Pick-up Saturday, June 22nd: 7 AM - 12 PM
Ship via Canada Post: Monday, June 24th

** This is our 2nd batch of OKH nucs, after a very successful first batch in early May.**

Sale on 2nd Batch: We are offering a near-cost sale on our nucs arriving in our later shipment in June. For larger orders, we are offering the nucs below cost, as we are motivated to move these nucs for our supplier. This year, overwinter survival and spring growth has been great in the lower mainland, and overall demand for bees is low and supply options are high. We are very excited to be bringing in this excellent nuc option and rather than discontinue nuc sales early, we have decided to make them available at as accessible a rate as we can. We want to increase the number of customers who get to try them out this year and know that this is a great option for future years!

Description:

These very strong nucs come with 5 frames of bees and includes a young proven queens and lots of brood. These nucs are produced in the Okanagan region, around Armstrong.

The nuc box is the sturdy, ventilated Jester Nuc Box, and it is yours to keep.

In 2023, we brought in these nucs from Okanagan Honey for the first time, and were extremely impressed by their quality. We have ordered again with the expectation that they are among the best nucs that we can provide to customers, and we expect they will provide beekeepers a good chance at honey production and splits in their first season!

Shipping via Canada Post:

Please note this option is for BC addresses only, as at this time we are not able to ship outside the procince. If you place an order that ships to another province or the US, we will have to cancel your reservation unfortunately.

Your nucs will ship via Canada Post in a ventilated and sealed nuc box via Canada Post’s priority service on the first Monday after the nucs arrive. Most common postal codes are 1-2 business days but if you are in a non-major area or have any doubts and want to check feel free to contact us and we can confirm Canada Post’s priority shipping guarantee to your postal code.

We do our best to make sure bees ship safely with sufficient ventilation to prevent overheating. However, we cannot guarantee safe arrival as that depends on factors beyond our control in the mail stream process, and the customer assumes all risk. Canada Post does NOT offer insurance on live bees.

We have shipped nucs over the last few years and have had good success overall with very few issues. We ship signature required to help ensure that the nuc is not left at a location that may be too hot or in the sun, and you may receive a pick-up notice to come to your local post office for pick-up. You will be sent tracking information for your reference as well.

Please note that shipping boxes used will likely NOT be the Jester nuc box. You can expect to receive them in box with more ventilation on either end and that are more secure for transport.

Note on Nucs in 2024:

We are shifting our focus from supplying BC nucs sourced locally in the lower mainland, to sourcing from more interior regions of BC (such as Lillooet and the Okanagan). The lower mainland has seen issues related to high overwinter losses, unpredictable weather, and high prevalence of disease and pests. These problems are much less intense in many other regions of BC.

We are also changing our nuc supply to focus on 5-frame supply, as opposed to 4-frame. We believe that this will help colonies rapidly build-up as well as be more resilient against poor conditions at the time of arrival, and as a result much more productivity and better colony health in the first year. 

The downside is a significantly increased final price due larger nuc size and high transport costs. However, we believe that customers will receive far more long-term benefits if they can start with earlier, stronger nucs, while still supporting our BC bee breeders!

How Pick-Up Works:

After reserving we will receive your order and contact information. As we get closer to the arrival date and get updates from our supplier, we will pass along those details to you and finalize pick-up dates / times. Typically we aim for pick-up during morning hours, so that the bees can be (1) safely sealed up early in the morning before they go out to forage, & (2) the bees do not have to spend too long inside of the nuc box, minimizing stress including chance of overheating.

Nucs do not need to be installed immediately. Nucs can be placed in the spot where they will eventually be hived into full equipment, and the nuc box opened and the bees allowed to fly. They will then orient to that location and will experience less stress and risk than if they are left sealed up. That said, it is always good to try to install a newly received nuc into a full hive within 2 days after receiving.

Reservations Include a $30 non refundable deposit  *

* This means that if you have to cancel your order, you will be refunded fully minus $30. This amount is considered your commitment fee. Please note that you must still give us at least 2 weeks notice of cancellation, or we may retain 50%-100% of your payment.

SKU: PB02-OKH-5F-JE