Odd Acres Apiary
Over-wintered Nucleus Colony
Over-wintered Nucleus Colony
Couldn't load pickup availability
Share
These colonies have been raised with late Summer queens who have over-wintered successfully in the cooler climate of southern NSW. Each nucleus colony includes five fully drawn frames packed with vigorous bees, ready to go for the new season. The colonies are provided in a 5-frame Corflute transport hive. Colonies are available with Italian queens.
Orders: We recommend booking your overwintered nucleus colony between February and March for the next season. We sell out of these colonies quickly and can only carry a limited supply.
Pickup Only: Collection of your nucleus colony can be arranged by appointment only from one of our apiaries near Canberra, ACT. If you are further south, we will arrange for pickup by appointment only at our Numeralla apiary, located near Cooma, NSW.
Product Questions
-
What is the difference between new season and over-wintered nucleus colonies?
An over-wintered colony is a more mature colony with a queen who has successfully led her colony through its first winter. These colonies have more combs and are available early in the season, allowing them more time to produce a honey crop in their first year.
A new season colony contains fewer frames of full-drawn comb. It is not available until around November, which means there is less time available for the colony to produce sufficient honey for harvest - unless you experience an excellent Summer flow and are prepared to feed the colony in the Autumn.
-
Why can't you mail my nucleus colony to me?
Ideally, place your bees in your vehicle where they receive adequate ventilation and are not exposed to direct sunlight, as this reduces the risk of overheating or being bounced around when your car is in motion. If you have a sedan, place your bee-proof container on the rear seat and leave a window or two windows partly open to promote air movement. If you have a dual-cab ute or SUV, you might place your bees in the rear compartment, but also consider ventilation, sunlight and securing your bees. We do not recommend putting bees in the boot or inside the passenger area of your car unless your trip is very short and you can adequately secure them from movement. Boot riding can leave you exposed to an unpleasant surprise. Importantly, keep your personal protective equipment (PPE) handy, ideally seperated from the bees.
-
What precautions should I take when I collect my bees?
When you arrive at the intended location for your bees, place them on top or alongside your hive, open their entrance and leave them for 24 hours to settle down. The next day, when it is warm, transfer the frames to your new hives in the same order and orientation as they were in the bee-proof transport container. Please be careful not to crush the bees and your queen. When all five frames are placed in the middle of your new hive, gently shake any remaining bees from the transport container and place additional frames with foundation and drawn comb, if available, on either side to complete the hive. If you are not ready, you can leave the bees in the bee-proof transport container for a few days, but we encourage you to place them in their new hive as soon as possible.