All posts by carsonandbees

It’s time! Order your bees for Spring 2023

It’s time to order honeybees! We are once again selling bee packages (to install into your boxes) and full hives (boxes included). Each three-pound package includes approximately three frames of bees and a mated Carniolan queen, produced with care in Sonoma and Yolo counties.

Orders must be received by April 1, 2023. Packages and hives must be pre-paid. 

All orders are final and nonrefundable. They will be available to pick up in Ukiah (morning) or Potter Valley (afternoon) on Saturday, April 15, and we will schedule delivery and installation based on your location from April 16-18. Full hives do not need to be picked up/delivered with urgency and can be scheduled for a later date.

  • 1 package: $200 each
  • 2 or more packages: $180 each (only one contact person allowed)
  • 1 complete hive: $500. Includes bees (we will install), two 10-frame boxes with frames (one deep and one shallow), top and bottom boards, an in-hive syrup feeder, and a hive tool. 

Please click here to fill out the order form.

Delivery and Installation

Carson is available to deliver full hives and/or deliver and install packages for an extra fee. Delivery includes a 15-minute consultation while he is installing your hive. You can upgrade to a 60-minute training which will cover how and when to open your hive; how to find the queen; how to make sure she is laying eggs; how to identify larva vs. honey cells; how and when to check and treat for mites; and time for Q&A.

Location for delivery and install*15-minute consult60-minute training
Ukiah, Redwood Valley, Potter Valley, Hopland, Willits, Upper Lake, Anderson Valley, Mendocino Coast$40$100
*If we can’t coordinate a second delivery within a 15 minute drive of your location, an additional $20 fee will apply.

Additional Trainings/Services

Carson is available for private, on-site visits throughout the year and can work with you on:

  • How to do mite counts and apply mite treatment
  • How and when to feed syrup and pollen
  • How to extract honey from established hives (not first-year hives)
  • How and when to split healthy, established hives into two or more new hives
  • General training/hive troubleshooting/Q&A

Sessions vary in length depending on what is covered, and we will work with you on cost based on your location and whether he has other visits in the area (we group coastal visits to keep the price down).

Instructions and Disclaimer 

Everyone who places an order will receive the following from us: 1) request for payment; 2) package installation instructions, and 3) a disclaimer outlining our policies once the bees change hands. We will always try to do right by our customers, and we follow the standard practices of beekeepers all over the state when selling packages.