Summer.
Notice the electronet bear fence around the apiary. It stays up all year round as you can see in the winter picture below.
Even though the hives are buried by snow, the steady tick of the fence charger warns bears to keep away. In New England, bears often emerge throughout the winter months, now even more often as the winters become milder.
Purchasing nucs.
Heathwing Apiary sells both Slovenian and Langstroph nucs every Spring. Nucs consist of five drawn frames with bees and a laying queen. Contact us for availability.
Electric fencing is the only way to keep your hives safe from bear attacks, no matter what style you have. http://wellscroft.com has complete bee fence packages of all sizes, along with the expertise to advise you for your particular needs.