# Nuc or Package



## Irvin Cooper (Aug 23, 2008)

Can someone recommend whether I should start a new hive with either a NUC or a 3# Package of bees/queen? And, I will go ahead and ask the obviously ignorant question: what is a NUC?


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## Mike in Ohio (Oct 29, 2002)

A Nuc is a Nucleus or starter hive that generally consists of 4 frames. Some places will do it in a cardboard one and others will do it in a wooden one that you pay a deposit on and return to get your deposit back.

I would generally recommend saving the extra money and going with a 3 lb package.

Just my 2 cents.

Mike


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## indypartridge (Oct 26, 2004)

This is a beekeeping forum so don't expect the answers to your question to be in agreement!

I'll differ with Mike and recommend a Nuc for someone just starting out. Over the past few years, the price difference between packages & nucs in my area has been minimal (usually $10-$15 difference).

The advantages of a nuc is that it's a mini-hive. It already has drawn comb, brood (bees in various stages of development), and a laying queen. With packages, installed on foundation, the bees will have to draw out the comb before the queen can start laying, so you've got a 3-week+ gap before any new bees emerge. 

In short, a nuc gives you a 3-week head start over a package.


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## Calvin Wiles (May 14, 2008)

With a new Beekeeper that aren't familiar with them, I would have to agree with the Nuc. For someone that knows a little about handling them, the easiest way is to be prepared for swarms and get them, then re-queen them if you want. The Police Depts. in three small towns close, know that I will get swarms that are easy to get, and they call me. I get several each year. The only problem, when they find out you can handle Bees, then you start getting calls to get them out of houses and such. I have a queen ordered now, that is supposed to ship April 1st. to start a new hive. There is a Colony under a bathroom in a Business that wants them removed. They are going under the floor where the sewer pipe goes through concrete blocks. I have inserted a place for a one way bee excape in the hole, and when I get the queen, I'll insert the excape and trap them out from under the floor, and they will go into the hive setting by the hole with the new queen in it. I do this quite often if there is only one way in and out for a colony.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

*I also say a NUC*. You get a head start with 4 or 5 frames drawn comb, of bees, brood and a queen that is more than likely been laying a while. Many NUCs are bough local so you also get bees from your area.
Todays package bee queens are leaving a lot to be disired. There are countless reports of queen failures at the different club meetings we attend. It is some thing some one who is just starting out really doesn't need to deal with. Plus the added expence of buying a new queen since most newbees have on way of knowing how to raise their own queen.

 Al


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## Irvin Cooper (Aug 23, 2008)

Thank you all for the responses. I have decided to go with the NUC, from Jester bee. This works out best because I can pick them up since they are only 30 minutes from my place.

Thank you again!

Irv


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