What Is A Bee Package
Package bees simulate how bees in the wild start a new colony: by sending out a queen with a swarm of workers. A package of honey bees contains approximately three pounds of workers, as well as a young, new queen who is tucked away in a protective cage amongst the workers. It typically also contains a can of sugar syrup to keep the bees fed while they are in transit. Betterbees bee packages come from Georgia and are transported by truck to our location in Greenwich, New York shortly after packaging.
Package bees are cheaper, and the installation window for a package of bees is flexible.
Because youre adding your bees to your hive, rather than installing a nuc that includes honeycomb, youre less likely to introduce brood diseases via a package. However, package bees must start growing from scratch theres no comb, honey, or brood included.
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Italian Package Bees
Our Italian bee packages are grown here in Georgia and each shipment will have a Georgia Department of Agriculture Health Certificate attached. Over 90% of beekeepers have Italian Bees in their hives. We highly recommend new beekeepers to start beekeeping with Italian bees because they are the most gentle of all honey bees. Our package bees include: a screen box, sugar water container or fondant blocks, approx. +/- 3 lbs. of bees which include nurse bees, forager bees, guard bees, and drone bees. The queen bee will be in a separate queen cage. To learn more about Italian honey bees click here.
Where And When To Purchase Honey Bees
After youve done the research and prepared your bee yard, the next step is ordering your honey bees but where do beginning beekeepers get their first bees? Explore this part of our beekeeping guide to learn how to order bees, the differences between a package and nuc , and what happens if you only need to purchase a queen.
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Where To Buy Honey Bees
Most of the suppliers in the US are found in the South. States like Florida and Georgia are centers of honey bee rearing on a very large scale.
Their short mild winters are ideal for colony growth. Honey bee colonies living in the South will be large productive colonies when northern winter lingers.
This is why most of the bee package producers are in Georgia. Are these southern bees suited for life in other climates? This is a topic of great debate.
Purchasing colonies local to your region could be helpful. However, cooler regions will not have large quantities ready early in the season. If you miss the nectar flow you may miss the chance to make a honey crop.
How To Buy Honey Bees
This article was co-authored by David Williams. David Williams is a Professional Beekeeper and Bee Removal Specialist with over 28 years of beekeeping experience. He is the Owner of Bzz Bee Removal, a bee removal company based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Bzz Bee Removal locates, captures, and transports bees to local beekeepers to prevent colony collapse disorder.There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 100% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 112,417 times.
Beekeeping is on the rise as more people become aware of the benefits of homegrown honey. Many people use honey to sweeten food in a much healthier way than sugar. Local honey may also help in the management of allergies because bees make honey from local allergens. Once you have decided that you want to join this beekeeping movement, you will need to learn how to buy honey bees for your hive.
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Meta Quest 2 Bundle For $350 Is The Best Vr Buy Right Now
The best VR headset comes with Beat Saber and Resident Evil 4, too.
Scott Stein
Editor at Large
I started with CNET reviewing laptops in 2009. Now I explore wearable tech, VR/AR, tablets, gaming and future/emerging trends in our changing world. Other obsessions include magic, immersive theater, puzzles, board games, cooking, improv and the New York Jets.
The best VR headset right now is still the Meta Quest 2, and a limited sale bundle called the Meta Quest 2 Special Edition brings its price back down to make up for the $100 price hike it got earlier this year. At $350, the 128GB Quest 2 comes with Beat Saber and Resident Evil 4, and it’s well worth getting while it’s available. It’s one of the best Black Friday deals on VR we’ve seen.
Meta is releasing a whole new Quest 3 next year, likely with better features at a similar price, which is the one reason you might want to hold back. Even so, Beat Saber and Resident Evil 4 are two of the best games on the Quest 2, and the bundle with those games is $50 less than the Quest 2 was selling for before this sale.
If you want even more storage, the 256GB version of the Quest 2 with these games is $430, which is $70 less than the 256GB model normally costs. Most people won’t need the extra storage, but it can be helpful for anyone who’s planning on owning a ton of apps.
Where And How To Buy Honey Bees
So youre ready to start your beekeeping adventure? Youve read the books, youve attended some beekeeping lessons, and youve got all your fantastic equipment. Now you want to know how to buy your honey bees. There are a few different ways to obtain bees. Each has their advantages and drawbacks. But the good news is, these days, getting bees is becoming more and more simple.
So how do you buy honey bees and where do you find them? You have three options for purchasing bees: a package, a nucleus, or a full sized colony. Nowadays you can find honey bees for sale from a local supplier, or buy them online and have them sent by mail. Packages and nucs can both be shipped, but a full-sized colony needs collecting.
Its an important decision for any new beekeeper. I remember when I first started getting interested in beekeeping, I found the various options pretty confusing. As luck would have it, youre in the right place! The following is some useful advice for anyone looking to buy honey bees so you get off to the best possible start.
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Packages Nucs & Queens:
Beekeeping Buyers Please exercise due diligence when choosing and engaging any supplier/vendor/producer on this list as CSBA is not responsible for the services or actions of the listed entities.
4 Corners Beekeepers Association
- 2022 Bee packages can now be ordered for delivery/pickup in the 4 Corners area Packages by going to
Apis Hive & Honey Co
- Chad & Heidi Ragland 970-260-2497
- 3-pound Package bees with mated queen $145. Mated Queens $35. 5 frame Nucs with foul test verification with CrossX Queens $190.
- Delivery locations TBD.
Buy Bees Locally From A Distributor
Some retailers receive large shipments of bees directly and distribute them locally. Orders may be taken online or at the retailers location.
This type of arrangement reduces the timing risks associated with individual bee shipments.
Deliveries are scheduled in advance, and the supplier will notify you of when and where to pick up your bees. You may need to wait in line a bit, but at least your bees wont be sitting in some warehouse or on your doorstep for an extended period.
Be aware that getting bees from a local distributor may not mean that the bees were raised locally. Ask the distributor about the source of the bees.
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These Stocks Likely Won’t Steer You Wrong In The Long Term
This year hasn’t been kind to many blue chip stocks and major stock indexes. With a bear market that has seen stocks drop across the board, many investors may be wondering which stocks are bound to bounce back strong after a downturn. If you’re one of those investors, look no further than these three companies.
Beekind Honey Bees Inc
Established in 2019, BeeKind Honey Bees is Revelstoke’s first full commercial Apiary. We are a small scale commercial honey bee stock and raw honey producer, beekeeping educator, and online beekeeping retailer, with operations between Revelstoke BC, and Armstrong BC, Canada.
We offer quality products from the beehive , and for the beehive to our customers and beekeeping community, along with a variety of beekeeping learning opportunities for all ages and levels of interest, through our Shop and Services.
Our passion for nature, adventure, hard work, and offering quality products and services, has brought us to this moment. We believe our passions paired with our values for kindness, generosity, teaching, and sharing, drive our business philosophy and guide our priorities. In a world filled with environmental and social challenges, we emphasis the importance of being kind to each other and the world around us. The combination of honey bees, beekeeping, and small business, is our medium to express our values into actionable, positive, lasting change.
We are excited to share our story, experiences, products, and services, with you. Thank you for joining us, and sharing your generous support along the way.
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Advantages Of A Bee Nucleus:
- The population of a nuc will expand more quickly than a package.
- Youll get a quicker start, with a stronger colony, and a vigorous queen. Theres less risk that the new colony will fail than with a package.
- Youre more likely to find a local source for a nuc which means that the bees are well adapted to your climate.
- Absconding is very unlikely because the colony is already established.
Wondering What A Nuc Or A Package Is
Nuc is short for nucleus colony. . Think of it as the start or center of a new colony of bees. It usually consists of 5 deep Langstroth frames a new, mated, laying queen, and bees all in a temporary travel nuc box of plastic, wood, or cardboard. A nuc is a great way to get started in our climate but costs a little more up front.
A package of bees is a wire screen and wood cage usually containing 3 pounds of bees, a new, mated queen in her cage, and a can of sugar syrup for the journey. The bees will need to build their own comb and accept the queen. This makes it a little more difficult to get started, but costs less up front. See your supplier/vendor/producer website for more information.
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Local Pickup Or Shipped
A quick internet search will find the bee sources nearest to you. Ask local beekeepers, contact the nearest beekeeping club. Beware of re-sellers who drive to Georgia, purchase packages and sell them in Wisconsin as locals !
Dont laugh it happens. And there is no harm at all as long as the consumer knows what they are buying. I have purchased colonies and queens from Georgia for years and have had good luck.
How To Buy Bees For Your Hive
Buying honey bees is the most common way for new beekeepers to begin the hobby. There are several different options to consider when deciding how to buy bees to start your hive. Each method of obtaining new residents to occupy your beehives has pros and cons. Learn the ins and outs and you will be ready to start your beekeeping adventure.
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More On World Cup 2022
For English supporters, it is less about the inability to buy a drink – unless now it is alcohol-free Budweiser – but how much Qatar’s word can be relied on when there are concerns about the welcome for LGBT fans.
The Football Supporters’ Association said: “If they can change their minds on this at a moment’s notice, with no explanation, supporters will have understandable concerns about whether they will fulfil other promises relating to accommodation, transport or cultural issues.”
The Qatari decision is a blow to Budweiser and its £60m+ sponsorship.
But the winners are still those in corporate hospitality at stadiums. They will still be allowed to drink alcohol during the next month of matches.
Different Formats Bee Packages Vs Nucleus Colonies
Starter colonies come in two formats: bee packages and nucleus colonies .
Bee Packages
Bee packages come in screened boxes that include about 3 pounds of bees plus a caged queen. In addition, the package has a can of sugar syrup to feed the bees until you can install them in a hive.
The queen remains caged for several days while the bees adapt to her.
See our article about how to install a bee package for more information.
A package of bees is your least expensive option. Packages can be picked up locally or shipped to you, depending on the supplier.
Nucleus Colonies
A nucleus colony is a mini hive that usually has five frames with bees and an accepted queen that has already been laying eggs.
A nuc is available as a newly arranged spring nucleus hive or a more established overwintered nuc.
Nucs are more expensive than packages and are usually available later in the spring. However, they are easier to install, requiring only the transfer of frames and bees to the new hive.
See our article for more information about nucs. If its within your budget as a first year beekeeper, we recommend you get a nuc for ease of installation compared to installing a package of bees.
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Disadvantages Of A Bee Nucleus:
- Your hive needs to be the right size to accept the frames in the nuc. Most nucs are delivered on deep langstroth frames. If you have an uncommon hive setup then a nuc wont work.
- Nucs are more pricey than packages.
- Nucs arent usually available before later in the season, because they need time to establish.
- You dont get to observe the colony build right from the start, so you may miss out on a learning experience.
Buy An Established Colony Hive
Another option is to buy an established full hive. This can be a bit overwhelming to a new beekeeper as established hives are sometimes more defensive.
However, you do avoid the risk of having to introduce a new queen. And, the colony should have everything it needs to be grow and be productive.
Buying a full hive does not come without risks. Unless you purchase from a good beekeeper with a reputation to protect, you run the risk of getting a weak or sick hive.
Also, anytime you purchase a hive with honeycomb, there is a risk of disease or pests inside the hive.
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Buying Honey Bees And Beekeeping Supplies Online
Lauren Arcuri Ware runs a small farm and family homestead on 25 acres in Vermont. Her experience includes raising chickens for eggs and meat, growing vegetables, harvesting apples, keeping bees, and canning, freezing, drying, pickling, and preserving food. She’s covered those topics for The Spruce for seven years.
Tim Drivas Photography/Getty Images
When you start a beekeeping operation, ordering the bees is the final step. You have many online and mail-order sites to choose from. You can order package bees or nucs from most of these sources, but you should also check with your local beekeeping association since it is sometimes easier and less expensive to obtain your bees from local sources. A nuc is a smaller, nucleus colony of bees as compared to a full hive.
It is best to order your bees in the winter for shipment in March through May. Sometimes package bees sell out, so avoid problems by ordering early.
Find out more about some of the best online bee suppliers who will ship bees to you many also have bees available for pickup. There are many more suppliers who have websites, but some of these may not ship the bees, requiring that you pick them up yourself.
Draper’s is located in Pennsylvania and sells package bees and queens as well as a selection of beekeeping supplies. They sometimes have nucs available for pickup only. They offer Italian, Italian/Russian, Carniolan, and Minnesota Hygienic Carniolan subspecies of bees.
Colonies Of Bees In Nuc Hives
A NUC is a smaller colony of honeybees that contains a mated laying queen bee with brood. This contains a handful of drones and a few thousand worker bees. These NUCs are typically used as a temporary hold to allow the colony to grow larger and then be placed into a larger hive.
We supply bees two types of NUC hives being a 5 FRAME POLY/CORFLUTE NUC and the 5 FRAME WOODEN BUZZBEE NUC.
5 FRAME POLY/CORFLUTE NUC
The popular economic choice is the 5 FRAME POLY/CORFLUTE NUC which securely holds 5 full-deep frames containing the colony. This small hive contains small ventilation holes aiding for not only the bees to breath but also the release of heat within the colony. Find out more > >
5 FRAME WOODEN BUZZBEE NUC
The tried and tested method of using a wooden NUC hive provides your new bees better insulation, more security and can be reused repeatedly in future years. The 5 FRAME WOODEN BUZZBEE BEEHIVE NUC which securely holds 5 full-deep frames contains the colony. This smaller hive has an adjustable entrance and can be totally shut off for transportation. The lid/outer cover is telescopic, so it fully overlaps the main brood box/super providing better security staying in place when windy, better at keeping the rain out and reduced gaps loosing unwanted heat.
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