honey from your honey supers? No problem because every frame is interchangeable. It also makes your purchasing and inventory easier and simpler.
- Efficient foundationless beekeeping: It is easier to work with foundationless frames with a medium frame than a deep frame as bees typically draw the comb all the way from top to bottom. This saves money and time instead of purchasing foundation. You also typically get cleaner and more chemical free wax then from foundation made with recycled commercial beeswax. (Note: Foundationless frames should be placed between drawn comb or foundation to help keep the comb uniform. We recommend you start with foundation and move to foundationless as bees draw it out.)
- Easier bee movement between boxes: Nationally recognized beekeeper and author of “Practical Beekeeping, Michael Bush, advocates for all medium frames (and foundationless). He feels it allows easier movement of the bees between honey frames especially in colder climates like ours. The cluster has less distance to travel to move from used to fresh honey frames in the winter.
NY Grown and Certified Honey Producer