1. Why do I have to wait until late May or perhaps early June to pickup my bees when others get their bees in April? The bees we sell contain locally produced Indiana Queens. It takes active drone populations, strong queen rearing hives, and decent weather to produce a queen locally. Once the queens are produced they have to mate and display brood production before we turn them over to you. Conditions for this process to occur directly impact the timeline for you receiving your bees. April bees typically contain queens produced in a warmer locale such as California or Georgia. In other words, there is no way to rush good, local bees.
2. What is the "breed" or lineage of these bees? Our bees can best be described as good ole Indiana mutts. Our queenlines can be traced back to the Indiana Queen Breeders Association. For years us and our partners have selected for traits that would be most beneficial to beekeepers in our region.
3. Is there a guarantee that my bees with survive and do well once I receive them? No. We do everything in our control to produce and supply happy, healthy bees. However, when working with live animals facing many uncontrollable environmental factors (ie weather, available forage, predators) there can be no guarantees.
4. How does the preorder process work? We take all orders here on our website. The earlier you order the better. We always sell out. You will receive a confirmation email once your order is placed. We will send a few more emails updating you on your bees including a final email regarding nuc pickup.
5. How does pickup work? We will email a final update when we have confirmation of a nuc pickup day. Pickup is usually on a Saturday in late May or early June. You will also receive details such as time window and location (typically in Lowell). It is highly recommended that you come get your bees on the designated pickup day. We time the pickup day to when your bees are ready to be in a hive. This means that if you miss the pickup day you could negatively impact the health of your bees. There are no refunds.
6. Should i wear a bee suit to pickup my nuc? We would highly recommend wearing protective gear when picking up your bees. There will be many active colonies of honeybees at the pickup location so the likelihood of getting a bee sting are high. At minimum wear a jacket and gloves. Also, remember you will be transporting live bees. The nuc will be closed but there could be a few loose bees in the vehicle with you. You can purchase mesh bags on bee supply websites for transporting nucs if you are looking for extra protection.
7. How soon do I need to transfer my bees from the nuc box into my hive? We highly recommend transferring your bees into your hive immediately after pickup. If conditions are not ideal to do the transfer, you can place the nuc box on top of your hive and open the nuc entrance to allow the bees to fly until you can transfer them. However, waiting is not recommended.
8. Has my nucleus colony been treated for Varroa Mites? Yes. Your colony will have initial mite treatment. However, no treatment is 100% effective and mites travel on bees. This means that mite levels will increase throughout the year. We highly recommend having a plan for testing and treating for Varroa Mites throughout the year.
9. Will I need to feed my bees? Your nucleus colony will have some resources in the frames. However, it is always good practice to supplement a new establishing colony with sugar/pollen.
10. Do I keep the nuc box my bees come in and frames? Yes. We don't charge a deposit or require return of the nuc box or replacement frames. What you get is what you keep. The boxes can be useful for splitting bees or catching swarms. Type of box will vary from year to year.
11. Are there any resources you would recommend for a new beekeeper? Absolutely! Find a local bee club and get involved. This is the perfect way to learn and share ideas. We would recommend checking out the Northwest Indiana Beekeepers Association.
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