Starting a new honeybee colony requires careful planning, and the first challenge after acquiring equipment is obtaining the bees themselves. Selecting the source and strain of bees directly influences the initial success and long-term management of the hive. The decision involves weighing factors like cost, speed of establishment, availability, and desired genetic traits. Understanding acquisition methods and bee varieties is the foundational step for beekeepers.
Commercial Acquisition Methods: Packages vs. Nucs
The majority of new beekeepers obtain their first colonies through commercial suppliers, primarily choosing between a bee package or a nucleus colony (nuc). A package is a screened wooden box containing loose worker bees (typically three pounds), a can of sugar syrup for transit, and a queen bee in a separate cage. Packages are less expensive than nucs and are easy to ship, making them widely available in early spring. However, the loose bees must accept the caged queen and then immediately begin the slow process of drawing wax comb and building a brood nest from scratch.
A nucleus colony offers a significant head start because it is a miniature, fully functioning hive. A nuc typically consists of four or five deep frames of comb containing brood in all stages (eggs, larvae, and capped pupae), along with stored pollen and honey. The queen is already laying eggs and has been accepted by the bees, meaning the colony is a cohesive unit ready to expand.
Because the nuc is established, it grows much faster into a full-sized colony, offering a higher success rate for beginners. The drawbacks are that nucs are often twice as expensive as packages and are generally only available later in the spring, potentially missing part of the early nectar flow. Nucs are also more difficult to transport and often contain older comb, which introduces a small risk of transferring disease or pests from the source hive.
Non-Commercial and Opportunistic Sourcing
Alternative methods for acquiring bees often involve local networking or opportunistic capture, carrying higher risk or required skill. Capturing a wild swarm is a common, free way to gain a new colony, as a swarm is the natural reproductive process where a portion of the old hive leaves with the queen to find a new home. Swarms are generally docile because they have no hive or honey to defend, but a beekeeper must act quickly to safely collect the cluster and transfer it to a prepared hive box.
Acquiring a split from an established local beekeeper is another non-commercial option, similar to a purchased nuc but involving a direct transfer of frames and resources. A split divides a strong colony into two or more parts; the new section receives frames of brood and food, along with either the old queen or a new one the bees will raise. This method requires a good relationship with an experienced local beekeeper, as success depends on the health and strength of the donor hive.
More advanced beekeepers may use bait hives (empty boxes baited with lemongrass oil or old comb) to attract and capture swarms. For bees residing inside a structure, a trap-out is a specialized technique used to remove the colony without destroying the structure or killing the bees. These methods require intermediate skill and patience, as the temperament and health of the resulting colonies are unknown.
Choosing the Best Bee Genetics
Selecting the appropriate genetic strain impacts the overall beekeeping experience. Italian honey bees are the most common strain in North America, favored for their gentle temperament, prolific egg-laying, and high honey production. However, they tend to maintain large populations late into the fall, requiring more resources and making them prone to ‘robbing’ weaker hives.
Carniolan bees are known for their excellent overwintering ability, clustering tightly and conserving resources in cold months. They are also gentle and exhibit a rapid spring build-up, but this quick growth can make them more prone to swarming if the beekeeper does not provide enough space early in the season. These bees are a good fit for regions with shorter, more intense nectar flows because they quickly adapt their brood rearing to resource availability.
The Russian bee strain is valued for its natural resistance to the Varroa destructor mite, a significant pest, due to Varroa Sensitive Hygiene (VSH). While they can be more defensive than Italian or Carniolan bees, they are popular in areas where mite pressure is high. Choosing a strain should be guided by local climate, desired temperament, and the need for disease resistance, informed by the advice of local beekeeping associations.
Immediate Post-Acquisition Hive Installation
The transition of new bees into their permanent hive equipment must occur immediately upon arrival. For a bee package, the first step is to gently mist the loose bees with sugar syrup to calm them, followed by removing the queen cage for inspection and setting it aside. The bees are then quickly shaken out of the package box into the void created by removing a few central frames in the main hive body.
The caged queen is secured between two central frames, typically using a candy plug that worker bees chew through to release her over about three days. This slow release ensures the worker bees become accustomed to the queen’s pheromones, increasing the likelihood of her acceptance. The remaining frames are then replaced, the hive is closed, and an entrance reducer is placed at the entrance to help the small colony defend its new home.
Installation of a nuc is less disruptive, as the colony is already established on frames. The process involves carefully transferring the frames from the temporary nuc box into the center of the full-sized hive body, ensuring they are kept in the exact order to maintain the integrity of the brood nest. The remaining space is filled with empty frames, and the colony is immediately provided with a feeder containing sugar syrup to stimulate comb drawing and accelerate population growth.