Starting out in beekeeping can be tough. There’s a lot that can go wrong, and most people feel nervous every time they lift the lid. We keep things simple. You get a strong, healthy colony of calm bees on Langstroth frames, a mated Buckfast queen, and we’re here for every question that follows.
Order your Langstroth nuc with free UK delivery
Five frames of calm Buckfast bees, live arrival guaranteed. Live arrival guaranteed, or we replace them free.
What is a Langstroth nuc?
A nuc, short for nucleus colony, is a small but fully working hive. You get a laying queen, worker bees, and frames of brood in all stages. It’s the easiest way to start beekeeping, because the colony is already up and running rather than something you build from scratch.
“Langstroth” refers to the frame size. A Langstroth nuc is built on Langstroth frames, so it drops straight into a Langstroth brood box with no faff. If you run a Langstroth hive, or a Flow Hive, this is the nuc you want. Flow Hives use Langstroth frames, so our Langstroth nucs fit them perfectly.
Langstroth or National, which do you need?
Your nuc has to match your hive, and this catches out a lot of new beekeepers.
- Langstroth hive or Flow Hive? You want a Langstroth nuc. The frames fit straight in.
- National hive? You want a National nuc instead, because National frames are a different size. Have a look at our National Nucs.
If you haven’t bought a hive yet and you’re still weighing up the options, get in touch before you order. We’ll talk it through so your bees and your equipment match.
Why buy your Langstroth nuc from us
- Calm by design. Temperament is our number one breeding priority. Our bees are calm, placid, and prolific, so you look forward to opening the hive instead of dreading it.
- Pure Buckfast genetics. Our queens come from Buckfast breeder lines with more than 75 years of combined family expertise behind them, selected for calm handling, disease resistance, and strong honey production.
- A box you keep. Your colony arrives in a Paynes poly nuc box, and it’s yours to keep. Handy for catching swarms, making splits, or housing a backup colony later in the season.
- Safe arrival, guaranteed. Every nuc ships by Royal Mail Special Delivery. If your colony arrives in poor condition, we’ll put it right. No arguments.
- Support every step of the way. Help before, during, and after your bees arrive, plus guides and videos that answer most questions before you need to ask. There are no silly questions.
We’re DASH accredited and members of the Bee Farmers Association.
Which Langstroth nuc is right for you?
We offer two Langstroth starter colonies. Both are calm F1 Buckfast, both are five frames. The difference is timing.
Overwintered. Our Overwintered Starter Colony – Langstroth was built last summer and has already come through a UK winter. The queen is proven, the workers are experienced, and the colony builds fast in spring. Available March to May, and it sells out quickly. This is the head start.
Summer. Our Summer Starter Colony – Langstroth is freshly raised each season with a new mated queen. Available May to July, it’s a great choice for first-timers learning during the active months. This is the fresh start.
Still deciding? Browse the full Starter Colonies range, or get in touch and we’ll help you pick.
What’s included
Every Langstroth nuc includes:
- Five frames in a ventilated Paynes poly nuc box, yours to keep
- Three to four frames of brood in all stages
- One to two frames of stores for the journey
- One mated, marked Buckfast queen, marked with the year colour
- Frames less than 12 months old, because we don’t recycle dark old comb from production colonies
- A colony already treated for Varroa
Getting your colony home
Setting up is simpler than most people fear. Have your Langstroth hive ready before your bees arrive, then transfer them when the weather’s right and you’ve got time. The nuc comes in a proper poly box with room to spare, so there’s no rush to move them the moment they land.
You’ll get introduction and setup guides with your order, and you can contact us at any point if you get stuck. Our guide, How to look after your bees through the year, walks through the seasonal jobs once your colony is settled. If you’re brand new, start with Getting Started in Beekeeping.
What beekeepers say
Learn why beekeepers choose us.Nucleus
I bought a langstroth nucleus in May from Lawrence at black mountain honey and they have settled in really well and are filling the hive a great company to deal with
Recommended by a Friend
I first came across Lawrence and his operation via a friend who told me they had used him and that his bees were great. So I got in touch asking about langstroth nucs and had a very quick prompt and helpful reply. I then placed my order for the bees!
To be clear at the time of writing I have yet to actually receive my bees, but the help and guidance I have received from Lawrence has been second to none. I would not hesitate to recommend him to anybody.
Great company
I first came across Lawrence and his operation via a friend who told me they had used him and that his bees were great. So I got in touch asking about langstroth nucs and had a very quick prompt and helpful reply. I then placed my order for the bees!
To be clear at the time of writing I have yet to actually receive my bees, but the help and guidance I have received from Lawrence has been second to none. I would not hesitate to recommend him to anybody.
Common Questions
Yes. Flow Hives use Langstroth frames, which is exactly what this colony is built on. If you’ve got a Flow Hive, a Langstroth nuc is the right choice.
Summer nucs are raised fresh each season from a split and a new mated queen. Overwintered nucs were built last summer and have spent the winter as an established colony, so the queen is proven and the colony arrives further ahead. An overwintered nuc gives you a head start, a summer nuc gives you a fresh start.
Overwintered Langstroth nucs are available from March to May and sell out fast, often by January. Summer Langstroth nucs run from May to July. We dispatch in strict date order, first come first served, so it pays to order early.
Your nuc ships in a free Paynes poly nuc box via Royal Mail Special Delivery. It’s a signature-required, tracked service, so make sure someone is in to receive it. We’ve shipped thousands of colonies this way and they arrive in excellent condition.
Yes. You’ll need a Langstroth or Flow Hive set up and waiting. If you’re not sure what to buy, ask us before you order, or work through the equipment guidance in The 14-Day Beekeeper. Because your nuc comes in a proper poly box, there’s no panic to transfer straight away.
Quite possibly. Six frames build faster than five, and an overwintered colony has the best chance because it’s already established when it arrives. It depends on your local forage and the weather, so we won’t promise it, but plenty of our customers do get a harvest in year one.
Contact us straight away with a photo of what you’ve received and we’ll put it right. Our failure rate is below 0.05%, but if anything goes wrong we stand behind every colony we send.
Everything. Reach us before, during, or after your colony arrives, and ask as many questions as you like. There are no silly questions. We’ve also got a big library of YouTube videos, guides, and live streams covering most of what you’ll meet as a beekeeper.
Order your Langstroth nuc with free UK delivery
Five frames of calm Buckfast bees, live arrival guaranteed. Live arrival guaranteed, or we replace them free.
