Lesson 25: Four Ways to Get Bees
Packages, nucs, established colonies and swarms: the trade-offs, and when to order
There are four common ways to start a colony. Each has its own cost, risk and head start. The next four lessons cover each one in detail.
The four options
1. A package. A screened box holding about 2 to 5 pounds of worker bees (3 pounds is the most common size, roughly 10,000 bees) plus a mated queen in her own small cage and a can of sugar syrup to feed them on the trip. No comb, no brood. The bees and the queen usually aren't related, and she hasn't started laying yet. Lesson 26.
2. A nuc (nucleus colony). A small, working colony: usually 5 frames with drawn comb, brood of all ages, some honey and pollen, and a laying queen the bees have already accepted. Lesson 27.
3. An established colony. A full-size hive: bees, queen, brood, food and comb, in their own boxes, bought from another beekeeper. Lesson 28.
4. A swarm. A cluster of bees that has left its home (lesson 12), caught and hived for free. Lesson 29.
(Once you have bees, you can also make more colonies by splitting your own; lesson 78.)
Comparing them
| Package | Nuc | Established colony | Swarm | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Relative cost | Lowest | Middle | Highest | Free |
| Head start | None: bees must build all their comb | Good: comb, brood and a laying queen | Full | Varies |
| Risk of bringing in pests/disease | Lowest | Somewhat higher | Highest | Unknown history |
| Risk of bees leaving | Somewhat higher at first (no brood or comb to hold them) | Low | Low | Can leave |
| Honey the first year | Usually none for you | Maybe a little | Likely | Varies |
| First-winter survival | Most at risk | Stronger | Strongest | Varies |
| Where from | Can be shipped from other states | Usually picked up locally | Local only | Wherever you find it |
A package is cheap and clean but needs the most help. It has to build every comb, which uses up energy that would otherwise become stored honey, so package colonies must be fed and watched carefully in their first year to avoid starvation. A nuc gives you a real head start: it builds up faster and is usually stronger and more winter-hardy by year's end. An established colony is ready to go but costs the most and carries the most risk of hidden pests or disease.
Buy two
Many beginners do well starting with two colonies instead of one. With two, you can compare them to spot a problem, and you can move a frame of brood or honey from the stronger colony to help the weaker one (lesson 43).
Buy locally when you can
Extension programs in several states recommend buying from local suppliers or local beekeepers when you can:
- the bees are used to your climate and area;
- you can pick them up yourself instead of having them shipped, which is less stress on the bees;
- you support your local beekeeping community, and your seller is nearby if you have questions;
- local bee clubs often place a group order, which lowers shipping costs and gives you a group of beginners on the same schedule to compare notes with.
Always buy from a reputable supplier (lessons 15 and 16). If you buy nucs or colonies, ask about their varroa mite treatment history and any disease history, especially foulbrood.
Order early
Bees sell out. Suppliers build their lists in late fall and early winter for spring delivery, and many ask for a deposit. If you wait until spring to order, you may get your bees late or not at all.
Packages and nucs should arrive before or early in the spring nectar flow, so the colony can build up while flowers are plentiful. Your Seasonal Guide gives the timing for your area.
What to remember
- Package: cheapest, cleanest, no head start; feed and watch closely the first year.
- Nuc: a small working colony; builds up faster and winters better.
- Established colony: fastest start, highest cost and highest pest/disease risk; inspect before buying.
- Swarm: free, but you don't know where it came from.
- Start with two, buy local when you can, and order in late fall or winter.
Quick check
- Which way of getting bees has the lowest risk of bringing in pests and disease?
- Why are package colonies more likely to starve in their first year?
- Give two reasons to start with two colonies.
Show answers
1. A package. 2. They have to build all their comb, which uses energy that would otherwise become stored honey, so they need feeding. 3. You can compare them to spot problems, and move brood or honey from the stronger to the weaker.
Adapted from: Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Establishing a Honey Bee Colony (Shabel & Rowe, 2024); UGA Bee Program, Getting Started: Buying and Moving Colonies and Catching Swarms; Delaplane, K. S., Honey Bees and Beekeeping (UGA Extension Bulletin 1045, rev. 2017); Mississippi State University Extension, Beginning Beekeeping in Mississippi (P3594); Penn State Extension, Installing Packaged Bees.
Adapted from university Extension sources. Experienced Georgia beekeepers are reviewing these lessons. See something that doesn't match your experience? Tell us.