First NUC

[billdean]

I finally got a nuc to see and compare to my packages that I installed the first of May. When I went and picked it up, the guy came in from his apiary carrying a 10 frame med. He sat it on the back of my truck and said for me to get my hive body he requested me to bring. He took out 6 frames and put them in my provided 8 frame hive body. As he was doing that he showed me all the capped brood, honey and pollen as he was putting them in. He gave me 4 completely full frames of capped brood, eggs, and larvae of different stages along with 2 frames of honey and pollen along with a lot of bees and showed me the queen. It seemed like a lot from what I have read a nuc is. Well anyway I have a question concerning the nuc. He doesn't treat for mites. He has 100rds and 100rds of hives and is very well known in the community so who am I to question the way he runs his business. My question is should I be treating that nuc now for mites. I have the OA Vaporizer and all the safety equipment?

[Oblio13]

Treating for mites without knowing if mites are a problem is like taking chemotherapy in case you have cancer. A mite count would be the logical first step if you are concerned. Otherwise, I wouldn't worry about it until August where you are.

[flyboy]

Sounds to me like you got a very nice nuc.  Congrats and welcome to the club.

Treating for varroa can itself weaken the hive. However I am not experienced enough to advise you.

[iddee]

+1 for oblio.
Check and treat only if needed.

[cao]

+2 for oblio.

+1 for iddee.

[BeeMaster2]

I have been keeping bees for 6 years now and have never treated for mites. I check my dry oil trays on a regular basis. I see very few mites even after the trays have been in there for a week or more.
If your seller did not treat, then you will also not have to treat. The bees have figured it out.
They same thing happened when wax moths came here in the late 1800s. Hives were being killed by them by the thousands. When was the last time you heard someone say wax moths killed a hive.
The bees figured out how to deal with them.
Jim