What is a nuc in beekeeping?

A nuc, short for nucleus colony, is a small hive that typically contains a queen bee, a small number of worker bees, and a few frames of brood and honey. This compact setup is primarily used for starting new colonies or for rearing queens. Nucs are valuable in beekeeping as they provide an easy way to increase hive numbers, manage and survive colony losses, or even temporarily house bees during management operations.

In contrast, the other options do not accurately define a nuc: a type of honeycomb structure refers to the physical layout of cells where bees store honey and raise brood, a method of honey extraction pertains to various techniques used to harvest honey from hives, and a disease affecting honeybees would describe health issues that can impact bee populations rather than the practical structure used by beekeepers for expansion or management of their colonies.