>Which of these two approaches is best for rapid development of a new colony? Is it typical in the Pacific Northwest for both to be available at the same time?
When it comes to all things being equal (such as you want deeps and deep nucs are available, you want mediums and mediums are available, or you don't want put them in a Warre' or a TBH, they are on small cell and you want small cell or they are on large cell and you want large cell) then the nuc is an advantage. But there's nothing wrong with a package and it is simpler if you don't have them on the size frames or cell size you want to use.