Buying a Nuc from Struan Road Apiaries

The queen in a spring nuc is usually an imported queen as Saskatchewan queens are usually reared in June and not bred and laying until early July, which may not leave adequate time for the hive to become strong enough to overwinter that year.

Nucs are an advantage over imported packages as the queen is actively laying eggs and brood is hatching continually as there is brood at all stages of development. A nuc gives you about a three week head start over a package.

Purchasing

We will have a limited number of nucs available for sale. Quantities will be limited until we can do our spring assessments in March. Depending on the condition of the bees in spring, we may increase the number of available nucs. To avoid disappointment, reserve your nucs early as they sell out quickly.

On our web, site choose the product you would like to purchase. To hold your nucs for pickup, you either need to make a deposit or purchase your nucs. Payment can be made on the site either by major credit cards or PayPal. There is a discount when purchasing ten or more nucs.

We also offer queen marking to make it easier to find and identify your queen. The option is available on the web site,. If you are not using the web site, indicate if you would like this option in any correspondence.

• Web Site Deposit – Select the Four Frame Nuc – Deposit Only product on the web site. Making a deposit will require a final payment prior to pickup.
• Web Site Purchase – To purchase your nucs outright, select the Four Frame Nuc product on the site.
• E-Transfer – If you prefer not to use the web site for payment, contact us through e-mail at sales@struanroad.com and we can arrange an e-transfer. You can also send us a message through the Contact Us form on the home page.

Notification

When we have determined when the nucs will be ready, we will notify everyone that has either put a deposit on, or paid for their nuc(s). Directions to our farm will be provided.

We require that all payments be made prior to pickup. This can be done either through the web site product, Four Frame Nuc – Balance Owing or by e-Transfer 24 hours before pickup. Don’t forget purchase queen marking or indicate your preference in e-mail correspondence.

Preparations

if you are a first time bee keeper it is recommended to attend a beginner beekeeping course. Contact the Saskatchewan Beekeepers Development Commission, Saskatoon or Regina Beekeepers clubs or any other beekeepers club near you. Some beginner courses also offer discounts on beginning bee keeper equipment.

You should have your hive equipment prepared before you pick up your nuc(s). The supers needs to be deep supers as the frames are 9 1/8 in. Also have your site selected and prepared. A site with wind protection, a water source, and in full sun is best.

You must register your bees with the Provincial Apiarist. Registration is free and the Provincial Apiarist can help you keep your bees healthy. Contact Geoff Wilson, geoff.wilson@gov.sk.ca, phone: 306-953-2304.

Pickup

Pickups will be scheduled for a couple of weekend mornings between 8 and 10AM. Nucs will be screened and bee tight prior to pickup so they can be transported in any vehicle. Bring your bee suit with hood and gloves with yourself and all passengers if transporting in the passenger area. Avoid any rough handling to prevent damage to the nuc box and possible bee escape.

Nucs should be kept as cool as possible. Keep out of direct sunlight. It is best to go directly to the hive site without any overly long stops.

Locating

We suggest that you place the nuc where you want the hives permanent home to be. It is important to release the bees as soon as possible by opening the nuc boxes entrances. Bees can overheat if they are not able to circulate air into the hive. Use caution when opening entrances as the bees may be agitated from traveling and being cooped up. A bee suit is advisable. It is best not to open the lid for 24 hours to allow the bees to get accustomed to their new location.

Installing

Wear a bee suit and have a smoker handy. It is best to open hives in the middle of the day when the foragers are out of the hive.

Once the bees have settled, you can move them into their permanent housing. If this can’t be done the next day, a few days in the carboard nuc will not hurt. Move the nuc aside and put the empty hive where the nuc was. Carefully open the nuc and move the frames from the nuc to the new hive. It is best at this point to keep the frames in the same orientation, as the bees have set up the brood chamber in a specific configuration and changing that can put extra strain on them. Fill the new single super hive with drawn comb if available or frames of foundation.

If using foundation, make sure the frames are tight with each other or the bees might not do a good job of drawing them out. An entrance reducer is a good idea to help the bees keep the new larger space warm. It is advisable to feed sugar syrup to encourage the bees to build out the foundation quickly.

If using drawn comb, if there is a good amount of honey, you do not need to feed. If there is little honey, it is advisable to feed.

What’s Next

Building a Nuc Into a Hive.