# Best time period for guys picking up Nucs?



## Summerland Bee (Aug 16, 2014)

I see over winter nucs ready first week in April. Splits are about last week in May on into July Hope this helps


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

LeeHoney said:


> My question is what round about dates do you guys in the more northern states would be most efficient for you?


Please translate.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

Summerland Bee said:


> I see over winter nucs ready first week in April. Splits are about last week in May on into July Hope this helps


^ this is what I see as well here in IL as well once they have a good indication of what had made it out of winter and replaced they ones that didn't or ate week any excess is sold


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## MTN-Bees (Jan 27, 2014)

If your plan is to run Nucs north for sale. Research your plan carefully. Nucs can over heat quickly. I would spend some time with somebody who has moved Nucs long distance before. If I'm moving Nucs I put transportation screens on top unless it's really cool outside. The waxed cardboard boxes really seem to hold heat and moisture.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

The earliest I have any use for a nuc here would be April 1. The latest would probably be the middle of June.


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## johng (Nov 24, 2009)

Here in South if you start making your splits around the end of Feb. you will have full 5 frame nucs ready the first couple weeks of April. You should not have any trouble selling them locally. Unless you are going to be making thousands you won't need to transport them North. If you have too many, sell them in blocks of 50 to someone up North who has had experience moving and reselling nucs. April nucs are welcomed any where North or South. 

Overwintered nucs in the South are almost too valuable to be sold as 5frame nucs. If sold this way they would have to bring a premium. Most are boiling over with bees by late Jan. early Feb. At that point you have many options they can be sold at a premium to someone filling up deadouts going to California, they can be moved up into regular boxes to make a nice production hive, or they can be resplit and made into sring nucs. If you raise good nucs you won't have any trouble selling them. So my advice would be just concentrate on raising nice healthy nucs and the rest will fall into place. There are many commercial folks here in the South that make their main income from just raising nucs and singles.


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## LeeHoney (Feb 13, 2014)

Sorry it took so long to reply back guys. . 
I guess I could have worded my question better. My main intent was to discover how late does the demand for nucs carry on in the more northern areas?


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## Clayton Huestis (Jan 6, 2013)

I would say all the way through july people will buy them. But you have to remember june , july, august northern beekeepers will be making up there own nucs. Competition gets tougher come june.


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

Clayton Huestis said:


> I would say all the way through july people will buy them. But you have to remember june , july, august northern beekeepers will be making up there own nucs. Competition gets tougher come june.


And the price drops then


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## zhiv9 (Aug 3, 2012)

May through early June.


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## LeeHoney (Feb 13, 2014)

Thanks fellas


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

A nuc after the first week of June will not be worth much for production here. After that, there value is very low.

Crazy Roland


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

Roland said:


> A nuc after the first week of June will not be worth much for production here. After that, there value is very low.
> 
> Crazy Roland



This^ only for me I'd say first week of July at my location. After that point the buyer assumes all risk with zero chance of reward that first yr. Essentially buying better odds on overewinter success is all you are doing.


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## apis maximus (Apr 4, 2011)

Roland said:


> A nuc after the first week of June will not be worth much for production here. After that, there value is very low.
> 
> Crazy Roland


All relative to location, location, weather and patterns. Very hard to predict a whole lot. At least for me.
My bees always out run me. Then they surprise me and then, they fool me. Crazy...I know. Not Roland.


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