Maltey
New Bee
Is there a certain time you should buy bees?
Sorry. If you have a hive then you need to order a nuc. It comes with five or six frames of bees and a laying queen from a reputable source. If you ordered now it would arrive in may or June. The supplier should ensure the queen is laying well before giving it over to you. Your bees then have time to build up over the summer. They usually arrive in a cardboard type nuc box that you transfer to your own hive. Sometimes in a returnable wooden nuc, or you pay for the nuc box too! If you are relying on a 'wild' swarm you could be waiting a long time, if you have another beekeeper who will supply you with a nuc you can keep the cost down.
Hope this makes more sense
E
Forgive me because I'm not quite up to scratch with all my bee terms;
if I already have a hive I'd be buying a nuc right?
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