Reserve 2026 Nucleus Colonies - (Medium Nucs)

Reserve your spring 2026 nucleus colony from Duck River Honey Company.  

Reservations will be capped to ensure I have enough to satisfy commitments.  If the spring is a good one I may have extras to sell after reservations are picked up.

Learn more about medium nuc management:

Medium Nuc Terms:

• $235 total cost per nuc.
  • $50 non-refundable deposit to reserve each nuc.
  • $185 balance per nuc to be paid at or before pickup.  (I will contact you when your bees are ready.)
• Reservations are first-come, first-served.  Earliest reservations get the earliest available nucs.
• When you order, give me a good email address AND phone number.  I need to contact you for pickup.
• Pickup is in Duck River, TN.
• Pickups are on Saturdays, usually starting around the first of May.  This is weather dependent.  A cold spring will slow the bees down.  A warm spring will speed them up.
  • Pickups START, usually around first of May.
  • I will fill nuc orders in a first-come, first-served order.
  • Pickups won't FINISH until mid to late May.
  • I will contact you to set up your pickup day. 
  • (Please don't take off work for the first Saturday in May without talking to me first.)
• If you are part of a group buy, make sure to use your coupon code at checkout so I can get your nucs in the correct group.

What You're Buying:

• New 2026 marked queen reared by me from my stock in Duck River, TN.
• Nucleus Colony is housed in 10 frame medium equipment.  You will receive:
  • 10 frame bottom board
  • 10 frame medium box (either painted or wax dipped)
  • 10 medium frames.  7 to 8 drawn with bee coverage, 2 new frames with foundation.
    • Nucs average 7 to 8 frames bee coverage.  Some bigger, some smaller.  All are inspected and are nucs I'm proud to sell.  (I don't sell any I'm not proud of.)
  • 10 frame top lid (either migratory or telescopic with inner cover).

Why Medium-Frame Bee Nucs are Ideal For Beginner Beekeepers:

Most bee nucs sold in the industry are 5-frame deeps delivered in temporary plastic Jester nuc boxes. While these work, our 10-frame medium nucleus colonies offer several key advantages that make them larger, more durable, and easier to grow into a productive hive—especially for beginner and backyard beekeepers in Tennessee.

Key Benefits of Our System:

• Reusable Woodenware from Day One: You receive high-quality painted or wax-dipped wooden boxes (bottom board, 10-frame medium box, and lid) instead of disposable plastic. These become permanent parts of your hive—no need to transfer frames right away, reducing stress on the bees.
• Easier Expansion into a Full Hive: The nuc arrives in equipment that's already a functional brood box. Simply add another box on top, and the bees expand naturally without complicated transfers.
• Larger Colony Size: A standard 5-frame deep nuc provides comb area equivalent to about 7.5 medium frames. Our 10-frame medium nucs average 7 to 8 frames of full bee coverage, plus honey, pollen, and brood—giving your bees a stronger, bigger start for faster buildup and better overwintering success.

How to Grow Your Nuc (Simple Options for Any Setup):

• All-Medium Hive (Our Recommended Approach): Ideal for easier management and lighter boxes. Just add a second 10-frame medium box (with foundation or drawn comb) on top of your nuc and feed as needed. The bees will quickly draw out wax and expand upward.
• Transition to Deep Brood Boxes: Place a deep box directly on top. The colony will grow into it seamlessly. By February of the following year, the original medium bottom box will typically be empty of brood—you can remove it then and reuse it (and its comb) as a honey super.

One Potential Drawback: If you prefer 8-frame equipment, the included 10-frame bottom board, box, and lid won't match. However, the frames themselves transfer easily into your 8-frame boxes.

This medium-frame system combines convenience, value, and performance—perfect for Tennessee's climate and beekeepers who want gentle, productive, varroa-resistant bees with less heavy lifting.

About Our Bees:

I breed for performance, not looks.  My stock has contributions from Italian, Caucasian, Russian, and feral genetics.  My breeding program selects for varroa mite resistance, gentleness, productivity, and overall survivability.  

• Productivity:
  • My breeder queens were generally born two years ago. In their first season they built a nuc up to a full strength colony and then survived winter.  In year two they made a honey crop and then survived their second winter. 
• Gentleness:
  • In addition to this, hives must be gentle.  I work bees with a veil and smoker but without gloves.  I only breed from colonies that are very workable. 
• Mite Resistance:
  • Queens must also have consistently low varroa mite numbers over thier lives in order to be considered for my breeding program.  I have brought in Varroa Sensitive Hygienic (VSH) stock from broodstock producers, and I am actively testing and selecting breeder queens that exhibit mite resistance.
  • Note that there is no such thing as a "mite-proof" bee.  I select for varroa resistance, and do have those traits in my stock.  But I still need to treat some hives to improve their chances of survival.  The benefits of selecting for varroa resistance are that I generally treat less, less often, and use less harsh chemicals than many other operations.  To date, I only treat my bees with Oxalic Acid, a natural organic acid found in leafy greens.  My stock thrives within my management, but they may or may not thrive under different management.

Timeframe:

I expect to begin having nucs ready for pickup in the first week of May.  This is weather dependent.  In normal years I can start rearing new queens in late March and making nucs around the last week of March or first week of April.  If spring weather is slower or faster it will change my expected delivery schedule.  You will be contacted via email to confirm pickup.

Pickup will be on a Saturday in Hickman County, TN (30 minutes from Dickson exit on I-40).  Other times can be accommodated by request only.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is a bee nuc (nucleus colony)? A nucleus colony, or "nuc," is a small, established honey bee colony with a laying queen, brood, honey/pollen stores, and worker bees on frames. It's the best way to start a new hive compared to packages, as nucs build up faster and have higher survival rates.

When will 2026 spring nucs be available for pickup? Pickups begin around early May (weather-dependent) and continue through mid-to-late May in Duck River/Hickman County, TN. We'll contact you directly to schedule—reservations are filled first-come, first-served.

Are these nucs suitable for beginner beekeepers? Absolutely! Our gentle, varroa-resistant bees and medium-frame setup make them ideal for newcomers. Plus, the included woodenware gets you started without extra equipment purchases.

Do you ship nucs or offer delivery? No—local pickup only in Tennessee to ensure the bees arrive healthy and strong.