# Buying Nucs



## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

What has your experience been with this? Any recommendations for me as to where I can get them mail order, assuming you still can?

I'm down to only two hives after this winter, and one of those doesn't look like it has a very good population. I'm not going to be able to ramp up from splits alone like I'd thought I would. I've got about 20 empty hives ready to go, and I'd like to fill up at least 12 of them this year. 

Any suggestions on how to best accomplish that goal?


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## sugarbush (Jul 15, 2007)

You can get nucs mail order, but shipping adds about $50.00 to each nuc. Your best bet would be to find a local producer. I don't know your location, but if you visit beesource there are always nuc forsale this time of year. I am predicting a bee shortage this spring so you should order early. Thjis winter has been hard on bees everywhere in the country.


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## damoc (Jul 14, 2007)

ernie i sell nucs and packages but can only ship the packages and
then only out to about 6 days traveling through usps road.

all nucs are pick up only because of weight and some shipping restrictions
of live comb.

small orders are welcome

can ship packages to most zip codes above 51000

80 dollars a 3# package with clipped and marked queen plus shipping
80 dollars for a 4 frame nuc in your boxes no frame exchange.

can hand deliver some nucs or packages mid may to washington and
oregon if you are close to the 5 freeway.



http://www.damoc.com


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

Ah, thanks, Damoc, but I'm out in Illinois.  If I can't find anything local though I'll need to get some packages. I'll keep you in mind.


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## DoubleBee (Nov 13, 2006)

You don't say where you are in Illinois, but Long Lane Honey Farms has packages and nucs for sale. I don't think he ships nucs, but he ships packages. 

217-427-2678


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## sugarbush (Jul 15, 2007)

You can also get nucs from Dadant.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

Long Lane Honey Farms is a bit expensive. $120 (each) for the nucs. I need to order next week as well or I stand the risk of being left out. Is that the going rate?


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## sellis (Apr 7, 2006)

ernie sent u a private message ,,scott


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## Durandal (Aug 19, 2007)

You can get nucs cheaper, but 100 bucks plus is not that uncommon...transfered to your equipment even. I think this will change.


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## Elizabeth (Jun 4, 2002)

I have never purchased nucs, but last year we lost all of our hives to starvation (plenty of honey in the hives, but it never got warm enough for the bees to break the cluster and move up). So, we ordered package bees from Mann Lake to restock the empty hives. A couple of our club members decided to purchase nucs from a nearby beekeeper, and after we thought about it a bit, hubby and I decided to order a couple of nucs as well. Before they were ready, we had a chance to attend an introductory beekeeping class at the community ed which was taught by this same beekeeper. We had not met him before, and although we are not beginners, we wanted to hear what he had to say.

During his presentation he talked about American Foulbrood and told us that he has had it in his hives. He does not burn his infected equipment. Well, I have NEVER had AFB, work hard to keep it out of my hives, and when I heard that I cancelled our order. I told our other members about it and cautioned them- especially because they were beginners starting their first hives last year.

Now I am back to only buying package bees and/or making splits for increase. I have never thought that nucs were a great idea, unless you happen to know the producer and can be assured that the frames and bees are free of diseases. I know there are a lot of advantages to nucs vs. package bees, especially in the North where we have short seasons, but I have been convinced again to stay away from them. We wound up doing very well with our package bees last year, and so far they are still alive, even after an extremely long, cold winter. Hopefully we will be able to get in and check the hives soon to make sure the bees are able to use their stores so they will make it till Spring.

I agree that $120 sounds high for nucs. If I were buying them I would expect to pay in the $70-80 range for 4-5 frames. If I were selling them, that is what I would ask.

Are you a member of a local bee club? You could check with them to see if they know of anyone in your area who has bees for sale. Maybe they place a group order for package bees which you could get in on.

Here is a plug for one supplier- the bees we got from Mann Lake last year were produced by Ray Oliverez. They are California bees, some kind of Italian hybrids, but they did really well in our cold climate. We run 3 deeps (then split in the Spring) and all of the packages drew out and filled almost 30 frames each. I think they might have had 3-4 drawn frames with a little honey from the previous year's deadouts, but no more than that. A couple of the hives even made a surplus, which was an unexpected bonus, especially given the lousy weather conditions we had last summer. 

I am placing an order for our club bees through Mann Lake again this year. Oliverez does not ship packages, but they do sell to a lot of clubs. I don't think you would go wrong to get some of their packages.

Good luck. Hope you find the bees you need and get those hives stocked up.


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## Durandal (Aug 19, 2007)

If someone has plenty of drawn frames, packages are probably the best way to go in terms of cost, but prices these days are high for packages or nucs.

Right now you are looking at package prices ranging from 60.00 to 75.00 dollars (not including shipping costs sometimes).

I have seen nuc prices around as low as 75.00 but a lot more are in the 85.00 to 120.00 range. That 75.00 price tag is usually in lots of 50 or more.

I do not have enough experience to say wether these will go down or not, but between losses (regardless of why) and the demand of new beekeepers prices exploded. 

Hopefully the will drop a bit. Right now I am buying some packages for 67.00 for 3#. While I trust the source as much as any other "trusted" source, I'll introduce them into an outyard before moving them into my main area.

I have lots of drawn frames this year from the nucs I purchased and plan on doing splits and queen cell harvesting to expand to where I want to be by fall.

Nucs, ultimately are no different than packages when you talking about trusting the source.

I know quite a few people that will cuss a package supplier because they suddenly had LOTS of chalk brood.

If you are new and REALLy want to get a head start on things and you can get them about the same time you can get your packages, nucs are a good way to go.

So are packages.

So are splits from your own bees.

So are swarms.



Its all about what you feel comfortable with. None of them are wrong and all of them have positives and negatives associated with them.


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