Nuc and Queen Initiative Guidelines

THE MIDWESTERN BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION

Nuc & Queen Initiative Guidelines

Initiative Goals:

    1. Reduce our dependency on the importation of southern nucs and queens.
    2. Facilitate instruction in sustainable resource management techniques, including summer and spring nuc and queen production.
    3. Facilitate sales and distribution of Initiative Nucs.

Initiative Guidelines:

    1. It is the objective of this Initiative to coordinate the availability and sale of nucs for distribution.
    2. Each Initiative participant will commit to the availability of a certain quantity of nucs. Some may only be able to commit to one, others can provide many—they all add up!
    3. Nucs can be either 4 frame or 5 frame, deeps or mediums.
    4. Nuc pricing is at the discretion of the nuc supplier. Nuc supplier will post price on Midwestern Beekeepers Association Nuc/Queen Marketplace webpage.
    5. All sales revenues go to the nuc provider.
    6. Origin and/or age of queen must be noted on Midwestern Beekeepers Association Nuc/Queen Marketplace webpage.
    7. It is the intention of the Initiative, that all queens be of local stock and locally mated. In order to meet these requirements, a successful queen rearing education program needs to be implemented.

      -In order to meet the Initiative demands, we are waiving local queen requirements as long as, all mated queens originate from ABOVE THE 36th PARALLEL, (“Rule of 36”)
      -An exception to the “Rule of 36” is the acquisition of queen cells or virgin queens from below the 36th parallel, as long as those queen cells and virgin queens originate from instrumentally inseminated breeder stock. An example would be, queen cells purchased from Dave Miska in Groveland, Florida. Miska’ queen cells are grafted from the eggs of instrumentally inseminated breeder queens.
    8. All nucs must contain new or like-new frames with fully drawn foundation and known to be healthy and free from American Foulbrood.
    9. All nucs must contain a minimum of two (2) frames of brood covered with bees, with a healthy laying queen.  A frame of brood will be a minimum of 75% full of brood on each side of the frame.
    10. The nuc buyer and supplier will make arrangements for the nuc transfer.
    11. Failure to abide by these guidelines will result in the removal from the Midwestern Beekeepers Association Nuc/Queen Marketplace webpage.

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