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Five Frame nucleus

Honeyfields Bee Farm 5 frame nucleus colonies prepared for collection in Warwickshire
Pre-orders for Spring & Summer 2027

Five Frame Nucleus Colonies

Our 5 frame nucleus colonies are raised and established at our family-run bee farm in Warwickshire. Supplied on British Standard National DN4 frames and ready to transfer directly into your full-size brood box, we are now taking pre-orders for Spring and Summer 2027. Whether you are a beginner starting your first hive or an experienced beekeeper expanding an existing apiary, our Buckfast nucs provide a healthy, calm, and reliable foundation.

Read more about our nucleus colonies

What You Get with Our 5 Frame Nuc

Supplied on British Standard National DN4 frames for standard National brood equipment:

  • Laying Buckfast Queen: Marked with the official year colour code and actively laying in consistent brood patterns.
  • 3–4 Frames of Active Brood: Packed with healthy brood across all stages—eggs, larvae, and sealed brood.
  • In-Hive Food Stores: 1–2 frames well-stocked with honey, pollen, and supplemental feed to support initial hive installation.
  • Full Frame Coverage: A dense population of calm worker bees covering all 5 frames.
  • Secure Transit Box: Supplied in a breathable, secure travelling nuc box (weatherproof correx or poly) designed for safe transit and easy hive transfer.
  • Inspected Prior to Collection: Thoroughly examined before handover for colony strength, calm temperament, and showing no clinical signs of brood disease.

Choose the Right Nuc Option

We offer seasonal options to suit your beekeeping schedule:

  • Overwintered Nucs (Available early April): Established colonies headed by a proven laying queen that has successfully overwintered in the UK, building up rapidly for early spring nectar flows.
  • Seasonally Produced Nucs (Available May – June): Headed by a vigorous current-season Buckfast queen, expanding quickly to take full advantage of the main summer flow.
  • Seasonal Nucs – UK-Raised Queen (Available late May – June): Fresh colonies headed by newly mated Buckfast queens bred and mated at our Warwickshire farm, selected for calm handling and productive brood patterns.
  • 5 or 6 Frame Nuc: Both options establish reliably, while a 6 frame nuc provides an additional frame of brood and stores to fill a full hive slightly faster.

All nucs are supplied in either an insulated poly nuc box or a temporary correx travel box, ready for you to transfer into your National hive.

Collection Only from Warwickshire (Honey Bee Welfare)

To prioritise the health, ventilation, and welfare of the bees, all nucleus colonies are collection only from our farm near Bulkington, Warwickshire. Collecting your colony directly ensures the bees travel calmly in your own vehicle without the risk of rough handling, dropping, or overheating associated with courier networks.

Have questions about collection timing or hive installation? Explore our Nucleus & Bees FAQ page for detailed answers on ordering, pickup procedures, and hive care.

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Trusted by UK Beekeepers & Beginners

4.7 Rating ★★★★★ (79 Google Reviews)
★★★★★

"Purchased overwintered nucs that performed brilliantly... Super condition, very healthy and extremely well stocked. The bees were an absolute dream to handle, super calm on the frame, with prolific queens and great brood patterns!"

Steve Jamison Overwintered Nuc Buyer
★★★★★

"I bought my first Nuc, totally new to beekeeping. Communication was very good, collected bees as arranged with straightforward advice. 3 weeks in and bees are thriving! Lovely calm Buckfast bees, lots of healthy eggs and brood."

Kerri Ielden First-Time Beekeeper
★★★★★

"Collected a bee colony today from Honeyfields Bee Farm and the whole experience was excellent from start to finish. Everything was well organised, smooth and clearly handled with real care for the bees. Granville was especially helpful."

Mark James Local Guide • Colony Buyer
Read All 79 Reviews on Google →

Colony Setup, Care & Hive Installation

Essential guidance on colony structure, queen genetics, and safe hive establishment.

What Is a Nucleus Colony (Nuc)?

A nucleus colony is a self-contained, established starter colony designed to expand steadily into a full-sized honey-producing hive. Every 5 frame nuc we supply includes:

  • Laying Queen: Clearly marked with the official year colour code and actively laying worker brood.
  • Healthy Brood: 3 to 4 frames containing eggs, open larvae, and sealed capped brood.
  • Food Stores: 1 to 2 frames of natural honey/syrup feed and pollen reserves.
  • Dense Bee Coverage: Established worker bees covering all 5 frames.

Because the colony already functions as a balanced ecosystem with established comb, it provides an exceptionally reliable way to start with bees in the UK.

Why Choose a Nuc over Package Bees?

Choosing between an established nuc and a "package" of bees is a significant decision. Package bees arrive with no drawn comb, requiring worker bees to expend substantial energy building wax before the queen can begin laying.

The Nuc Advantage:

  • Immediate Momentum: Arrives with drawn comb, active brood, and food stores, allowing the colony to continue expanding immediately.
  • British Standard Hardware: Our frames slide directly into standard British National brood boxes without modification.
  • Lower Establishment Stress: Bypassing the fragile initial comb-building stage provides a calmer, more straightforward start for both beginners and experienced beekeepers.

Colony Production & Strict Biosecurity Standards

Our nucleus colonies are raised at our family-run bee farm in Warwickshire. We select strong frames of brood and bees from healthy parent colonies, adhering strictly to National Bee Unit (NBU) health guidelines. A fertile, mated queen is introduced, and the nuc is relocated to an isolation apiary to prevent flying foragers from drifting back to their parent hives.

The colony is monitored to ensure complete queen acceptance and solid laying patterns. Once the queen is actively laying across the comb, the nuc is nourished to support strength and vitality prior to collection day.

Buckfast Queens Selected for Calm Temperament

Our colonies are headed by Buckfast queens (with Warwickshire-mated and NBU-inspected imported options available):

  • Workable Temperament: Selected for gentle behaviour on the comb, allowing for calm, confident, and straightforward hive inspections.
  • Consistent Brood Patterns: Prolific, steady build-up through spring and summer for strong honey production.
  • UK Winter Adaptability: Selected from breeding lines proven to winter efficiently on stores in British conditions.

Travel Box vs. Poly Nuc Box & Hive Transfer Timing

Travel Boxes (Vented Correx): If your nuc is supplied in a temporary correx travel box, keep it in a cool, shaded area away from direct sunlight. Because correx boxes are intended strictly for transport, we recommend transferring your colony into a permanent British National hive on the day of collection—late afternoon or early evening is ideal once flight activity settles.

Polystyrene Nuc Boxes: If your nuc is supplied in an insulated poly box, it provides excellent weather protection. However, strong colonies expand rapidly in warm weather—transfer them into a full National brood box promptly to ensure they have adequate space to expand.

Feeding & Ongoing Care After Transfer

Although your nucleus colony arrives with initial food stores, expanding a 5-frame colony into an 11-frame National brood box requires significant energy to draw out the remaining frames of wax foundation. We recommend feeding inverted sugar syrup or 1:1 sugar syrup immediately after transfer to support worker bees in drawing out new comb quickly.

Monitor feed levels regularly during spring cold spells or June nectar gaps to ensure your expanding colony maintains steady build-up momentum.

Frequently Asked Questions About Our 5 Frame Nucs

Common questions regarding frame sizing, collection day preparation, and colony options:

What frame size are your 5-frame nucs supplied on?

All our nucleus colonies are supplied on British Standard National DN4 frames with Hoffman self-spacing side bars. They are designed to fit standard British National brood boxes, Commercial hives adapted for National frames, and WBC hives using National-sized inner boxes.

What is the difference between Overwintered and Seasonal nucs?

Overwintered Nucs (Available early April): Headed by a proven queen that has survived a British winter alongside her colony. These colonies build up very rapidly in early spring, giving you an early start on spring flows.

Seasonally Produced Nucs – Imported Queen (Available May – June): Headed by a current-season queen mated early on the continent under favourable Mediterranean weather conditions, inspected by the NBU upon UK arrival.

Seasonal Nucs – UK-Raised Queen (Available late May – June): Headed by a freshly mated Buckfast queen bred and open-mated at our Warwickshire farm once UK weather and drone congregation are established.

When should I transfer my nuc into a full-size National hive?

If your colony is supplied in a correx travel box, transfer the bees into your permanent hive on the day of collection (preferably late afternoon or early evening). If supplied in an insulated poly nuc box, you can allow them to settle for a day or two, but they should be transferred promptly to prevent overcrowding.

Do I need to feed my nucleus colony after installing it?

Yes. Moving a 5-frame nuc into a standard 11-frame National brood box means the bees must draw out 6 frames of fresh wax foundation. Supplying inverted sugar syrup (or 1:1 sugar syrup) gives worker bees the fuel required to build comb quickly.

Why are nucleus colonies collection-only from Warwickshire?

We operate on a collection-only basis to prioritise colony welfare. Postal and courier sorting networks expose full colonies of live bees to heavy vibration, confinement, and severe temperature spikes. Personal collection ensures your bees travel safely, securely, and calmly in your vehicle.

How do I safely transport my bees home in the car?

Ensure the travelling box is completely secure, upright, and well-ventilated during your journey:

  • Place the box level in the passenger footwell behind the front seats or secure it in the boot so it cannot slide or tip.
  • Run the car air conditioning or keep windows open to keep the cabin cool—heat builds up quickly inside travelling hives.
  • We recommend bringing your bee veil or suit in the vehicle as a sensible precaution, and drive directly to your apiary site without unnecessary stops.
Biosecurity note: We encourage all UK beekeepers to register their apiaries on the National Bee Unit’s BeeBase system to support national honey bee health. For full terms, please review our Sale of Live Bees Policy.

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