Pick Up at BeeWeaver
Tips & Helpful Links
Get the most out of your trip to our farm – enjoy tours, tastings, lessons, shopping, food, mead, overnight stays, and fun! Visit Farm Activities, Enhancements, and Book Your Stay to learn more. We look forward to hosting you!
Bees & Heat: The biggest killer of bees in transit is HEAT. Even when it is 70 degrees bees can overheat. Plan your travels so you do not have the bees sit without airflow or sit in the sun. Our staff will give you recommendations on where/how to load your bees. If you insist on an alternative option (like putting them in your vehicle’s trunk) there is an increased risk your bees will die. It is your responsibility to plan well for safe travels for the bees. BeeWeaver is not responsible for bees that die in transit once in your care. We will do all we can to assist you, including where the bees can safely be if you choose to stay at the farm after pick up times end.
If you feel you need more help with bees and beekeeping please consider taking a private beekeeping lesson before pick up or on the same day as pick up. We also offer intensive training via our BeeWeaver Stewardship Course. Space is limited, please book in advance: Private Beekeeping Lesson and BeeWeaver Stewardship Course.
We have many resources to help you in your beekeeping journey!
- BeeWeaver Help Blog
- BeeWeaver Facebook Page
- BeeWeaver Guide (includes detailed instructions for hiving and requeening)
- Bee Expert Chats, Lessons, Tours & More
Plan your trip to our farm – We have worked hard to make a space where you feel welcome and comfortable. Give yourself ample time to enjoy our space and meet fellow beekeepers. For details on how to find us visit our Contact and Hours page.
Queens
It is vital to hive your queens asap – especially if attendants have started to die. If your queen is alive with a couple (or all) dead attendants do not hold her for several days to see how she does… hive her. The longer she is in a cage outside of the hive the higher the likelihood is she will die. If you must hold your queens you can put them away from ants, out of sun, out of direct air blowing on them, and away from pesticides (we keep ours on our kitchen island). Give the bees/queen 1 DROP of water a day – never mist the cage. Wet, sticky queens die quickly. If you have 1-2 dead attendants this is normal, 3+ please hive your queens asap.
Packaged Bees
Packages can be hauled in a car or in the back of a truck. We recommend putting a towel or box under the bees if it is inside the car – there can be syrup, water and dirt on the packaging. Video of Hiving a Package.
Nucs or Nucleus Colonies
Nucs can be hauled in a car or in the back of a truck. We recommend putting a towel or box under the bees if it is inside the car – there can be syrup, water and dirt on the packaging. There is a chance, despite taping and closing a nuc that bees can find an escape. Typically a few may fly up to the window and try to find a way out. If this is an issue or possibly an issue for you please bring netting if they will ride inside the car. We do have nuc nets for purchase (they also cover hives!). If you choose to relax for a while and enjoy the mead or a tour or picnic, leave your nuc in place with the lid taped and entrance open. When you are ready to go, simply net your nuc and load up! Nucs ride best with the entrance open. The strongest nucs will overheat when closed even when it is cool outside. Video of Hiving a Nuc.
Keep it Simple
Most of a Beekeeper’s job is to help the bees with: Nutrition, Population, Shelter.
- Keep your bees well fed with 1:1 sugar syrup (by weight), but only feed proportionally (IE: small amount for small population) to their size and if there is a need (IE: no or hardly no stored honey/syrup). Generally if you have 1 frame of honey for every frame of brood your hive has plenty of stores.
- Check for a laying queen after hiving the bees, and make sure she is alive and well with each hive check (look for her and/or her eggs – if you see eggs you know she is there).
- Only give your hive more room if the bees have filled the top box 100% AND are on a honey flow/brood build up, remove any extra room they cannot care for.
Have a WONDERFUL SEASON, and thank you for your business.