Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Rural Living Bees, anyone know where to get some?

Checking online I'm seeing a lot of places sold out already. With our climate I was holding off until now to get a package or three shipped here to start a couple of hives for me and a friend. Nothing has started to bloom yet except for a few early wildflowers and nights are still well below freezing except for the odd one above. Saw no sense in ordering them early and trying to keep them alive on sugar.

Appreciate any help. Northern colonies preferred for sure. Ones that have overwintered above the Mason-Dixon line for sure, but I can take southern bees if that's all that's available.

Thanks,

Geno

call your ag center

Feed store? May have a source at least.

Google your area for a bee keeper assn.

Thanks,

the local bee keeper assn stopped taking orders March 24, and then it was only members. Similar climate, they started taking orders in Jan, but I don't know when they had planned on receiving them.

Been 20+ years since I had a hive and I swear I got my bees in late May over on the coast. But with the bee issues over the years, maybe there are just fewer colonies available, "per capita".

Wondering how much of this is causes by The Corona also. I'm seeing sold out signs on chicks at the feed stores too. Everyone going to raise chickens and keep a hive now I guess.

Geno

Kelley's and Mann Lake are both still advertising package bees.

You might also see if you can get on a swarm removal list for your area, or just advertise in something like Craigslist that you will remove swarms from people's property.

Might put up a swarm trap and catch some. I have caught 2 swarms that way this year. I needed it too, as I lost a hive late last summer to small Hive beetles. Turned out that I had a torn place in my screened bottom board, letting them enter at will. Back to solid bottom boards for me. I think the mail order bunch sell out early every year. A few years back, when I first started with bees, you could not order after the first of the year, as they were all gone. Set me back a year. They do not ship until the right time for your area, but you have to order early. miles

Right now is when bees get delivered here. We still have snow on the ground. They usually get fed for a few weeks until the spruce pollen is available.

Thanks folks,

Seems since I last had a hive they've got a new bee available too. Anyone have experience with the Saskatraz bees?

Beoceri, I've got those companies' web pages up and will likely order some bees online today.

Geno

I've got a gal that has started keeping bees on my property. She brought in the first hive 3 years ago. First winter the bees got mites and were killed out. So she brought in another batch to replace them. Next issue were the mice getting into the hive, which was easy to stop that. But after just one successful summer/winter, she came out to check them earlier this spring to find the hive empty. Apparently they absconded.
Bad luck I guess. Seems there's more to having bees then just setting up a hive and collecting the honey.

In my short period as a bee keeper I have lost a hive to small hive beetles, and one to Wax moths. I was down to one hive at the beginning of winter, but have caught 2 swarms this spring. I also ordered a nuc last fall that is scheduled for pickup May 16. We will see what comes next. miles

Miles
What is a nuc?

bender,

obviously not Miles, but if not mistaken a "nuc" is a nuclear hive. Basically a jump start. The places I see them listed don't ship them like the do the package of bees. My guess would be that as they are bigger, likely contain frames with brood already, your hive will get a much faster start than just getting a 3lb package with a queen that starts laying when you install it in your box.

I picked up a hive box today. Bottom, 2 brood boxes, and a lid, all that need cleaned up. I'll order bees tomorrow, along with some foundations. If I can't get bees this year, I'll be set up for next year.

Geno

That is my understanding also. This will be the first one that I have ever seen. miles

Got it. Thanks.

In the FWIW column I have a beekeeper who places hives on my property. His bees are shipped to California at the end of the season which is about October. They are returned in mid-May. He checks these hives about once a week and has them set up in an area where we placed wire mesh on the ground to keep out skunks and other stuff. His main concerns are pesticides used on corn if there is any in area, a couple of kinds of bugs, and cattle which we fence out of the area. He tells me the bees will not survive a South Dakota winter in most cases. These bees are not from captured swarms of wild bees but the kind you would get from ordering them from a commercial seller which I assume is why they winter them in a warm climate.

stantdm,

Bee keepers here generally have to wrap their hives with winter wrap and feed them to get them though until the spring bloom starts. I've never kept them in this climate, so that will be a new experience for me. Your beekeeper likely gets paid for putting his hives near almond, peach, apricot, etc orchards in Cali for the spring bloom up, which is over in the valley by May when he brings them back north. They winter just fine there, as oranges and palms live in the area so it freezes only occasionally and never really hard like here (have seen -25F at my place).

Geno

the bee keepers around here stack straw bails around the hives during winter, for insulation.

Geno, that makes sense. I will ask him if he gets paid for doing that. We have a lot of bee hives in the area I live and there is nobody I have seen that overwinters them with wraps or hay bales. They are all commercial beekeepers so you are likely right about what they are doing. Thanks.

Hadn't thought of that. I'll check with the locals and see if any do that. I'd use straw, which would give me a supply for the rest of the year for chicken yard litter (which gets composted) and garden mulch.

Geno

Friend who is loaning me the hive box found bees! Coming from NC in May. I can't wait, it's been 20+ years since I've had them, due to moving around the country for work every couple of years.

My little fruit trees are just starting to pop out flowers, so the neighborhood trees and wildflowers will be in full bloom when they arrive. If we can get some more moisture we might have a nice late summer nectar flow from the sage and rabbit brush to help the critters survive the winter with less feeding by me.

Thanks for any and all help folks.

Geno