Keeping bees. Part 3: buying honey bees21 March 2012
March is the time for buying honey bees.
With so many people buying bees for amateur beekeeping, demand is high. So expect to pay up to £200 for a mini colony of bees called a nucleus or nuc.
Your local beekeepers' association should be able to recommend a reputable bee breeder.
A nucleus should consist of:
- 10,000 adult bees
- A young laying queen bee who is mum to the colony
- Bee larvae in all stages of their development
- Honey and pollen food stores.
The colony should be living on five frames of beeswax inside a travelling box; the larvae on three of these.
There used to be a British Standard for a nucleus of bees; now you have to be vigilant against cowboy suppliers. So always check what they are actually selling before making your order.
As a beginner you don't want aggressive bees. You want docile charges that are reluctant to swarm and will make lots of honey.
Luckily the majority of honeybees bred in this country are gentle-natured.
In the south of England, the bees are often a hybrid of either the Carniolan bee from the Balkans or the Italian honeybee.
Further north you'll find the indigenous black honeybee better suited to cold, wet conditions. You may also come across Buckfast bees and bees flown in from New Zealand.
Your bees should be ready for collection in May or early June. You don't want to start beekeeping any later.
Next month: Swarming.
Alison Benjamin is co-founder of Urban Bees with Brian McCallum. Their latest book is "Bees in the City: The Urban Beekeepers' Handbook" (Guardian Books, £12.99). To buy a copy, visit our Shop.
