Bee Nucs are available for local PICKUP ONLY; we do not ship them.

Bee Nucs are available only once per year. Queens can be ordered by special request from April through November if available.

272 South 700 West
Hurricane, Utah 84737

Any Nucs left by 7:00 a.m. will be sold to customers on the waiting list, and package deposits will be forfeited. We CANNOT hold bee Nucs. Please check back often for updates. Bees are live animals, and we want to ensure you and you both get a good deal.

Nuc Policy: Nucs become the customer’s responsibility at the time of pick up. Some small percentage of bees will have expired in the package during transit. We will inspect your Nuc for a healthy Queen before you arrive and HIGHLY ENCOURAGE you to check before you leave with your Nuc. We don’t have control over conditions placed on the Nuc after you leave our location, so we will not guarantee the Queen after pick-up. To be safe, you may want to bring a suit.

Nucleus Hives (Nucs) come in a temporary waxed cardboard box and contain a laying spring queen that the hive has already accepted, two frames of brood in all stages, two frames of pollen/honey/attending bees, and one fresh frame of wax for the bees to work on.

There is a possibility that people will not pick up the packages they ordered. (If you do not reserve a package, we cannot guarantee that extra packages will be available.) In this case, you may contact us to be put on the waiting list. The waitlist will be called from the top down and must be picked up immediately. We cannot hold bee packages.

We highly suggest attending a bee class, reading any of the great informational books on beekeeping, or watching some videos on YouTube.

We know it’s early, and you might have other things you want to do on a Saturday morning, but…the bees cannot remain sealed in the nuc boxes once the day begins to warm up. They will overheat and can die. We cannot let this happen, so any nucs not picked up by 8:00 a.m. will be placed back into the bee yard and released. Can’t make it on your scheduled pick-up day? Please find a friend or relative who can come and pick them up for you so you don’t lose your bees.

Once you pick up your nuc box(es), head directly to your apiary, ensuring the bees do not overheat in the car.

Place the nuc box directly on top of or in place of your hive box. Then, open the entrance to the nuc box, located on one of the short sides near the bottom. Bees will likely come pouring out of the box, but don’t worry—they’ll soon calm down and get to work. 

You do not need to light your smoker for this part, but trying out your new bee veil and hive tool is a good idea. Sometimes, we have to tape the entrance, so your hive tool will help remove that tape and open the entrance.

The bees will begin orienting themselves to their new location, so you’ll likely see lots of activity around the hive. Pollen and nectar collection begins almost immediately, so take some time to watch them.

Please Note:

  • This year, you will have to sign up for a pickup time that will be linked in your email. Please sign up for a time & be vigilant that you show up during your allotted time.

  • The price listed is per Nuc.

  • All pick-ups must occur between 5:30 am and 6:45 am.

  • Refunds are ONLY available if we cannot deliver your reserved bees on the pick-up date or 24 hours after.

After 24 Hours

It’ll be challenging, but wait at least 24 hours (or up to one week) before moving the frames of bees from the nuc box into your hive body. It’s a simple procedure. Follow these steps:

  • 1. Light your smoker and wear your veil/jacket/suit.
  • 2. Gently puff a bit of smoke near the entrance of the nuc box, then crack open the lid and put some smoke across the tops of the frames.
  • 3. Starting from one side of the box, gently lift each frame from the nuc box and place it into the hive body. It’s crucial to maintain the order and direction of each frame during this transfer, as the bees have arranged their resources in a particular way.
  • 4. Some bees may remain in the nuc box once all frames have been transferred. If so, hold the Nuc box upside down over the hive and give it a firm tap. Most of the bees will fall into the hive.
  • 5. Fill in empty frames on either side of the frames you just installed, keeping the nuc frames toward the center of the box. Be sure to fill the box with the appropriate number of frames, either 8 or 10.
  • 6. Ensure the entrance reducer is set to the smallest opening.
  • 7. Fill your feeder with 1:1 syrup and place the feeder in the hive.
  • 8. Replace the inner cover and outer cover.
  • 9. Sit back and watch the bees!

One Week Later

It’s time to do your first hive inspection.

***PLEASE READ & sign below before you purchase your bees.***

All questions are presented to local beekeepers who share their information with us on a volunteer basis, they love to help with each question, but do have a lot on their plates and Muddy Bees Bakery is not liable if the beekeepers are unable to contact each person back. So please remember to treat all Muddy Bees employees kindly as they work to get you in contact with those who can help you, and remember that they are not beekeepers themselves.

We will answer any questions we can and then forward any other questions to each beekeeper. If you do not receive a response, please reach out to our Washington County Bee Inspector (Blaine Nay, 435-590-7569, blaine@nay.org). You are also welcome to schedule a visit with a local beekeeper (rates may vary per beekeeper). We also encourage joining local beekeeping groups for advice, direction, and various questions that you might have. We wish you the best on your beekeeping journey!

Available local beekeepers:

Blaine Nay: (Washington County Bee Inspector) 435-590-7569 / blaine@nay.org

Cory Martin:  corylovesbees@gmail.com

Nick Jordan: 435-632-1459

Check the website frequently for updates and follow us on social media (Facebook and Instagram), where we will post all updates as they happen.

Beginning Beekeepers Information and Consent

Please fill out this form to purchase your bees.

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