Help support an “American Honey Bee Revival”
Every year we produce a limited number of nucleus colonies (nucs) that are available for pick-up around mid to late May. Since 2017, we've worked tirelessly to develop our own line of region-specific honey bees that can withstand a cold, northern winter and exhibit the hygienic behavior that assists with combating the Varroa mite. By purchasing our stock you help support what we have dubbed an “American Honey Bee Revival” and the continued education, research and development that we are doing to help improve the health of our local population of bees!
We’re Building a Better Bee
The foundation of our “Ouiska Mutts” utilized stocks that were obtained directly from some of the best queen producers here in the USA. We selected these stocks based on region (most hailing from climates colder than ours), strain (Russian, Caucasian & VSH), and were produced by proven and trusted breeders within the industry. The genetic traits that are of the utmost importance to us when selecting our breeder queens are low mite to bee thresholds, calmness within the colony, maintaining a tight brood pattern during peak season, surplus honey production, and over-wintered cluster size.
Queen Fecundity & Greater Success with Nucs
Our nucs consist of 2-3 frames of brood in all stages of development (egg, larva & capped), a frame of resources (honey/nectar & pollen) and an empty frame of foundation for the bees to work. Bee frame coverage will be 4-5 frames. Our frames are Langstroth deeps made of wood with plastic foundation. All combs will have been drawn within that last four (4) years. If managed correctly, and weather permitting, it is possible to obtain a honey yield your first season as this is already a functioning colony at the time of pick-up.
All queens will be reared in April and are guaranteed to be mated and laying solid brood patterns. These first-year queens are fresh and ready to give you the best results when managed correctly. Since this is a functioning colony that has already accepted their queen, there is little to no risk of the colony absconding as is so often the case with package bees. Your nuc will have a zero to low mite count upon pick-up; however, you will still need to monitor and manage for mites as the season progresses.
This mite surprise you but..
NO HONEY BEE COLONY IS EVER MITE FREE! There is a plethora of treatment options available for beekeepers so you will have to exercise the method and technique that you feel most comfortable with to obtain the results that you desire. Aside from performing multiple, hive manipulations (brood breaks) beginning early in the spring and continuing thru fall, we begin Oxalic Acid (OA) vaporization during the period of summer dearth after harvesting our summer crop of honey. If we plan to harvest honey in the fall, then OA treatments are ceased once we commence re-adding the honey supers. We also administer an OA treatment during the winter months when the colonies are brood less, resulting in an almost 100% mite reduction going in to the next season. To prevent resistance issues that can occur from utilizing the same treatment method year after year, we replace the OA treatments with a more aggressive treatment such as thymol (Apiguard) every third year. This regimen, in conjunction with our bee’s hygienic behavior and their natural propensity to groom (the VSH traits that we’ve bred in), have proved beneficial in helping us to continue growing our breeding program in addition to providing local beekeepers with sound stock to help establish their very own, sustainable apiary!
Are you FINALLY ready for SUCCESS in beekeeping?
We offer several options to assist with getting you started on the right foot with your beekeeping journey. Although start-up costs can be a little more expensive when taking the nuc route as opposed to package bees, the initial investment comes back to you tenfold when you start with healthy, established colonies that are acclimated to your climate. To inquire further about our breeding program or to place an order, email jeff@ouiskarunfarm.com or call (502) 939-9245.
Spring Nuc Sales - These are LIMITED and sell out quickly. We begin accepting non-refundable deposits ($100) in early March as soon as we are able to make it out to all of our apiaries and assess the winter losses. Since weather patterns vary from year to year, nuc availability will also fluctuate based on winter losses and the early spring weather when we are attempting to get queens mated and the nucs are building up.
Beyond Spring - We can accommodate nuc orders throughout the season; however availability will be determined at the time of inquiry and will carry a “convenience surcharge” . Locally mated queens are typically available from June 1st thru October 15th.
2023 Pricing
Spring Nuc - $225 ea. - SOLD OUT!
Summer Nuc - $240 ea. - SOLD OUT!
Locally Mated Queen - $50 ea. or $45 ea. (2 or more) - SOLD OUT!