Spring is one of the most exciting times of the year at Hunter’s Honey Farm. The bees are active, the fields are waking up, and this week our nucs officially arrived and are looking incredibly strong.
Honey bees do far more than produce honey. Strong colonies help pollinate flowers, vegetable gardens, fruit trees, pumpkins, clover, berries, and many other plants around homes and farms.
Many gardeners and landowners notice healthier blooms and improved crop production after introducing honey bee colonies nearby. According to the USDA, honey bees and other pollinators help support approximately 75% of the world’s flowering plants and about 35% of global food crops, highlighting just how important healthy bee populations are for agriculture, backyard gardens, orchards, and ecosystems across the country.
For beginning beekeepers and experienced apiaries alike, nucs are one of the best ways to start or expand a honey bee operation. These small but thriving colonies serve as “starter hives” and give beekeepers a major head start compared to starting from packaged bees alone.
This year’s nucs are healthy, active, and built from over-wintered hives that have already proven themselves through Indiana winters.
Beekeepers house nucs, short for nucleus colonies, on five frames to start and grow healthy honey bee hives.
Unlike starting from scratch with a package of bees, nucs already contain:
Because the colony is already functioning as a miniature hive, nucs tend to establish faster, build stronger populations, and produce healthier colonies earlier in the season.
At Hunter’s Honey Farm, we build our five-frame nucs from strong over-wintered hives and select bees for the traits beekeepers value most.
Each nuc includes a 2026 queen and bees bred specifically for:
We treat our colonies for mites before sale to help your bees start strong from day one. Strong genetics and healthy overwintered stock can make a huge difference in long-term hive success.
Whether you are starting your very first hive or replacing winter losses, we want to help set you up for success.
Every Hunter’s Honey Farm nuc includes:
We also offer installation of your nuc into your equipment at no additional charge.
One thing many beekeepers appreciate is that we do not require frame exchanges. That means you keep the extra five frames instead of returning them later.
New beekeepers can also benefit from connecting with local clubs and organizations like the Indiana State Beekeepers Association for mentorship and seasonal guidance.
If you have ever wanted to start beekeeping, nucs are one of the easiest and most reliable ways to begin.The colony already contains active bees, brood, and a laying queen, which helps beginners manage the hive more confidently.
Established beekeepers also use nucs to:
Healthy bees are the foundation of successful beekeeping, and strong spring nucs can dramatically improve your season.
We are proud to support both new and experienced beekeepers across Indiana and beyond, and we look forward to helping more healthy colonies thrive this season. 🐝
Our 2026 nucs are available now for: $235.00 each | Call 765-537-9430 to reserve your nucs today.
Beekeepers use nucs, or nucleus colonies, to start and grow healthy honey bee hives. Our five-frame nucs include a laying queen, worker bees, brood, pollen, honey stores, and drawn comb already in progress.
Yes. Many new beekeepers choose nucs because the colony already contains an active queen, worker bees, brood, and food stores that help the hive grow quickly.
Each nuc includes:
1. Five-frame honey bee colony
2. 2026 queen
3. Probiotics
4. Five pounds of sugar
5. Pollen patty
6. Five frames to keep permanently
7. Continued phone support to help you succeed with your new hive
Yes. We treat our over-wintered hives for mites before preparing nucs to help support healthier, stronger colonies.
We select our bees for:
Gentleness
Mite resistance
Winter hardiness
Please call Hunter’s Honey Farm directly at:
765-537-9430
Hunter’s Honey Farm is based in Indiana and serves beekeepers throughout the Midwest.
How do you start a honey bee hive with a nuc?
New beekeepers often choose nucs because the colony already includes a laying queen, worker bees, brood, and food stores.
Before bringing your bees home, set up your hive box, frames, feeder, and bottom board.
Choose a dry area with morning sunlight, good airflow, and limited disturbance from pets or heavy foot traffic.
Move the five nuc frames into your hive box in the same order they arrived to help minimize stress on the colony.
This gives the colony room to expand and continue building comb as the population grows.
New colonies may benefit from supplemental sugar and pollen support while they establish themselves.
Check the hive periodically to confirm the queen is laying, brood is developing, and the colony is actively building.
