Remembering back to the time I was just getting into beekeeping, the choices were overwhelming. What kind of hive do I get? What kind of bees do I get. What the heck is a nuc? How are package bees installed, and what's the difference between a nuc and package bees?
In the end, I opted for package bees, since they were readily available from a local bee supply place in our area. And for years after that, I got package bees from them because that was my comfort zone. As the years went by and I learned more about the art of beekeeping, I switched to nucs - but I still have a need for package bees from time to time.
Let's start looking at the differences. But first, don't be alarmed if you don't see your queen right away (this applies to nucs, not packages). New young queens are hard to spot. Just follow the directions below and check back in a week. If you don't see evidence of a queen at that time, then call your supplier (hopefully me) to let them know. I've installed hundreds of nucs and there were times I couldn't find the queen but in only one case did it turn out that something had happened to her and I needed a replacement.
Finally, DON'T WAIT TO ORDER YOUR BEES! I've done that before only to find that supplies get very limited the closer to spring it gets and prices tend to get higher as availability dwindles. Plus, it helps your supplier to know much work and resources will be required to acquire or package the bees and what to expect on pickup day.
Package bees
This is literally what it says, a package of bees. It comes in a plastic or wooden box and generally contains a caged queen and three to five pounds of bees. It also includes a bit of food for the bees, most often sugar water in a can or in other cases, some fondant inside the box. To install the package, you remove the queen cage and keep it very close to the hive, take the top off of your hive and shakes the bees out of the box into the hive. From there, I put the queen cage in between some frames so it's held in place and then close the hive for a while to let the bees and queen all get reacquainted and calmed down a bit. (Note that you can also place the queen cage in the hive before you shake the bees into it). If the queen is in a cage with a candy plug, you can just leave her there and the bees will get her out. If she's in a cage not designed for slow release, you can open the hive back up after a bit and carefully let her out. Make SURE she goes down into the hive - I've had them fly off before and that's not what you want to have happen. Leave the hive alone for about a week and then check back to make sure you see eggs or developing larvae.
Pros:
- Package bees can be mailed, and they usually fare well through that rigorous shipping.
- Package boxes are smaller than nucs and may be easier to transport in that regard if you are buying a number of them.
- The queen can be inspected immediately as she's caged.
- I sometimes buy packages if I just need more bees to supplement a hive. The queen can be sold or put into a hive due to be requeened.
- Packages generally cost less than nucs
Cons:
- When shaking bees into a hive, it's chaotic at first. There are hundreds or thousands of bees, all displaced, all trying to find the queen.
- The queen can be lost introducing her into the hive if you are not careful.
Nucs:
In my opinion after many many years of doing this, nucs are the way to go, whether you are a new beekeeper or accomplished. Nucs are generally made of plastic with a removeable top (these are great because they can easily be reused or repurposed to hold frames during inspections, etc.) but some are made of disposable plastic or cardboard. Wooden nucs are far more durable and last for a long, long time but those are generally used in the bee yard more than for the distribution of live bees.
Each nuc comes with four to six frames (five is most common), and is basically a fully functional mini-hive when you pick it up! The frames have foundation active being drawn with wax, some already filled with pollen, capped brood, honey and even eggs! Installation is simple - simply remove the top from your hive, remove five empty frames and gently transfer the frames from the nuc into your hive, centering them between empty frames on the outside. To avoid "rolling the queen" (accidentally smushing her), go slow and be sure to put the frames into the hive in the same order that they were removed and facing the same direction. While doing this, look at each frame and try to spot the queen. If you don't see her, don't panic - young queens can be hard to spot. If you see developing larvae, brood or eggs, she's there. When done, put the top back on your hive and you are done! I always recommend leaving the hive alone for about a week to let everyone get settled in and then do the inspection again to look for the queen, developing larvae and eggs.
Pros:
- You get five frames, already in varying states of progress, so you have an immediate head start over those who buy packages.
- It's far less chaotic - the nurse bees and queen will not leave the brood so you won't have as many bees flying around you as you work.
- If the weather is bad when you get your nuc, it's safe to just leave them in the nuc for a day or two. You can also do that with a package but it can be more risky.
- Some suppliers (such as Kitsap Beekeeping) will give you a bit of money back if you return the empty nuc.
Cons:
- It's not as easy or as fast to assess the presence and quality of the queen.
- Nucs tend to cost a little more as they come with active frames.
- I hope this helps! As always, I'm available to answer any questions.
