Local Nuc Options

[Paul Zelenski]

As everyone talks about providing local bees, I am considering the options. So far I have had good overwintering results and produce nucs to sell. I am selling nucs again this year, although I haven't done much advertising. I am always hesitant to commit before they are ready. But with the number of surviving hives I had, I should be able to produce a lot of nucs. Due to WI weather, however, it is nearly impossible to create a strong Nuc with a locally mated queen before early June. Even this year the latest cold stretch has slowed things. If all goes well, I am hoping to make splits/nucs next week, which means they will be ready roughly a month after that.

Anyway, the 3 nucs I had overwintered successfully, which had me develop a new plan. I plan to overwinter double high five frame nucs. When these survive the winter, I could split off a 5 frame Nuc with the overwintered queen and sell it. I would then leave the remaining 5 frames to raise a new queen. I could then either sell these or let them grow to provide queens and overwinter again. The advantage to doing this is that I would know how many I have available as soon as winter is over. I would be able to provide nucs roughly a month earlier than currently. The consumer would get a slightly older queen, but one that had already proven to be able to survive our winters.

I am curious if this is something that would interest people in the future. Please let me know if this is the type of thing local consumers would be interested in. I also wonder if people would value a nuc with a proven queen more highly or less. Would you pay more for the earlier nuc with a proven queen or for a later nuc with a fresh queen?
I suppose I should also ask if people would prefer earlier nucs with store bough queens. I could easily order a shipment of queens and have nucs ready in early May with these purchased queens, but I think people prefer locally raised queens.

Before I invest in a ton of nuc equipment, I wanted to know if this sounded like something people would be interested in.

Thanks,
Paul Z

[jeanne hansen]

Paul, 

Every year I get calls from beginning beekeepers wanting "locally adapted bees."  If you believe you can over-winter 2-story nucs, split them, and sell the half with the over-wintered queen at an early date, I should think you could get a premium price!  These are the nearest thing we have to Wisconsin-adapted bees.  They are in demand.

 

Thanks!
Jeanne Hansen
824 Jacobson Ave
Madison, WI 53714
608-244-5094

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From: Paul Zelenski <paulze...@gmail.com>
To: 'Dale Marsden' via madbees <mad...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2016 11:13 AM
Subject: [madbees] Local Nuc Options

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[Mary Goonan]

Hi Paul,

This is Mary Goonan and I want to buy a NUC this spring.  May I be on your list?

I will be at the bee meeting this week.  I just need to find out where it is.

Thanks,

Mary G