Collection: Nucs and NUC Boxes

Nucs and NUC Boxes for Sale in Australia: Live 5-Frame Nucs, Wooden, Corflute and Insulated Nucleus Hives

Looking to buy a nuc or a NUC box in Australia? Whether you are starting your first colony, taking a split from a strong hive, catching a swarm or raising queens, this is the page for it. Beekeeping Gear stocks live 5-frame nucs with a mated Italian queen for pickup from our Sydney and QLD stores, plus a full range of nucleus hive boxes in timber, corflute, plastic, insulated and double-colony designs that ship Australia wide.

Every box here holds standard full depth Langstroth frames, so frames move straight between your nuc and your main hives. If you are not sure which option suits your apiary, the guide below walks through each one, and our team of working beekeepers is a phone call away on 1300 692 766.

What Is a Nuc, and Why Do Beekeepers Use NUC Boxes?

A nuc (short for nucleus colony) is a small, established colony of bees on four or five frames: brood at all stages, honey and pollen stores, nurse bees, foragers and a laying queen. A NUC box is the compact hive that houses it. Because the space matches the size of the colony, the bees stay warm, defend the entrance easily and build up quickly instead of struggling in a half-empty brood box.

Beekeepers keep a few nuc boxes on hand for:

• Starting a new hive with a live nuc, the fastest and most reliable way to begin beekeeping
• Taking splits from strong hives to prevent swarming and grow the apiary
• Catching swarms, with a box light enough to carry up a ladder
• Queen rearing and mating, housing a small colony while a new queen mates and starts laying
• Requeening and queen banking, keeping a spare queen alive on a few frames
• Moving bees safely between sites, markets and customers
• Overwintering small colonies that would not cope in a full-size box

Live 5-Frame Nucs with a Mated Italian Queen (Sydney and QLD Pickup)

Our live 5-frame nuc with a mated Italian queen is the quickest way to start a productive hive. Each nuc comes with five frames of bees (roughly 3,000 to 4,000 gentle Italian bees), brood already developing and a healthy mated queen that the colony has accepted. Prices start from $395.

• Don't have a hive yet? Choose the option that includes an OZ ARMOUR full depth brood box, fully assembled and painted white, so your bees have a proper home from day one
• Pickup only from our Granville NSW showroom or our Meadowbrook QLD store. Live bees cannot be couriered. Collection is on Saturdays and we call you a couple of days before your nuc is ready
• NSW beekeepers must supply a valid hive registration number before the order can be processed

Prefer a different starting point? We also sell mated Italian queen bees year round and live package bees for NSW pickup in season. See the full range of live bees for sale, or pair your nuc with one of our beekeeping starter kits that include the suit, smoker and hive tool.

Our Range of NUC Boxes

Wooden NUC Hives (New Zealand Pine)

• Wooden 5-frame NUC box, flat pack with assembled lid (from $69.99). Premium New Zealand pine box, galvanised top lid, bottom board with risers and cleats, and an optional transport cover. The best value timber nuc for splits you plan to grow into full hives. Prime and paint before use.
• Wooden NUC beehive, assembled and painted (from $108.99). Ready to use out of the box, painted white to reflect heat, with optional wax-embedded frames and NUC cover. Ideal if you want to collect a live nuc and transfer the bees the same day.

Corflute NUC Boxes (Lightweight and Weatherproof)

• Hive Doctor Smart NUC box, 5-frame full depth ($50.99). UV-rated waterproof corflute with patented heat sealing, a clip-on smart lock lid (no straps), adjustable ventilation, stackable to 80 kg and an optional queen excluder for direct splits.
• Hive Doctor Smart NUC box, 7-frame full depth ($56.49). The same insulated design with two extra frames of room, good for stronger splits and longer stays before the colony moves up.
• Corflute NUC boxes, full depth flat pack, pack of 30 ($380). The bulk option for clubs, swarm collectors and commercial beekeepers. Each box folds together in minutes without tools and the whole stack stores flat.

Plastic and Insulated NUC Boxes

• Pro Nuc box for transport and queen mating ($34.99). Tough recyclable plastic that fits Langstroth, Dadant and British frames, feeding ports at both ends that take a standard drink bottle, adjustable side vents, a push-pull entrance with landing board, and stackable five high. 580 x 285 x 285 mm, 1.7 kg.
• Insulated double NUC box with top feeder and mesh floor ($72.99). Two separate colonies in one insulated body, divided by a solid PVC partition with entrances facing front and rear. The mesh floor drops small hive beetles into a tray below, and the built-in top feeder means you feed without opening the box.

Which NUC Box Is Right for You?

Nuc Accessories Worth Adding

• A tie-on mesh transport cover for hives and nucs ($25.49), a zip-up mesh transport cover ($29.99) or the mesh transport covers pack of 5 ($104.49). Bees stay contained and air keeps moving, so the colony does not overheat in the car
• A 5-frame NUC hive mat ($15.49) to sit under the lid and steady temperature and moisture
• Frames and foundation so the nuc has drawn comb or fresh foundation to build on
• Bee feeders and feed to give a new split or swarm a fast start
• Varroa and pest control products, because every new colony should be monitored from day one
• Queen rearing supplies if you plan to raise your own queens in mating nucs

How to Move a Nuc into a Full Hive

Once the frames are covered in bees and the queen is laying well, it is time to transfer. Set up a full depth brood box or a complete wooden beehive on the same spot the nuc stood, facing the same way. Suit up in a ventilated bee suit and beekeeping gloves, give the entrance a few puffs from your bee smoker, then lift each frame across in the same order and the same way round, keeping the brood together in the centre. Fill the remaining space with frames of foundation, add a feeder if there is no flow on, and leave the colony alone for a week before the first inspection. Our hive tools and accessories page has everything for the job, and the Beekeeping Gear blog covers splits and hive management in more detail.

Why Buy Nucs and NUC Boxes from Beekeeping Gear?

• Real beekeepers, real advice. Our team keep bees and sell nucs every season, so you get a recommendation, not a sales pitch
• Two showrooms. Granville NSW (next to Clyde train station) and Meadowbrook QLD, both open Monday to Saturday
• Every box type in one place. Timber, corflute, plastic, insulated and double nucs, all sized for full depth Langstroth frames
• Boxes and accessories ship Australia wide from our NSW and QLD locations. Live nucs are pickup only
• Trusted by Australian beekeepers since 2016, and home of the OZ ARMOUR protective clothing brand

Important Notes Before You Order

• Live nucs are pickup only and seasonal. Call ahead to confirm availability before travelling
• Register as a beekeeper with your state Department of Primary Industries before you collect bees. NSW customers must provide a hive registration number at purchase
• Varroa mite is now established in Australia. Have a monitoring plan and APVMA-permitted treatments ready before your bees arrive
• Timber nuc boxes need paint. Prime and paint or seal the wooden flat pack before use to protect it from moisture and splitting
• Stock moves fast in spring. Order boxes early so you are ready when a swarm or a split opportunity turns up

Frequently Asked Questions

How many frames are in a nuc?
Most nucs in Australia are five full depth frames. Our live nucs come with five frames of bees, brood and stores plus a mated Italian queen, and the Hive Doctor 7-frame box gives a little more room for stronger splits.

How long can bees stay in a nuc box?
In spring a healthy nuc covers five frames within a few weeks. Once bees cover every frame and the queen is laying well, move them into a full brood box, or they may swarm.

Can I have a live nuc shipped?
No. Live nucs and package bees are pickup only from our Sydney and QLD stores. All NUC boxes and accessories ship Australia wide.

What is the difference between a nuc and package bees?
A nuc is an established colony on drawn comb with brood already developing, so it builds up faster. A package is loose bees with a caged queen and no comb, which costs less but takes longer to establish.

Is corflute or timber better for a nuc box?
Corflute is lighter, cheaper, weatherproof and quick to fold, so it suits swarm catching, transport and short stays. Timber is sturdier for long-term use and for leaving a split to build up on site. Many beekeepers keep both.

Do nuc boxes fit standard Langstroth frames?
Yes. Every box in this collection takes standard full depth Langstroth frames, so frames move between your nuc and your main hives without modification.

Order Your Nuc or NUC Box Today

Browse the range above and check out online for Australia-wide delivery on boxes and accessories. To reserve a live 5-frame nuc, call 1300 692 766, send us a message, or drop into our Granville NSW or Meadowbrook QLD showroom and talk to a beekeeper. See shipping and returns for delivery times.