There are a lot of good reasons to start a new colony in your beeyard using a nucleus (nuc) colony, consisting of a mated queen, brood and drawn comb rather than buying a package of bees. But there are some issues to pay particular attention to also. How old is the queen? How much of all kinds of brood are already there? What condition is the beeswax comb in? Does it come in it’s own box, what about frame exchange and how are you going to get it home? If you’re just starting out it really pays to have an experienced beekeeper with you when you go and get the nuc to ask the right questions and if possible evaluate what’s inside. Check out how Jim and Kim handle these issues, and point out the how’s and why’s of Starting with a Nucleus Colony this spring. We hope you enjoyed today's episode. Please follow today and leave a comment. We'd love to hear from you! ___________________ Thanks to Betterbee for sponsoring today's episode. Betterbee’s mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com ______________________ Honey Bee Obscura is brought to you by Growing Planet Media, LLC, the home of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Music: Heart & Soul by Gyom, All We Know by Midway Music, original guitar music by Jeffrey Ott Copyright © 2023 by Growing Planet Media, LLC