Buy Nucs FAQs

What kind of bees do you have?

We run Italian (Golden West/Randy Oliver) and Carniolan (Latschaw Apiary) lines in our operation. Each year we evaluate our colonies and select best the queens based on our desired traits to be breeder queens. Gentleness and superior honey production are very important traits to us because we are primarily honey producers (who doesn’t love to have more honey?!). Furthermore, we select our breeder queens based on their hygienic traits, mite resistance, tendency not to swarm, and robust brood rearing. All of our queens are open mated.

Our 2027 Spring nucs will be grafted from our Golden West/ Randy Oliver queen stocks.

All of our bees and queens are raised and cared for here at our apiaries in Middle Tennessee. We don’t use out of state bees or queens nor do we use package bees from out of state (like some others) to start new nucs and colonies to sell.

What is a Nuc?

A bee "Nuc" (short for nucleus colony) is a small, starter hive containing a laying queen, five frames of worker bees, brood, and food stores. Our nucs are raised here in middle Tennessee with five deep frames, three or more frames of brood in various stages of development and the remaining frames containing honey and pollen. All frames will have adequate bee coverage.

What size nucs do you offer?

We only offer nucs in deep frames.

What kind of Nucs do you offer?

We offer two types of Nucs. 

The Overwintered Nuc is started during the previous year. The Queen is then monitored / graded based on brood pattern, temperament, and hygienics through the fall. When the colony emerges from winter, it is then offered for sale. Overwintered Nucs are normally available mid to late March. The overwintered Nuc is often a great way to start a new bee colony because the queen is proven to be of good quality and has been monitored for several months. The biggest advantage is earlier availability of a locally mated, proven queen that will allow for a faster build up in the spring, allowing some colonies to produce honey in the fist year. Please note weather can delay the harvesting of nucs.

The Spring Nuc is started in mid-March and is typically available late April. The nuc is started with a queen cell and upon emergence the queen goes on a mating flight. Within a few days after mating, she will begin laying eggs. After we confirm that she is laying fertilized eggs and observe good laying pattern, the nuc will become offered for sale. Please note, since we use locally mated queens, weather delays and insufficient drone population can can delay queen mating and the nuc sales date.

How to care for your new nuc?

We providing written instructions on how we suggest you install and care for your nuc. A few important things to remember:

• Have your equipment ready and please transfer the nuc into a bigger box as soon as possible. These nucs have at least 2 frames of capped brood and will begin hatching soon, which means they will begin to grow in population rapidly needing additional room and food.

• All nucs were inspected within a few days of sales date, were queen-right, free of queen cells and had brood in all stages.

• Nuc boxes must be kept cool during transportation and cool air passing around and over them is best. Stopping for an errand and leaving bees in the car can cause their overheating and suffocation.

• We recommend you to provide 1:1 syrup feeding for at least 2 weeks after installing the nuc (preferably longer). As bees continue to build comb and raise bees that have high energetic needs in the form of carbohydrates. When you provide 1:1 sugar syrup, you allow for your bees to grow rapidly and to get fully established.
  

How do I know my Nuc has a queen?

The queen will be marked based on the calendar year (2027- yellow). When transferring the frame into a box, glance for a queen bee on both sides of the frame. Mated queens will try to walk away from the light. Queens are the largest bee in the colony where as drones are the heaviest. You do not need to absolutely see the Queen when transferring the frames. After transferring frames into a new box, bounce the back corner of the Nuc box a few times to dislodge the bees and pour/ shake them into a new box. If all the bees are in the new box, you should have the queen.

Where to pickup?

A notification with a pick up date and address will be emailed to you at least a week prior. Usually Saturday 8.00 AM- 2.00 PM in Murfreesboro. Please be on time. If you are not able to be there, please contact us to make alternative arrangements.

Due to many circumstances and management practices that can affect bees outside of our control we cannot be responsible for bees once they leave our premises. You agree that we are not responsible for whatever may happen to your bees after they are picked up including the survival or productivity of the colony/hive. We always try to help but can't accept responsibility once they leave our property.

There is a potential risk of injury from activities involved in beekeeping.  You knowingly and freely assume all such risks, both known and unknown, and assume all responsibility for your participation, and do hereby release and hold harmless Honey Bee Mine TN, it's owners and other participants with respect to any and all injury, disability, death, or loss or damage to person or persons or property to the fullest extent of the law whether arising from negligence of the above mentioned or otherwise.