Odd Acres Apiary
New Season Nucleus Colony
New Season Nucleus Colony
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These colonies are raised with the current season's queens. Each nucleus colony includes at least four drawn frames and bees in a Corflute transport hive. In a typical year, the new season nucleus colonies are available from November to January. The last seasonal orders are accepted around mid-January. Our colonies are available with Italian queens.
Orders: Contact us to reserve your nucleus colony. It typically takes around two months to prepare a quality colony, so please ensure you are on our list with a pre-order. We sell out as soon as they are available. We do not accept new orders after 31st January, as we find the timeline unrealistic for these small colonies to prepare resources for the Winter months. Alternatively, you can order our Over-Wintered Nucs that are available early Spring (Aug/Sep) in the new year.
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 by appointment only for pick-up at our Numeralla apiary located near Cooma, NSW.
Product Questions
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Why can't you mail my nucleus colony to me?
Australia Post is limited by state and territory regulations on the posting of biosecurity-controlled items and their quantities. Queen bees can be mailed through the post due to the small parcel size. Large numbers of bees, such as those in a nucleus colony, which can contain 10,000 to 20,000 bees, fall outside the regulatory limits. As such, you need to collect your nucleus colony in person from our apiaries.
We recommend bringing personal protective equipment (PPE), such as a bee suit, veil, and gloves, when collecting your bees. We place your bee colony in a Coreflute bee-proof transport container, sealed with tape to reduce the risk of accidental opening. In the unlikely event that you drop your bee-proof container or have a traffic incident while transporting it, you will need to wear your PPE.
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Where should I place my bees in my vehicle?
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 partly open to promote air movement. If you have a dual-cab ute or SUV, place your bees in the rear compartment and 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 and seperate from where you have your bees.
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How long should I wait before I transfer my bees from their transport container to their new home?
Having arrived 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 bees and your queen. When all five frames are placed in the middle of your new hive, gently shake in any bees remaining in the transport container. If you have some, place additional frames with foundation and drawn comb on either side to fill out the hive. If you are not ready or the weather does not permit, leave the bees in the bee-proof transport container for a few days. We encourage you to place the bees in their new hive as soon as possible.