Nukes vs Packages

[DavidBee]

How much of a jump on my first season would I get by installing nukes rather than packages?

[TwT]

Package population decreases the first 30 day, 5 frame Nucs build up quicker than package bees,Queens laying, They have drawn comb with laying queen,eggs,brood, honey,& pollen ready to go. Very good chance of making honey in first year.

[JOHNYOGA2]

David,
There are no guarantees. BUT I would recommend starting your first colonies from nucs. I think you have a much greater chance that the queen will not be rejected/superceeded right off the bat. I think it's best if your first experience goes smoothly. The learning curve is steep enough. Give yourself the best chance of success. Later, when you have some bee experience, packages are fine. I would also strongly recommend that you buy your nuc locally. Beekeeping is a very local experience. Local is best. My two cents.

[beehive]

if you want early pollination at your place local nucs might take a month after packages are ready depending where you get the nucs from because they may start the nuc from a packages

[peacekeeperapiaries]

I reccomend starting with NUCS, and don't just start with one, start with 3 or 4. Its nice to have the comparison of several hives and it gives you the option of taking from others to resolve any problems. Good luck, ask lots of questions of these guys on BEESOURCE its a great resource.

[Countryboy]

Do you have any drawn comb to start the package on? If you have no drawn comb to start a package on, the bees have to draw the comb before the queen can start laying, which sets a package back even further.

If you have drawn comb already to start the package on, it may only be a couple weeks behind the nuc. If you are starting with no drawn comb, plan on the package being over a month behind, if it doesn't die out while getting established.

[USCBeeMan]

If you are starting with no drawn comb, plan on the package being over a month behind, if it doesn't die out while getting established.

Lost 3 of 4 packages this year.... the 4th is just making it and has been requeened. Purchased 1 nuc and it has been great. Didn't get any honey but I know that I will get plenty next year as it has a brood and med boxes that are ready for winter. Also, I still have a med super on top that I will take off later if the amount of honey in the frames is enough to help another hive.

[peacekeeperapiaries]

I concur with CB, no comb your way behind a NUC

[BeeCurious]

DavidBee,

If you live in Atlanta, and you are interested in nucs, I would suggest that you drive to Lula, Ga and get some of Don's nucs... Tell him Joe from Connecticut sent you...

[Michael Bush]

I think the criteria is this, if you want bees on the same size cell and same size frame as the nucs, the nucs can be a good start. If you want the bees on something else (e.g. top bar hive, foundationless, small cell, medium frames etc.) then a package will greatly simplify your life. I would get a package under those circumstances.

[CentralPAguy]

Go for Nucs and get them ordered this year. I was forced to get packages this year as there wasn't a nuc to be found during the Spring Nectar flow.

The packages had to draw their wax from foundation and I found had a couple where the packaged queen was quickly superceded.

I got very little honey from my package bees this year and am hoping for a strong crop next year.

[peacekeeperapiaries]

started a new yard with 22 5- frame nucs in april this year, split all of them in june and again in August (80+ from the original 22 going into pepper tree bloom end of September) We could not have done this with packages started on slick foundation. As previously stated without drawn comb you are behind quite a bit. Whether you decide on nucs or packages reserve them soon they book up quickly.

[Jeffzhear]

If I was just starting I would buy nucs hands down...comb is established, the queen is laying and you save weeks over installing package bees...