Greg Zujus wrote:
 
> The supplier whom I am getting my bees from offers package bees beginning
> April 18 or "Nucs" which will be available May 16th. As this is my first
> season and I have no drawn out comb will I be better off getting the "Nucs"
> or getting the 3 LB packages a month earlier than the "Nucs"?
>
> How established will the package Bees be and how much comb can they draw out
> in a 30 day period ?
 
Hi Greg,
 
        I recommend nucs. Packages have several disadvantages. To begin with a
percentage of the queens are not accepted and since there are no larvae,
the colony is hoplessly queenless. Also there is quite a drifting
problem and you usually wind up with a few good ones and some poor ones.
It is estimated that 60% of the accepted queens supercede the first
year. Personal experience agrees. Another disadvantage is that as soon
as the package is installed the population begins to dwindle and there
are no replacements for about 3 1/2 weeks, and even then the colony is
still in stress because they have'nt the proper mix of ages of bees.
Nucs on the other hand are very reliable. We make hundreds of them and
its not uncommon to have 100% batches of 60 to 100 nucs. When you get
your nuc it will be queen right and have a good mix of brood ages. As a
beginner you'll get to see a fairly normal colony from the start. And in
the event that there is a problem with one of them  the other will
likely be able to help them out with a frame of brood.