5 Frame Italian Hybrid Honey Bee Nuc with Marked Queen – 2027 Iowa Pickup

5 Frame Italian Hybrid Honey Bee Nuc with Marked Queen – 2027 Iowa Pickup

Start your 2027 beekeeping season with an established 5-frame Italian Hybrid honey bee nuc featuring a professionally marked, accepted and actively laying queen.

Each nuc contains a functioning honey bee colony with adult bees, brood in multiple stages, drawn comb, pollen, feed stores and five standard deep Langstroth frames.

Because the queen is already living and laying within the colony, the bees do not need to complete the queen-introduction process normally required when starting with package bees.

The professionally marked queen is one of the most valuable features of this nuc. Many nuc suppliers do not include a marked queen. The visible mark makes it easier to locate and identify her during inspections, helping beginning beekeepers build confidence while saving experienced beekeepers valuable inspection time.

These Italian Hybrid nucs are available for scheduled pickup at Lappe’s Bee Supply in East Peru, Iowa. They are not available for shipping.

2027 season: Nucs are tentatively expected to become available beginning in early to mid-May, depending on weather, queen performance and colony development. Availability may continue into June when seasonal conditions and inventory allow.

What You Will Receive

You will receive five standard 9-5/8-inch deep Langstroth frames containing an established Italian Hybrid honey bee colony with adult bees, brood in multiple stages, drawn comb, pollen, feed stores and a professionally marked, accepted and actively laying queen.

The five frames and colony are supplied inside a reusable plastic 5-frame Pro Nuc box designed for deep Langstroth frames.

No frame exchange is required, and the plastic Pro Nuc box does not need to be returned.

Quick Answer

A 5-frame Italian Hybrid honey bee nuc is a small, established colony containing five deep Langstroth frames, adult bees, developing brood, drawn comb, food stores and an accepted laying queen.

Every Lappe’s Bee Supply Italian Hybrid nuc includes a professionally marked queen to make her easier to locate during inspections. The colony is supplied in a reusable plastic Pro Nuc box and is available for scheduled pickup in East Peru, Iowa. This product cannot be shipped.

At a Glance

The Lappe’s Marked Queen Advantage

Every Italian Hybrid nuc includes a professionally marked queen.

The queen can be difficult to find among thousands of moving worker bees. Lighting, crowding, comb color and beekeeper experience can all affect how quickly she is located.

A visible paint mark on the queen’s thorax helps her stand out from the surrounding bees.

Why a Marked Queen Matters

• Easier queen identification: The paint mark helps distinguish the queen from worker bees.
• More efficient inspections: Less time searching can mean less disruption to the colony.
• Greater beginner confidence: Locating the queen is often one of the most difficult skills for a new beekeeper to develop.
• Better queen monitoring: The mark helps confirm whether the original queen remains in the colony.
• Clearer requeening decisions: An unmarked replacement queen may indicate that the colony has superseded the original queen.
• Lower risk of accidental injury: Identifying the queen quickly helps the beekeeper avoid crushing or rolling her between frames.
• More useful brood inspections: The beekeeper can compare the queen’s presence with eggs, larvae, capped brood and the overall brood pattern.

The mark is an identification aid, but it does not replace normal colony evaluation. Fresh eggs, young larvae, brood pattern, population, food stores and colony behavior remain important signs of queen and colony performance.

Meet Your Queen

Your queen arrives as the established reproductive queen of the nuc rather than as a newly introduced queen in a separate cage.

She is young, naturally mated, accepted by the worker bees and actively laying before the nuc is released for pickup. The developing brood included in the nuc provides visible evidence of her recent activity.

Why an Accepted Queen Is Important

A package of bees generally arrives with a queen in a separate cage. The colony must release and accept her before normal brood production can begin.

In a nuc, the queen and worker bees are already functioning together as an established colony. The workers recognize her pheromones, care for her and tend the brood she has produced.

What to Look for During Inspections

You do not need to physically find the queen during every inspection. Evidence that she is present and laying may include:

• Fresh eggs positioned in the bottoms of cells
• Young larvae surrounded by brood food
• Older open larvae
• Capped worker brood
• A developing brood pattern
• Worker bees calmly tending the brood nest
• The marked queen moving across a brood frame

Once you see eggs or very young larvae, you have recent evidence of queen activity. Continuing to search through every frame solely to locate her may create unnecessary disruption unless there is a specific reason to confirm her physical presence.

Protecting the Queen During an Inspection

• Remove an outside frame first to create working space.
• Lift brood frames slowly and vertically.
• Avoid rolling bees between adjacent frames.
• Keep frames over the open hive while inspecting them.
• Check frame edges before returning frames to the hive.
• Return frames in their original order and orientation unless a management reason requires otherwise.

What Is Included with Your Italian Hybrid Nuc?

• Five standard 9-5/8-inch deep Langstroth frames
• A young, mated Italian Hybrid queen
• A queen already accepted by the colony
• A professionally marked queen
• An actively laying queen
• Worker bees
• Nurse bees caring for developing brood
• Drones when naturally present
• Brood in multiple stages of development
• Drawn comb
• Pollen stores
• Feed or nectar stores
• A reusable plastic 5-frame Pro Nuc box

No frame exchange is required. You do not need to bring replacement frames when picking up your nuc.

The plastic Pro Nuc box does not need to be returned. It becomes yours after pickup and may be useful later for swarm collection, colony splits, queen work, temporary colony management or safe bee transport.

About the Included Plastic Pro Nuc Box

Your colony is supplied in a reusable plastic Pro Nuc box designed to hold five standard 9-5/8-inch deep Langstroth frames.

The plastic Pro Nuc box provides a secure temporary container for the colony during scheduled pickup and transportation. It may also be reused later for appropriate beekeeping purposes after the colony has been transferred into its permanent hive.

Possible future uses include:

• Making a colony split
• Temporarily holding a small colony
• Transporting compatible deep frames
• Holding a captured swarm when appropriate

The Pro Nuc box is not intended to replace the properly prepared full-size hive that your colony will need as it develops.

After installation, clean and store the empty Pro Nuc box appropriately before using it with another colony.

Learn more about the 5 Frame Plastic Pro Nuc Box.

What Your Nuc Should Look Like

A healthy nuc is more than five frames covered with adult bees. It is a functioning colony containing a queen, developing brood, adult workers, drawn comb and stored food.

The appearance of each frame will vary. Honey bee colonies do not arrange brood, pollen and nectar identically, and conditions can change with temperature, forage, queen activity and time of day.

Brood in Multiple Stages

The nuc may contain:

• Eggs
• Young larvae
• Older open larvae
• Capped worker brood
• Emerging adult bees

Brood in several stages indicates continuing queen activity over time. The amount and placement of each stage will vary between colonies.

Adult Bees

The colony includes nurse bees, house bees, foragers and other adult workers performing different roles. Drones may also be present when the colony is naturally maintaining them.

Bee coverage can change during the day. On a warm foraging day, many adult bees may be outside collecting pollen, nectar, propolis or water.

Drawn Comb

The five frames contain drawn comb so the queen has cells available for laying and workers have space for brood and food storage.

Our nucs are started with newer beekeeping equipment. Frames contain newly drawn to approximately one-year-old comb on wooden frames with wax-coated plastic foundation.

Pollen and Feed Stores

Pollen supports brood rearing, while nectar, honey or supplemental feed provides carbohydrates for adult bees and colony activity.

The exact amount of stored food will vary with season, weather, forage and colony consumption.

Normal Variation

No two living colonies are visually identical. Differences in brood placement, adult bee coverage and food distribution are normal.

The colony should be evaluated as a functioning whole rather than compared frame by frame with a fixed photograph.

Lappe’s Healthy Colony Standards

Our goal is to provide a functioning nuc that is ready to transfer into a properly prepared Langstroth hive.

Before a nuc is released for pickup, we evaluate the colony as a whole using standards that include:

• Accepted queen: The queen is established with the colony rather than awaiting introduction.
• Marked queen: The queen is marked to help customers locate and identify her.
• Active laying: The colony contains brood produced by the queen.
• Developing brood: Brood is present in stages appropriate to colony development.
• Adult bee population: The colony has workers capable of tending brood and continuing normal hive activity.
• Food resources: Pollen and feed stores are present.
• Usable equipment: The colony is supplied on five deep wooden frames with wax-coated plastic foundation and drawn comb.
• Colony organization: The bees are functioning together around an established queen.
• Pickup inspection: Customers may inspect the nuc before deciding whether to accept it.

Newer Frames and Comb

Our nucs are started with new beekeeping equipment rather than old brood comb from unknown sources.

The included frames contain newly drawn to approximately one-year-old comb. Using newer equipment provides a more controlled foundation and avoids transferring the colony entirely on heavily aged comb with an uncertain history.

About Italian Hybrid Honey Bees

These nucs feature Minnesota Hygienic Italian honey bees crossed with Carniolan stock.

This pairing is intended to combine useful traits associated with Italian bees, hygienic behavior and Carniolan-influenced colony performance.

Italian Hybrid colonies are commonly chosen for traits such as:

• Generally manageable behavior
• Active brood production
• Strong spring development
• Comb-building potential
• Honey-production potential
• Hive cleanliness
• Productive foraging populations

Breed descriptions represent general tendencies rather than guarantees. Queen genetics, drone genetics, weather, forage, colony health, pesticide exposure, Varroa pressure and beekeeper management can all affect colony behavior and performance.

Temperament

Italian bees are often selected for comparatively manageable behavior. However, any colony may become more defensive during poor weather, nectar shortages, robbing, queen problems, repeated disturbance or animal pressure.

Gentleness cannot be guaranteed for the lifetime of a colony. Colonies may also replace their original queen, changing the genetics of future workers.

Brood Production and Spring Buildup

Italian-influenced colonies may maintain active brood production when food, space and weather conditions are favorable.

Strong brood production can help a colony build population, but it also increases food consumption. Beekeepers should monitor food stores and available brood space, especially during cold, rainy or low-forage periods.

Comb Building and Honey Production

A healthy Italian Hybrid colony can build comb and develop a substantial foraging population when sufficient bees, warmth, food and available foundation are present.

Purchasing a nuc does not guarantee a honey crop during the first season. Honey production depends on colony strength, local forage, weather, installation timing, swarm prevention, queen performance, Varroa management and properly timed equipment.

Hygienic Behavior and Varroa Management

Hygienic behavior refers to the ability of worker bees to detect and remove damaged, dead or unhealthy brood.

Hygienic traits can support colony health, but they do not make a colony immune to Varroa mites, viruses or brood disease.

Every colony still requires routine Varroa monitoring and appropriate management.

Italian Nuc Versus Package Bees

A nuc and a package both provide live honey bees, but they create different starting experiences.

A nuc may be the better choice when you want an established colony with brood already developing and a queen that has already been accepted.

A package may be the better choice when you want greater equipment flexibility, earlier seasonal availability or the experience of starting a colony from loose bees.

Neither option eliminates the need for feeding, inspections, queen monitoring, Varroa management and seasonal care.

Browse our live honey bees, nucs, queens and package bees.

Is This the Right Nuc for You?

This Italian Hybrid nuc may be a good choice when you:

• Want an established colony instead of loose package bees
• Prefer a queen that is already accepted and laying
• Value the inspection advantage of a professionally marked queen
• Want brood, comb and food stores included
• Can pick up the nuc in East Peru, Iowa
• Have a prepared deep Langstroth hive
• Can transport the nuc in a climate-controlled vehicle
• Are prepared to feed when weather or forage conditions require it
• Understand that every colony requires Varroa monitoring
• Want Italian Hybrid bees with Minnesota Hygienic and Carniolan influence

This nuc may not be the right choice when you:

• Need live bees shipped to your location
• Do not have compatible deep Langstroth equipment
• Cannot provide safe, climate-controlled transportation
• Will not have a prepared hive ready before pickup
• Expect hygienic genetics to eliminate mite management
• Require a guarantee that colony temperament will never change

Building the Perfect Hive for Your Nuc

Your receiving hive should be fully assembled, placed and ready before you leave to pick up the bees.

The nuc contains five standard 9-5/8-inch deep Langstroth frames. Your receiving brood box must accept deep Langstroth frames.

The five nuc frames may be transferred into a compatible 8-frame or 10-frame deep brood box. Keep the nuc frames together and fill all remaining spaces with compatible deep frames.

Essential Hive Components

Essential Beekeeping Tools

• Bee smoker
• Hive tool
• Protective veil, jacket or bee suit
• Bee gloves when needed
• Feeder and suitable feed
• Varroa monitoring supplies

Browse our double wax-dipped bee hives and components, beekeeping tools and smokers, and protective clothing and bee suits.

Prepare the Apiary Location

Choose and prepare the permanent hive location before bringing the nuc home. Consider:

• Stable, level support
• Good drainage
• Safe beekeeper access
• Adequate airflow
• Morning sunlight when available
• A dependable water source
• Protection from repeated disturbance
• A clear flight path
• Reasonable separation from walkways, livestock and neighboring activity

2027 Iowa Pickup Information

These nucs are available for scheduled pickup only at Lappe’s Bee Supply in East Peru, Iowa.

Nucs are not shipped because they contain brood, drawn comb, food stores and a functioning colony that can be placed under significant stress by uncontrolled transit conditions.

Availability is tentatively expected to begin in early to mid-May and may continue through June when weather, queen performance, colony development and inventory allow.

These dates are estimates rather than guaranteed release dates. Honey bee development depends on temperature, forage, mating weather and other seasonal conditions.

How Pickup Scheduling Works

1. Place your order through the product page.
2. Provide an email address that you monitor regularly.
3. Wait for notification that your nuc is ready.
4. Schedule an available pickup date and time.
5. Prepare your hive, transportation and protective equipment before pickup.
6. Inspect the nuc when it is presented to you.
7. Accept the nuc only after you are satisfied with its condition.

Do not arrive for pickup until your appointment has been scheduled.

Equipment Ordered with Your Nuc

Equipment and supplies placed on the same order as your nuc will be held and made available at pickup.

If you want equipment shipped before nuc pickup so that your hive can be assembled and positioned in advance, place the equipment on a separate order.

Safe Transportation Requirements

Your nuc must be transported inside a climate-controlled vehicle.

• Protect the nuc from chilling during cold conditions.
• Keep the vehicle air-conditioned during hot conditions.
• Never leave the nuc inside a parked vehicle.
• Keep the nuc out of direct sunlight.
• Maintain airflow around the plastic Pro Nuc box.
• Keep the Pro Nuc box secure and upright.
• Do not cover ventilation areas with equipment or luggage.
• Drive directly to the prepared apiary whenever possible.

A strong nuc produces heat, and excessive temperature can become dangerous when bees are confined.

A climate-controlled passenger area is safer than an exposed truck bed, hot trunk, enclosed trailer or unventilated cargo area.

How to Install Your 5-Frame Nuc

Transfer the nuc as soon as practical after arriving at the prepared apiary, provided the weather and daylight allow the work to be completed safely.

1. Place the permanent hive on a stable, level stand.
2. Confirm that the brood box accepts deep Langstroth frames.
3. Remove enough empty frames to create one continuous space for all five nuc frames.
4. Use cool smoke sparingly when needed.
5. Open the plastic Pro Nuc box carefully.
6. Remove an outside frame first to create working space.
7. Lift each frame slowly and keep it upright.
8. Transfer the frames in the same order and orientation.
9. Keep all five nuc frames together as one continuous brood nest.
10. Fill every remaining position with compatible deep frames.
11. Close the hive carefully without crushing bees.
12. Provide feed when weather, forage or colony stores indicate it is needed.

Do not divide the brood nest by alternating nuc frames with undrawn foundation.

Do not leave open frame spaces inside the brood box. Large empty cavities can encourage irregular comb construction.

After the remaining bees have entered the permanent hive, remove or close the empty Pro Nuc box so it does not encourage robbing.

For additional instructions, read How to Install a Honey Bee Nuc into a Hive.

Feeding and Early Colony Care

A nuc may require supplemental feed even though it contains food stores at pickup.

Feeding may be helpful when:

• Cold or rainy weather limits foraging
• Natural forage is scarce
• The colony has limited carbohydrate stores
• The bees are drawing new foundation
• The nuc is installed before a dependable nectar flow
• The colony is raising substantial brood

Monitor colony stores and local forage rather than feeding solely by the calendar.

Use a feeder that limits outside access, repair leaks quickly and avoid exposing syrup or wet equipment near the apiary. These precautions can reduce robbing pressure.

During early inspections, evaluate:

• Eggs and young larvae
• Capped brood
• Food stores
• Adult bee coverage
• Available space
• Queen cells
• Signs of robbing, pests or disease
• Varroa mite levels

Inspect with a purpose and avoid repeatedly opening the colony only to look for the marked queen.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Leaving the nuc in a hot or parked vehicle
• Waiting until pickup day to assemble the receiving hive
• Using a medium or shallow box that cannot accept deep nuc frames
• Separating the five nuc frames with empty foundation
• Leaving open frame positions inside the brood box
• Rolling or crushing bees while replacing frames
• Searching excessively for the queen when eggs or young larvae are present
• Inspecting too frequently
• Assuming the colony cannot run short of food
• Adding excessive space before the colony can occupy and defend it
• Waiting too long to provide additional space
• Assuming hygienic genetics eliminate the need for Varroa management

Highest Quality Guarantee at Pickup

Lappe’s Bee Supply offers a highest quality guarantee on each Iowa-pickup honey bee nuc.

If you are not completely satisfied with the nuc when it is presented for inspection at pickup, you do not have to accept it and may receive a complete refund of the purchase price.

You must choose one of the following options at pickup:

• Accept the nuc and take it with you; or
• Decline the nuc and receive the applicable complete purchase-price refund.

A customer may not keep the nuc and also receive a complete refund.

The highest quality guarantee ends when the customer accepts the nuc and leaves our premises with it.

After a nuc leaves our premises, it cannot be returned for refund or exchange. Colony conditions after departure are affected by transportation, installation, weather, feeding, pesticide exposure, queen handling, pests, disease, Varroa mites, robbing and other factors outside our control.

Read the complete Honey Bee Nucs Terms and Conditions before ordering.

Why Buy from Lappe’s Bee Supply?

• Commercial beekeeping experience since 1978
• Family owned and operated
• Full-service beekeeping supplier since 2015
• Professionally marked queens included with our Iowa nucs
• Accepted and actively laying queens
• Newer frames and comb rather than heavily aged comb with an unknown history
• Reusable plastic Pro Nuc box included
• No Pro Nuc box return required
• No frame exchange required
• Opportunity to inspect the nuc before accepting it
• Practical pickup support and beekeeping guidance

Customers are not simply purchasing five frames. They are purchasing the biological beginning of a full honey bee colony.

We work to provide each nuc with the accepted queen, brood, adult bees, comb and food resources needed to create a strong starting point when the colony is transported, installed and managed correctly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is included in a 5-frame Italian Hybrid honey bee nuc?

Each nuc includes five standard 9-5/8-inch deep Langstroth frames containing an established Italian Hybrid colony, adult bees, brood in multiple stages, drawn comb, pollen, feed stores and a professionally marked, accepted and actively laying queen. The colony is supplied in a reusable plastic Pro Nuc box.

Is the queen already accepted and laying?

Yes. The queen is established with the nuc colony and is actively laying before the nuc is released for pickup. She does not arrive separately in an introduction cage.

Is the queen marked?

Yes. Every Lappe’s Bee Supply Italian Hybrid nuc includes a professionally marked queen to make her easier to locate and identify during hive inspections.

Why is a marked queen valuable?

A marked queen is easier to distinguish from surrounding worker bees. This may reduce inspection time, help new beekeepers locate the queen more confidently and make it easier to determine whether the original queen remains in the colony.

Can this honey bee nuc be shipped?

No. This is an Iowa-pickup-only live bee product. Customers must pick up their nuc at Lappe’s Bee Supply in East Peru, Iowa, during a scheduled appointment.

When will 2027 nuc pickup begin?

Pickup is tentatively expected to begin in early to mid-May 2027 and may continue through June. Actual timing depends on weather, queen mating, colony development and the number of nucs that meet our standards.

What type of hive do I need?

You need a properly prepared hive that accepts standard 9-5/8-inch deep Langstroth frames. The five nuc frames may be transferred into a compatible 8-frame or 10-frame deep brood box.

Do I need to return the plastic Pro Nuc box?

No. The reusable plastic Pro Nuc box is included with your purchase and does not need to be returned.

Do I need to exchange or bring five replacement frames?

No. There is no frame exchange requirement. The five occupied deep frames supplied with the colony become part of your receiving hive.

How soon should I install the nuc after pickup?

Transfer the nuc into its prepared permanent hive as soon as practical after arriving at the apiary, provided weather and daylight allow the work to be completed safely. Do not leave the nuc inside a parked or unventilated vehicle.

Will I need to feed the colony after installation?

Supplemental feeding may be needed when cold or rainy weather limits foraging, natural forage is scarce, food stores are low or the colony is drawing new foundation. Inspect colony stores and local conditions rather than feeding only according to the calendar.

Is a nuc better than package bees?

A nuc may provide a stronger established start because it includes brood, drawn comb, food stores and a queen already accepted by the colony. Package bees offer greater equipment flexibility and may be available earlier or at a lower initial cost. The best option depends on the beekeeper’s equipment, experience and goals.

Important Terms Before Ordering

• This product is available for scheduled Iowa pickup only.
• The nuc will not be shipped.
• Pickup dates depend on weather and colony readiness.
• Customers are contacted by email to schedule pickup.
• A monitored email address must be provided.
• The receiving hive must be assembled before pickup.
• The nuc must be transported in a climate-controlled vehicle.
• The customer may inspect the nuc before acceptance.
• The customer must accept the nuc or decline it for the applicable refund.
• The nuc cannot be retained while also receiving a complete refund.
• The pickup quality guarantee ends when the accepted nuc leaves our premises.
• After departure, the nuc cannot be returned for refund or exchange.
• No frame exchange is required.
• The included plastic Pro Nuc box does not need to be returned.
• Feeding may be required depending on forage, weather and colony consumption.
• Temperament cannot be guaranteed throughout the life of the colony.
• Hygienic genetics do not eliminate the need for Varroa monitoring and treatment.

By placing an order, the customer confirms that they have read the product description and agree to the applicable live bee and nuc terms.

Review the complete Honey Bee Nucs Terms and Conditions.

Prepare Before Pickup

Before your nuc is ready, make sure you have:

• A compatible deep Langstroth hive
• A stable hive stand
• A bottom board
• A deep brood box
• Enough additional deep frames to fill the box
• An inner cover
• An outer cover
• An entrance reducer when appropriate
• A feeder and suitable feed
• A smoker
• A hive tool
• Protective clothing
• A prepared apiary location
• A dependable water source
• A climate-controlled vehicle
• A Varroa monitoring and management plan

Order Your 2027 Italian Hybrid Nuc Early

Honey bee nucs are seasonal live-bee products. Availability is limited by queen mating, colony development, weather and the number of nucs that meet our standards.

Ordering early gives you the best opportunity to reserve a 5-frame Italian Hybrid nuc with a professionally marked, accepted and actively laying queen for the 2027 Iowa pickup season.

Pickup location: Lappe’s Bee Supply & Honey Farm LLC, East Peru, Iowa.

Pickup scheduling: Customers are contacted by email when their nuc is ready.

Shipping: Not available for this product.

Before ordering: Read the complete product description and Honey Bee Nucs Terms and Conditions.