queen age in nucs

[pugbee]

Is it standard to receive a queen that is a year old in a nuc. Local beek uses year old queen in nucs and then says you need requeen in fall or spring. I'm new is this proper?Thanks

[Steel Tiger]

 I think most nucs people buy will have an overwintered queen that was breed and mated the year before. Just about everything I've read suggests that, typically, year old queens are in their prime.

[sc-bee]

Depends on when you buy the Nuc. Buy it before queen raising season early in the year and expect a year old queen / last seasons queen. Buy it later during the season and I would expect a new queen from that season.

[rwlaw]

Ya, if your getting them in the spring it'd be worth it. I've sold year old queens to fill orders in June, but told them and knocked the price down.

[ricky_arthur]

Actually I think that most nucs come with a recently introduced queen.   Unless you are specifically buying an over wintered nuc.  If buying from a reputable seller the queen should have been in there long enough to verify she is good.

[BeeMaster2]

If an older Q is used, the bees will probably superseed her about a month later as they do with a swarm. If they do, you will probably have a mother daughter pair laying together for a little while. Not a bad thing to have happen. If the new Q is lost during mating, you will still have a laying Q till they have a new Q.
Jim