A healthy, 5-frame nucleus colony ready to establish or expand your apiary. Our bees are state inspected in Alabama. Each NUC includes a laying queen (inspected post-introduction for laying and health), five frames with mixed brood stages (typically 2+ frames of open and capped brood, 1 1/2 to 2 frames of stored food, and 1 partially drawn or work-in-progress frame), and a minimum of 4+ frames of bees. Queens/bees are primarily Italian, but may contain some Carnolian or other diversity common to the area the queen was reared or mated. Your NUC will be housed in a temporary transport box of our selection (Pronuc, Jester, or other). If not paid in full, NUC orders require 50% deposit at purchase; final payment due at pickup (contact us for deposit option). [Contact us for reduced pricing on orders of 10 or more.] To pay the 50% DEPOSIT now (balance due at pickup) for your Nucs, use the button below. PAY NUC DEPOSIT IMPORTANT POLICIES AND DETAILS:*By purchasing, you agree to all of the following. Pick up only at the farm in Wetumpka, AL. (Contact us for free delivery options for orders of 10 or more). Dates and times of pick up will be scheduled by the farm and communicated to you in advance. No refunds accepted within 30 days of your scheduled pick-up/delivery date. As live animals, and many variations after receipt, NO REFUNDS OR RETURNS accepted after pickup/delivery. (If you do have a problem or concern, contact us within 5 days and we will do our best to help you solve it). If desired, NUCS may be inspected the day before pickup at an agreed upon time, or at the time of pickup (you will lose a few foragers). We can also inspect for you and provide pictures of your bees the day prior to pickup. NUCS will be considered abandoned if not picked up on the scheduled day/time unless other arrangements are made. This also applies to delivery or meet orders if customer is not available to receive the order at the arranged time and place. Valid contact phone number and e-mail required for all NUC orders Contact us for available pickup scheduling. IMPORTANT PICK-UP AND INSTALLATION DETAILS: Perhaps the most important thing for the well-being of your bees is to go STRAIGHT home after pickup. Bees should not be transported in a hot location including the trunk of a vehicle, bed of a truck in the sun, etc. The best scenario is inside the car with moderate a/c. (We have a limited number of NUC bags for additional cost if desired.) If they are transported in the bed of a truck, some type of shade is recommended. You should have your hives set up and ready to use prior to NUC pick up. Also have some sugar syrup (1:1) mixed and ready, as well as your preferred type of feeder. We highly recommend an in-hive feeder, or top feeder rather than an entrance type feeder (which can induce robbing). We highly recommend installing your NUC right away or after 30-45 minutes for them to settle. NEVER leave them closed up in the sun. [Note: Some suggest setting the NUC box open on top of the new hive for 1-2 days. We find this is not necessary, and delays their acclimation to their new home. Feed your bees immediately. This not only helps relieve the stress of transport, but also helps them "stay put" (on very rare occasions a NUC will abscond if they don't like the conditions, or for unknown reasons.) We recommend keeping the 5 frames together in their new hives, with the new frames on each of the outsides. This keeps the colony as stable as possible when installing. If you want to "checkerboard" the new frames for them to draw, it is best to wait a week or two before doing so. An entrance reducer is a good idea, but leave plenty of space for ventilation (3"-4") if the weather is hot. You should not disturb your bees for at least 5-7 days. If you must, take a quick peek, or quickly refill your in-hive feeder. In about a week, you can gently inspect your colony to assure you didn't roll the queen during installation, or have any other issues. Be sure to look for signs of a laying queen.
