A lively discussion was had today on one of the many Facebook beekeeping groups. I try to limit my time with those rabbit holes, but it is fun and worth it to help newer beekeepers when I can. The discussion this afternoon revolved around a topic posted by the moderator: "Explain the difference between Nucs, Swarms, and Packages and which is better."
Definitions
First, some definitions are in order to ensure we're talking about the same thing. The following definitions are good and taken from Michael Bush:
Swarm ― A temporary collection of bees, containing at least one queen that split apart from the mother colony to establish a new one; a natural method of propagation of honey bee colonies.
Nucleus ("Nuc") ― A small colony of bees often used in queen rearing or the box in which the small colony of bees resides. The term refers to the fact that the essentials, bees, brood, food, a queen or the means to make one, are there for it to grow into a colony, but it is not a full sized colony.
Package Bees ― A quantity of adult bees (2 to 5 pounds), with or without a queen, contained in a screened shipping cage.
For purposes of this blog post, I'm going to focus on nucleus vs. package as swarms are not typically the beginning point for a new beekeeper. That said, new beekeeper, if you can get your hands on a swarm in spring, don't pass it up! Free bees are great gift in Spring or early Summer.
The reality is that most beekeepers start out their journey with package bees, some even unaware of what a nucleus colony ("nuc") is and what it offers. As a side note: This is a great item to cover with beginners in winter and early spring during bee club meetings before purchasing of hives and bees begin. A good club should be helping their new initiates clearly understand the pros and cons of both nucs and packages.
Following is a brief comparison (not definitive by any stretch) of both.
Package Bees ― Pros and Cons
Pros