NUC FAQs
What Type of Bees are in your NUCS?
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Carniolan is the majority of our stock ... however depending on the availability of queens from our queen breeders (The Kona Queen Company & Z's Bees) we will sometimes use Italians although the vast majority of our nucs utilize Carniolan
What size are the frames and quantity?
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We use standard deep frames - our nucs are 5 frames.
NUCS VS Packaged bees
Obviously we're big fans of NUCS - NUCS come with atleast three frames of brood in various stages, an established queen and five wax-drawn frames . Thus NUCS are atleast four weeks further advanced than packaged bees.
Can I use a NUC for a TOP BAR hive?
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The deep frames of our NUCS are not compatible with a Top Bar Hive. However we've been introduced to a company that does provide a means to transfer NUCS to a top bar. Although we have not done business with this company directly we have had a couple of our customers recommend them. Here's their website: TRI Gable Lea Farms
Are Your Queens Marked?​
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To ensure queen quality and safety we do not mark our queens.
How Do You Make Your NUCS?
We utilize the strongest colonies coming out of almond pollination. Thus utilizing the surplus strength of our colonies to make nucs. It's exactly the same process for making replacement and/or increase for our own operation.
Are your NUCS treated for Varroa mites?
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Yes, immediately after almond pollination we treat our bees for mites. However we do recommend treating your bees once more before heading in to summer to assure a super low mite count.
When will the NUCS be ready for pickup?
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Although weather can change things drastically our first round of NUCS are ready around the first week of April with pickup every Saturday throughout April and sometimes into May. To Assure the earliest pickup date make sure to reserve your NUC as early as possible.