We were out of town celebrating our 16-year-old’s birthday and spring break when I got a call from an unknown number. I don’t usually answer those calls, but decided to entertain whoever was on the other line. I’m glad I did – it was Mr. K, my contact from 2025 calling to offer me a “double nuc” to pick up later in April. A double nuc is two established hives combined to one. I am super excited and have plans to get the kiddo to put a hive stand in what I think is the perfect spot.
Then on April 17, I get a call around 3 PM. “Are you ready for your bees?” Mr. K says. And I answer, “I think so, when?” and he says “How’s 8 pm tonight?” I mean, what else can I say but okay? So I get the kiddo to double-time putting the hive stand in place, get myself together and head to Rural Retreat to gather my bees. Mr. K has been in operation for years and was recommended to me after I attended the beekeeping class series through Mountain Empire Beekeepers Association. He has a bee yard filled with nucs and double and triple nucs. He has pollen feeders around the fence, and while it looks like he’s low on supply, he still has bees to provide!
Mr. K is a sweet older gentleman dressed in worn jeans and a plaid shirt. He seems a little frazzled, taking trips back and forth from the beehive to his supply room to get his bee suit, light his smoker, and gather a tool to make carrying the hive boxes easier. He informs me that my double nuc is actually a triple nuc that he condensed, which makes sense as there is a hefty amount of bees hanging outside even as he works to get them in the box. He seals as many of the bees in the box as he can and he is very explicit in his directions… “Get them home, take off the screen, and get them into a bigger box ASAP tomorrow before it gets too warm.” And in my head, I say “Awww heck…….” because I’m signed up for Bee Camp in Crozet and I certainly won’t be able to get the girls in a new box before at least 5:30PM. Big sigh… Anyway, Mr. K gets my double nuc loaded on the truck and with the kiddos’ help, the box gets moved to its new location and I pop off the screen. A few bees come out to check out their new scenery and I let them be.
On Saturday, I go to Bee Camp, get back home, suit up, and move the frames from the nuc boxes to the box I have set up. The frames from Mr. K’s boxes have tons – I MEAN TONS – of capped brood which tells me there could be 10-12 days before new bees begin to emerge. I am not great at finding the Queen and there was not a lot of eggs visible, so fingers crossed the Queen is there! (Remember Mr. K said this was a triple nuc? Well my fear is that the Queen did not make it to my condensed colony, but I’m trying to remain hopeful)
I do a quick inspection and the box is FULL – overflowing in fact. So much so that I added a medium box so they can begin getting to work building comb, collect and store resources, and allow room for the Queen to begin laying eggs. I also place a top feeder on the box and give them 1:1 sugar water. This helps the bees get a head start on building comb and feeding themselves while they get oriented to their new landscape and find the best spots to forage for nectar and pollen.
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