Nucleus Colony aka "Nuc" of Bees
Nucleus Colony aka "Nuc" of Bees
Bee & Supply Pick Up appointment times are from 1:00 - 4:00 pm on the specific dates shown below - Beekeeping Classes are in the mornings
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5 Frame Nuc of Bees
5 Frame Nuc of Bees
with Queen, Mite Strip, Transport Tote (& Net Bag if needed)
Italian $295 each
Texan $295 each
Early Bird Specials - Select Dates - $245 each... order early and save!
See Red Tag Dates below to save $50
Add seats to the Basic Beekeeping Class
These seats sell out fast!
Local Pick Up Only (no shipping)
Scroll to see multiple Pick Up Date options displayed down below in the order form section of this page. Find the order form box to use with the date that best fits your schedule and availability.
All of our nucleus colonies of bees (starter sets with 5 frames of bees called Nucs for short) have a fresh new laying unmarked queen, so they are ready to grow. Feeding may be required for growth if there is not a lot of nectar and pollen available in the area.
If a class is wanted or needed, use the Add to Cart for the bees, then click Continue Shopping from the shopping cart window and add seats to the class here: Basic Beekeeping Class
Please Note: Our Texan bees are seasonal, available only during the local prime mating season. Taking orders for Texan Bee Pick Up starting April 11th, 2026.
411: Nuc Installation & Installing a Nuc
Scroll down for more information and a complete Description.
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Each 5 Frame Nucleus Colony comes complete with the following:
1 - Set of Bees on 9 5/8" Deep Frames with honeycomb (drawn wax)
1 - Laying Mated Queen - Current Year (not caged)
1 - Brood Nest 2.5 to 3 Frames of Brood (open and capped)
1 - Food Stores 1.5 to 2 Frames of Food (honey / pollen)
1 - ProNuc Transport Tote (closed the night before for transport)
1 - New Mite Control Strip (hanging between middle brood frames)
Queens are not marked or clipped
Scroll down to see additional images and available pick up dates.
Please Note: You only need to include your contact information once per order, not each time you add another item to the cart.
Order with confidence! View the Satisfaction Promise, Cancellation, Refund and Return Policy page for details.
Pick Up Date Options
Pick Up Date Options
Description
Description
These starter colonies called "Nucs" (short for nucleus colony) are basically how the beekeeping world has bought and sold bees for many years, for starter or replacement hives. We make them fat and put them in temporary ProNuc totes with a new mite strip, so they are ready for transporting when you arrive.
They will need space to continue to grow and expand the nest and start storing food for the coming months. So they are ready and need to go into regular hives asap.
Please note: These are Nucs and come without any hive parts or equipment or feeders (woodenware - tops, bottoms, boxes etc.) - just the bees in a transport tote.
If you are new to beekeeping please visit the Hives with Bees page if you need everything. Continue below if you are familiar with Nucs and need more info about our bees and how to install set them into your hive.
These are ready to set in your hive on it's permanent location / hive stand and release the bees as soon as you get them to your designated apiary location. There is no need for any lengthy waiting period. Letting them sit for a few minutes while you get things ready is fine, but you should let them fly asap.
This is so they can make their orientation flights and go find water to help regulate the temperature of the brood nest and so they can start the process of locating the other needed resources in their new location.
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Even if your area has a Nectar Flow in progress, we recommend Feeding Bees by adding a gallon of syrup anytime we move them to a new location. This helps prevent them from consuming all of the food reserves we send with them in the transport totes.
Our 5 Frame Nucs come with a current year mated queen, she is released (not caged) and verified laying before we move these Nucs to the staging yards for customer pick up. The 5 frames will have honeycomb/wax drawn out with 3 frames of brood and 2 frames of food - stored honey/nectar and pollen/bee bread.
They will include 5 frames of worker bees and a few drones that are ready to install into a standard 8 or 10 Frame Langstroth Style hive body. They will come with a medicated strip for Varroa control. (see accompanying image) The bees are ready to release for flight upon arrival at their new location. Please refer to your Pick Up info email for instructions (also found on the Bee Pick Up Day FAQs page) for removing the strip and what to do next.
Push them and they grow...
Push them and they grow...
Don't push them and they may not! (depending on natural resource availability, of course) Living through several years of extreme drought conditions has taught us to budget to feed bees weekly. That is, if we want strong healthy bees.
We have developed a rigid policy for honey bee health and a maintenance routine that includes feeding as needed and checking for mites and treating for mites regularly or as needed. The hives we do not check using the wash method, we treat quarterly with one of the recognized effective Miticides. Follow up mite checks are always a good idea.
Side note: The hives that consistently have Zeros, 1s & 2s when we do the mite counts get tagged and become candidates for our Texan Bees queen breeding program.
Nucs should grow fast during the spring growing season, so they will soon need more growing room to prevent swarming. If they are not growing, they may not have ample resources coming in on a daily basis. The amount of food reserves are one of the main things that we check when we make our rounds. Roughly every few weeks is fine to check for basic health, but more often when feeding is required.
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When we want them to grow, and that's pretty much all year, we feed them and keep feeding them as long as they will take what we are giving them. The goal is to have them put on forty or more pounds of stored food before the weather turns and stays cold consistently - typically mid December in our area. We prefer to leave tops closed on days the temps are below 50 degrees.
Feeding regularly when there is not a nectar flow is not an option, it's a MUST, if you want strong bees. The growth of a healthy Nuc is directly proportionate to the amount of resources they have available. This is why we feed them and treat them for mites and are able to grow strong colonies to make splits from year after year. Of course requeening annually keeps the brood production ramped up to consume the fuel coming in daily.
So all of that to say, if all goes well and the Nuc grows as expected, extra boxes and frames may be needed sooner rather than later.
Addition boxes can be added to any order and picked up at the same time to save a trip later for more boxes as the bees grow - (think of how fast kids can grow out of shoe sizes).
These Nucs can be used to boost and correct a queenless colony with ease. Adding a sheet of newspaper between two boxes is a simple way to accomplish this task. See Newspaper Technique.
Quick Reminder - We have complete hives available that are made with white pine and every box is nailed or stapled and glued for added strength and stability. The sets come complete with a 1.5 Gallon Frame Pro Feeder, assembled and coated Hive Body, assembled Wood Frames, 8 total per box - 5 with comb and bees (the nuc) and 3 blank Frames with Waxed Rite-Cell® Foundation, one of the blanks may be a green drone frame. You will also receive an assembled Telescoping Top Cover with Inner Cover, a Screened Bottom Board with Entrance Reducer.
Hive stands are not included, but easy to create with a few concrete blocks. Visit the Bee Pick Up Day FAQs page for hive stand recommendations and more.
Ready for Transport
The ProNucs are well ventilated from both ends and around the top. The entrances are closed and secured with the bees inside the night before pick up.
The bees should be kept well ventilated and out of the heat while transporting hives in warm weather. When using the back of a pick up truck to move these. they should be fine as long as the vehicle is kept moving to allow for plenty of air circulation.
They are easy to move and can be stacked as high as three, but we recommend only going two tall because we make them pretty fat and heavy with to go food stores.
When grabbing these from each end, using the corners for grip prevents an accidental opening of the tops. We will gladly demonstrate this process when you pick up your hives. We will also help bag them into net bags if you are transporting in the cabin of a vehicle.
Find more tips and important info in the Bee Pick Up Day FAQs page.
Frequently Bought Together - Optional Recommended Add-ons
If we don't stock it, we can get it!
More information
More information
Visit the Types of Bees page for additional information about genetic variances.
Visit the FAQs & How To page for general information about bees including picking up and transporting bees.
All parts are fully assembled and are either primed and painted with high quality exterior latex paint or hot wax dipped for protection from the elements.
These totes can be stacked for easy transport and are best kept in the shade when not moving.
The Bee Place... your official South Central Texas Mann Lake Beekeeping Supply Rep since 2015. If we don't stock it, we can get it!
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