2026
Nucleus Colonies for Sale
Get your over-wintered Colorado bees from Free Range Beehives in spring, 2026!
Colorado Honeybees
We are passionate about our bees and take great pride in raising healthy, gentle, productive bees. All of our nucs contain bees that have over-wintered here on the Colorado front range. Our queens are a combination of Italian and Carniolan stock.
Establishing a new nuc requires care and attention. New colonies need to be fed sugar syrup and a pollen substitute (pollen patty) while they are building up. This allows them to build comb if necessary and keep their stomachs full while their foraging force is building. Lack of sufficient food will limit growth and can potentially allow diseases to take hold.
30-Day Guarantee
We spend countless hours inspecting our bees, feeding when necessary, and treating for mites prior to delivering your nuc. However, bees are wild animals and transporting and re-establishing colonies can be stressful. Weather and local conditions can have an impact on how fast your colonies grow. If you are unhappy with your colony or if something goes wrong, let us know within 30 days and we will replace it.
When to Return a Nuc
Free Range Beehives is here to help you establish your new colony. If you ever have any questions, do not hesitate to call us. Here are some things to watch that may indicate a need to replace your bees:
Low population - if you are feeding your bees but your colony is not growing, your queen may not be performing. Sometimes queens are affected by transportation.
Queen cells - if your bees have built queen cells, look for eggs and your queen. If you can’t find her or any eggs, she may have been lost during transportation.
Disease - if you feel your colony has contracted a disease, send us photos and we can help diagnose the issue. If your colony has contracted a disease, it is a candidate for replacement.
