Bee Packages March 2025

$50.00

Coming in March. Bee Packages from New Zealand

*The price will be $275 to $375 ea but only the Deposit is due now.

DELIVERY DATES: 

March 15:  1 kg packages
March 29:  The larger 1.5 kg packages.
(we had the option of March 8, but due to cold, rainy, windy weather and negative reports we believe the bees do better if installed March 15 or later)

**Pre-Ordering is Required**

NOTE:  Bee packages are NOT recommended for people just starting as a new beekeeper.  We recommend NUCS (Nucleus Colonies for brand new beekeepers)

What is A Package of Bees:

  • it  is approx. 10,000 – 15,000 bees in a screened box
  • a queen in a cage.
  • A food container to sustain them during transport.

The bees should be installed as soon as possible.  They should not be left in the transport box.
These bees should be installed into your hive box that should include at least one frame of drawn comb plus food.  (more info in the description)

Pick-up Locations:  Nanaimo, Victoria or Duncan.

PRICE:

  • 1 kg:  approx. $275.00 ea
  • 1.5 kg packages:  approx. $375.00 ea.
  • DEPOSIT REQUIRED: A Non-Refundable Deposit of $50 each ($51.75 if paying by Credit Card) is required to secure your order.
  • BALANCE OF PAYMENT will be due 10 days prior to the arrival of the bees.
  • We need the deposits to have firm ORDER NUMBERS

IMPORTANT: There are NO Refunds on Deposits unless unforeseen circumstances prevent the arrival of the bees. Queens will be replaced, free of charge, if they are dead on arrival.

 

Payments accepted

  • Cash
  • E -transfer to pat@cowichan-bees.com  *auto deposit
  • Credit Card (*price will be 3.5%  higher for this payment option)

ORDER BELOW: 

Choose the Quantity of Bees (1 kg is most common)

Preferred Pick-up Location

DEPOSIT PAYMENT METHOD CHOICE

How to Install a Bee Package that comes in a box

You Tube Videos:

>> YouTube Video on How to install a New Zealand Bee package from Kintail

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70ODILM3qcM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVz26rW7hjY


About New Zealand Bees  (arriving March 2025)

Packaged bees arrive from our friends at Kintail Honey in New Zealand

Should I feed my packaged bees once they are installed?

Sugar Syrup. Prepare a sugar syrup solution of 1:1 sugar-water before the package is installed.

Feeding fumagillin medicated syrup to newly installed packages is highly recommended

Unless you install your packages on drawn combs containing sufficient honey and pollen (taken from existing colonies or from storage), you should plan to feed the bees immediately upon installation and continue feeding them until they are able to fend for themselves. This is critically important when installing packages on foundation.

 Getting Ready for Package Arrival

Apiary Site Selection. A sunny, wind-protected and well drained location should be selected. Sunlight will warm the colony and stimulate foraging.

Install an entrance reducer for the colony to conserve heat and prevent robbing.

When many colonies are being established from packages, hives must be temporarily closed completely by stuffing grass in the entrance to prevent robbing. The grass can be replaced with an entrance reducer after the bees have settled.

Beehive equipment including bottom board, hive body, inner cover and hive lid should be ready before packages arrive.

Preparation of the brood chamber. Nine or ten frames are used in the brood chamber. When using ten, start with nine frames when the package is installed, and add the tenth frame one week later. Use frames with honey and pollen stores when available. If the frames are numbered 1 to 9, then frames 1, 2, 8, and 9 should contain honey, while 3 and 7 should have pollen. The central frames 4, 5, and 6 should be about 75% free of honey and pollen to provide room for brood development. Some dead brood from the previous year in the centre frames is of no concern because the bees will quickly clean them out.

How to Make Sugar Syrup for Package Bees

A one-to-one mixture of sugar and water — measured either by weight or by volume — provides the energy your bees need to stimulate brood rearing and start drawing out foundation.

To make the sugar syrup, heat the mixture gently until all of the sugar is dissolved. Remove the syrup from the heat and let it cool to room temperature. Once it has cooled, we suggest adding fumagilin-B to control Nosema and Honey-B-Healthy  or HIVE Alive to make the sugar syrup more attractive to the bees and to improve their gut health.

Suggestions for Sugar Syrup

  • Ratio 1:1 white sugar dissolved in water
  • Treat for mites with APIVAR or Oxalic Acid
  • Fumagilin-B to prevent nosema as directed on package
  • Honey-B-Healthy  or Hive Alive as a health supplement. Essential oils for good gut health.