The how and why my nucs are special

2025 Spring Nucs with Proven VSH Genetics

My spring nucs are carefully assembled for sale with a 2025 grafted and mated queen sourced from my overwintered breeder stock. This queen’s mother has already demonstrated the highly desirable VSH (Varroa Sensitive Hygiene) genetics, ensuring superior performance. At this young stage in her life, the new queen is exceptionally vigorous—an egg-laying powerhouse, ready to establish a thriving colony.

Each nuc is provided in a Jester nuc box—a durable, temporary corrugated plastic container designed to hold five frames. These frames include:

• Three frames of brood

• One frame of resources (nectar and pollen)

• One additional frame, either drawn comb or more resources

The nuc is also well-populated with worker bees to ensure its strength and productivity.

While my nucs are generously assembled compared to many others, what truly sets them apart is the queen. My Northern Illinois climate-acclimated VSH queens make all the difference. Their genetics are specially suited to thrive in this region, with proven resistance to pests and diseases.

I cannot emphasize this enough: the queens are the difference, and it’s a difference you’ll notice!

Overwintered Nucs: Not for Beginners

Overwintered nucs aren’t the best choice for new beekeepers—they’re like jumping into a Ferrari right after learning to drive. They can be quite a handful due to their strong drive to reproduce and propagate their genetics through swarming.

For experienced beekeepers, however, overwintered nucs offer an great opportunity. Their early-season vigor makes them ideal for splitting, allowing you to expand your apiary quickly. One overwintered nuc can often be split into two or more additional colonies, with plenty of time for the new colonies to mature before the season ends.

However, they require meticulous attention. If you lack the time or experience to manage them properly, they will swarm. While it’s an amazing event to observe, it also means losing half your bees and missing the chance to make additional splits.

Aside from the queen's age, overwintered nucs are identical to my spring nucs and come packaged the same way.