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A frame of capped honey and bees lifted from a cardboard nuc box under the pines in evening light

From June · after the overwintered nucs

Spring
5-Frame Nuc

$225 · $50 deposit holds your slot

A nuc made this spring: five deep Langstroth frames and a young queen from our breeding line, raised and mated this season and already laying. On sale once the overwintered nucs are gone, usually from June. For starting a colony in summer, or replacing one you've lost.

None to book right now

Spring nucs go on sale after the overwintered nucs, usually from June, with their own pickup days. Join the waitlist and we'll email you when there are some.

Join the waitlist
Our white cardboard nuc box from the front: the lid, a ring of vent holes, and the round entrance A nuc box with its lid on, sitting on a pine stump in our yard

What's in the box

  • ·Five deep frames of brood (all stages), bees, and honey and pollen stores
  • ·Standard Langstroth deep frames, so they fit any 8- or 10-frame deep. Plastic foundation; the frames themselves are a mix of wood and plastic.
  • ·A queen raised and mated here this season — locally bred, open-mated, unmarked. We confirm she's laying before she leaves us, and the brood in the box is hers.
  • ·Waxed cardboard transport nuc box with yellow entrance plugs

No feeder included. Mite management on our colonies is oxalic acid only — no synthetic miticides ever. Want the queen marked so she's easier to spot? Add marking for $10.

One of our 8-frame colonies opened from above, packed with bees, with a frame of bees and brood lifted above it
One of our 8-frame colonies, packed with bees.

Before you buy

Its first winter is still ahead.

Our overwintered nucs have already come through a winter, queen and all. A spring nuc hasn't. Its queen is from the same breeding line, but she's this season's, and the colony's first winter will be with you.

Bought in June, it has the summer to build up; bought in August, only a few weeks before fall. Either way, give it drawn comb if you have some, feed it once the honey flow ends where you are (the Bee Forage Check shows when that is for your spot), and don't skip the late-summer mite check. The nuc owner's guide covers feeding, the alcohol wash, and getting ready for winter.

Three kinds of nucs

Mid-spring

Overwintered nuc $225

The queen that wintered with the colony, and every bee in the box is hers.

From June · this page

Spring nuc $225

Made this spring: a young queen from our line, raised and mated this season, already laying.

When we have extras

Queenless nuc $175

Bees, brood, and stores with no queen, to boost a colony or give a queen of your own.

Pickup

Spring nucs go out on their own pickup days, from June on. Each day is listed above with its town, time window, and how many are available. The exact spot comes with your order confirmation. You'll need the same equipment as for any nuc; see the equipment checklist.

The $50 deposit holds your slot. The balance ($175 per nuc) is charged to the same card 3 days before pickup, so there's nothing to pay on the day. When you arrive, give us the full name on the reservation. We check the reservation list and hand over your nuc.

Hear when spring nucs are available

Join the waitlist and we'll email you when they're ready.